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The rapid rise of farm mechanization that took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to significant changes in farming. The introduction of and innovation of machines such as tractors, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides, marked the beginning of intensive farm practices. As the global population continued to rise rapidly, the global food demands increased significantly as well. Consequently, the response to the rising need to feed the global population became intensive farming. Intensification of farming is the process of increasing the use of capital and labor in order to increase yields and farm profitability. Because of this, intensive farm practices are often presented as a solution for feeding the world. In an attempt to accommodate worldwide needs and increase farm productivity and profitability, intensive farmers rely heavily on the use of machinery, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and large-scale irrigation systems. Intensive Farming as a Productive Farm Practice With the optimal use of inputs, intensive farmers manage to produce more crops per land unit, making these intensive farm practices a simple way to increase farm productivity. Intensive farming implies a monoculture system; meaning farmers simplify their farm management by growing the same crop over several years on the same field, enabling them to become highly skilled. The labor cost associated with this type of farming is also lower than that of other farming types. The Other Side of Intensive Farming While intensive farming was introduced as a solution to feeding the world, with farmers' productivity increasing, at the same time, sustainability has become questaionable. Scientists are becoming increasingly concerned about the environmental consequences of intensive farming. For instance, heavy use of pesticides reduces biodiversity and may have negative effects on helpful organisms. Possible negative effects on human health is also often questioned. Furthermore, pesticides and synthetic fertilizers cause pollution and poisoning of soil and water. Intensive farm management practices are one of the main contributors to global deforestation. Slash and burn agriculture is one example of how the clearing of tropical forests in order to increase crop production can cause deforestation and soil erosion. In aiming to achieve higher productivity, intensive farm practices contribute to climate change, leaving a dramatic footprint on the environment. Clearing land in order to make room for the growing of crops, intensive cattle raising, and overuse of fertilizer significantly contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainability of Intensive Farm Practices There is much discussion about the sustainability of intensive farming. Sustainable crop production aims to increase yields while at the same time protecting valuable natural resources. With all of the negative consequences of intensive farm practices, it's obvious that this practice is not sustainable long term. However, by transforming farm management intensive practices into a conservation type of agriculture, intensive farmers will be able to develop more sustainable crop production on their land. Furthermore, many intensive conventional farmers are beginning to recognize the benefits of organic farming and are introducing some organic practices into their farm management. In order to reach Zero hunger, food production must be oriented towards sustainability. By protecting the environment, farmers are able to protect the most valuable production resources, thus protecting the global food supply. TRY NOWfor free   Text and image sources: Everything Connects || Fao || Mr. Paolano Global Studies

The most common necessity among all human beings worldwide is food. We all must eat regularly in order to maintain our health. Therefore, farming is the most important industry, as it provides us with life sustaining food. According to FAO, there are over 570 million farms throughout 161 countries worldwide. The vast majority, 74 percent of all farms, are located in East Asia (China) and South Asia (India), in lower to upper-middle income countries. Farm sizes and the total number of farms change greatly over time as a result of factors such as population growth, agricultural development, land policies, and other global factors. Most of the world's farms are very small. Of 460 million farms worldwide, within 111 countries, 72 percent of the farms are smaller than one hectare in size; 12 percent are 1-2 hectares in size, and 10 percent are 2-5 hectares. Only 6 percent of the world’s farms are larger than 5 hectares, which represent 88 percent of the world’s farmland. As stated, many farms are very small. Because they are so small (relatively speaking), at least 90 percent of these are owned by individual farmers, small groups of individuals, or family farmers (known as smallholders). Smallholders are family-focused and grow crops mainly for their own consumption, using family labor for production. Those goods not needed for their own consuption are sold. Money earned from selling these products is how many make their living. Smallholders are mainly located in low-income areas in rural, developing areas within Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia. They not only suffer from a lack of farming materials but also tend to be the most negatively affected by climate change. The allocation of farms can also be seen below, through a satellite picture depicting farm size. According to this image, African and Asian farmers have the smallest farms, varying from very small to small. Medium and larg-sized farms are dominant in North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. Climate change affects the soil quality, available water resources and is the main cause of destructing weather conditions such as drought, hail, and frost which drastically lower the yield and thus the farmer's productivity. All that reflects on the total size of farmland; due to lack of farm knowledge and access to modern technologies such as resistant varieties, fertilizers, pesticides, various sensors, and management software, smallholders are forced to decrease total farmland share. Consequently, they are on the edge of existence. Unlike developing countries, developed countries with middle to higher incomes in agriculture are less affected by climate change. One of the main reason is the availability of farm commodities such as quality seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, water, high-tech farm equipment, and modern farm management software. Farmers are able to fight the climate change, aiming to produce high and quality yield. Another global problem farmers are faced with is the global food demand due to rapid human population growth. Having in mind that global food demand will reach a number of 9.6 billion by 2050, the goal is to produce more on the same land area by following sustainable farm management practices and thereby decrease carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Various farming techniques, used to achieve global food demand, also have a great influence on the flow of future crop production. Farming practices like proper tillage, regular crop rotation, soil analysis, good nutrient and irrigation management as well as pest control can increase farmer’s yields. This is the most important for farmers in developing countries. Moreover, better management, access to real-time pricing information, improved profits and productivity, and reduced market segmentation improved access to these farm commodities could increase global farm production nearly by 60 percent. TRY NOWfor free   Text and image sources: FAO || FiBL || Geo-Wiki || GEOG

Of all the issues our planet is currently facing, the global food shortage seems to be the most urgent. Having in mind that the global population is going to reach 9 billion till 2050, sufficient food, our single most vital need as living creatures is going to be a global problem. Farming has already faced significant changes conceptually. Since there is little farmland available, farmers have to find other ways of producing more food on the same surface. Utilizing whatever technology is available has become the go-to method of attempting to maximize both the farmers' yields and profits. AgTech industry is coming up with new ways of turning farms into wireless machines aimed at maximizing the potential of every acre. Enhancing crop productivity from the angle of investing in technology is also important because around 30% of the world's most widely spread cereal crops such as wheat, corn and rice have reached their genetic potential – yield plateau. Investing in technology is the only way of getting some extra yields out of these crops. The largest change coming to farming is the mass-scale automation that looks to be employed across various aspects of the industry; remote sensing, GPS, and data analytics devices all being added to farming equipment. Farms are becoming more and more like factories: tightly controlled operations for turning out reliable products, immune as much as possible from the vagaries of nature. Thousands of farmers worldwide are adopting new equipment to make their farming more productive; tractors and other machines that can map fields and drive themselves and various sensors which collect data like nutrient levels and soil moisture. It appears that agriculture is set to join the other industries that will rely on workforces transforming into engineers for the robots that are automating their former roles. Using advanced farm technology, farmers are able to accurately manage variations in the field to grow more food using fewer resources and reducing production costs. Farm technology in the form of farm machinery, fertilizers and other agrochemicals, along with scientifically improved crops results in a decrease of the number of people working on the land. In 1900, around 41% of America’s labor force worked on a farm; now the percentage is below 2%. This effect is less visible in poorer countries, but the direction of travel is the same. The share of city-dwellers in the world’s total population reached 50% in 2007 and is still rising relentlessly, yet the shrinking proportion of people living in the countryside is still able to feed the urban majority. Along with the development of improved farm technology, some other trends seem to continue into the near future. Precision agriculture will spread from its North American origin and become a routine in Europe and parts of South America, such as Brazil, where large arable farms predominate. And someone, perhaps in China, will work out how to apply precision farming techniques to rice which are to soybeans, maize, and other crops. Information technology is taking over agriculture. Aiming to produce enough food to stop the malnutrition, farmers are trying to find the way to secure our future. It's now in farmers' hands to decide what their farms will look like. Will they really turn into open sky factories? TRY NOWfor free   Text sources: The Future of Agriculture

Outdoor farming and the growing of crops in soil has been practiced since the dawn of agriculture. Generations of farmers have used farming practices and available technology to grow crops that feed their families. Since it was announced by scientists that the global population has risen and will continue to do so rapidly, the need to develop a solution has become a matter of urgency and vital importance. Providing a food source for the escalating world population is not an easy job for farmers. Climate changes have led to unpredictable weather conditions. And to make their jobs more difficult, their hard work is often endangered due to hail, frost, and drought or flood, along with the lack of available farmland. Remarkable achievements in science have managed to address problems such as the lack of the arable land, water deficiency, and rising fossil fuel prices, thus mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Just a few decades ago, farming in a controlled environment sounded like science fiction to everyone in the industry. Today, it is a reality, serving as a possible answer to all future challenges that are threatening the food security. Farming in a Controlled Environment In one of our previous blog posts, we wrote about farming in a controlled environment. Here is a snapshot of the meaning of this sustainable farm practice. Farming in a controlled environment is a type of urban farming where environmental conditions such as light, temperature, humidity, and nutrient cycles can be controlled. This practice refers to an indoor method of farming, such as vertical farms and greenhouses. Both farm practices manage crop growth by combining the hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic systems. The key difference between the vertical farms and greenhouses is the natural light. A vertical farm is lit by artificial light, while greenhouses rely mostly on natural light. However, farmers can utilize artificial light within the greenhouse farm to manage the crops’ growth. Farming Without Using Sunlight Growing crops under artificial light is a revolutionary scientific farm practice. Initially, vertical farms used fluorescent lights to support the crop growth. However, with the development of LED light technology, fluorescent lights are slowly being replaced by the new, energy-efficient bulbs. The best practice is to use the pink lights, i.e. the combination of red and blue LED lights. Scientists claim that the mixing of red and blue wavelengths is all that a crop really requires in order to grow successfully. Influence of Pink Light to the Crop Growth Blue wavelengths influence phototropism, the opening of stomata which regulates a crop’s retention of water and chlorophyll production. Phytochromes absorb mostly red light. Red wavelengths produce a variety of responses in crops as well. They initiate seed germination, root development, and manage shade avoidance. By using artificial lights and embracing vertical farming as a viable practice, farmers are able to grow their crops all year-round without the threat of extreme weather events. Furthermore, consumers get locally grown crops in a shorter amount of time, as the need for lengthy transport is eliminated. Crops grown within this practice are free from pests and disease, so the consumer gets a fresh and quality product. The farm management of this soil-less system is different than that of a traditional open field farm, but the end goal is the same, to produce more goods by using fewer resources. Agrivi farm management software helps farmers who are using this innovational farm practice to track all their farm activities in the form of tasks. With Agrivi, farmers can also manage and stay on top of their finances by being able to analyze entire productivity and profitability. Be innovative; embrace the technologies of the future and use Agrivi farm management software! TRY NOWfor free   Text sources: Happonomy Image sources: Inhabitat || Fast Company

There is a common belief that providing food for the global population includes the need for more agricultural land, which leads to deforestation. Although forests still cover 30% of the world's land area, about 7 million hectares of forest are lost each year, which is approximately equal to the size of Panama. According to the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization), deforestation is one of the most widespread and important changes that people have made to the surface of the earth. The cumulative loss of forest land is followed with the global growth rate of human population. The trajectory of population growth and deforestation is shown in the picture below. The connection between deforestation and global population growth What Are the Main Causes of Forest Destruction? There are many reasons why forests are cut down, but the biggest driver of deforestation is farming. The lack of arable land together with the growing demand for food have resulted in the clearing forests in order to provide enough land for crops and livestock. Many small farmers in tropical areas use the cultivation method called 'slash-and-burn farming'. In this method, farmers clear forests by burning them and then in that 'burned' soil grow crops that are fertilized by the ashes. Soils managed with this practice produces only for a few years after which farmers move their crop production to new patches of forest. Other reasons for the high rate of deforestation include:forest fire, fuelwood harvesting, mining, infrastructure construction, and unsustainable logging practices. It is also caused by illegal practices and poor forest management. The following picture shows the main reasons for forest destruction. The main drivers of deforestation Dramatic Effects of Deforestation There are many negative effects of deforestation on the global level: Deforestation is one of the contributing factors to global climate change Felled trees can no longer assist in removing carbon dioxide from the atmospher Burned trees release their stored carbon, thus enhancing the greenhouse gasses The water cycle is disrupted; trees are a very important part of the water cycle because they are responsible for extracting the water from the soil and returning it into the atmosphere - when parts of the forest are cut down, global vapor flows are decreased, which can lead to a much drier climate Trees help to maintain the moisture of the soil, but without blocking the sun's rays soil can quickly dry out; blocking of sun's rays during the day also prevents extreme temperature swings. Another important fact about the forests is that they are complex ecosystem which affects other species on the planet. For example, about 70% of the world’s plants and animals live in forests and lose their habitats because of deforestation. Trees are also significant for soil erosion management. The roots hold the soil in place which washes out after the cutting. Despite all of these negative effects, there is a common belief that deforestation is necessary to feed the growing global population by providing more space for arable land. Scientists do not agree. They claim that deforestation has caused the loss of a third of the world’s arable land since 1960.   What Can Farmers Do to Increase Their Production Without Further Deforestation? The key answer to increasing farm production without further deforestation is a sustainable farm management. It’s very important for farmers to increase their yields, which can reduce dependence upon destructive slash-and-burn farming methods. Good farming practices like proper tillage, crop rotation, soil analysis, nutrient management, irrigation and pest control can increase farmer’s yields. Implementation of these practices can be facilitated with Agrivi farm management software. Agrivi ensures optimal usage level of every field with its field utilization overview. Farmers can also track all of their activities on the farm (crop rotation, irrigation, tillage, pest control, fertilization). The software gives farmers the best farm practices for the most significant crops – fruits, vegetables and arable crops, with smart pest alarms to notify farmers on time when to treat their crops. To feed the world without further deforestation, raise your yields by using Agrivi! TRY NOWfor free   Text sources: FAO || National Geographic || Live Science || Pachamama Alliance Image sources: FAO || WWF Global

The beginnings of agriculture reach far back into history. One of the oldest human activities, farming, developed long before the first written documents. However, the exact date of its origin is unknown. Although some archaeological findings confirm that farm production began to develop in the Neolithic period, the latest research by Israeli scientists suggests that agriculture began to develop much earlier, even more than 23,000 years ago. The change from the hunting and gatherer life to the cultivation of plants, domestication of animals, and food production led to the development of the first civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China and further expansion of farm production. Farm production through history – farming then and now Farm Production in the World The world’s land area totals 13.958 million hectares, of which 4.992 million hectares are classified as agricultural land. This accounts for about 36% of the total land area. The agricultural land is divided into 3 categories: arable land (28%), permanent crops (3%), and meadows and pastures (68%). The most common type of agricultural production is farming. Grains, such as wheat, rice, barley, and corn, make up the majority of the world's crop production. Some of the world's major crops and their production volumes are shown in the following table. The world's major crops with their global production and average yield (1 hg = 0.1 kg) Farm production poses a number of challenges for farmers around the world. Food production requires adjustments to rapid population growth, the expenditure of resources, soil degradation, reduced utilization of land and a growing lack of water. In order to meet current and future needs of a growing world population, it’s necessary to increase farm production. However, this must be done in a sustainable and qualitative way in order to respond the environmental and food safety requirements. Climate changes are yet another of the challenges for today's farmers, who are forced to adjust their production to increasing risks from weather extremes (such as hail, drought, heavy rain, and soil erosion). Climate changes are not only responsible for adverse weather conditions, they also cause the instability in farm commodity prices. Impact of climate change on crop production Farm Production in Croatia Unlike most countries, Croatia has a wealth of natural resources. Favorable agro-climatic conditions and the diversity of climate, relief, and soil are excellent for the growing of various crops. Croatia is is characterized by a large number of products in a variety of geographical locations in relation to its small area. A diversified rural landscape, natural beauty, and a great number of local products are also suitable for the development of rural tourism. Despite these advantages, Croatian agriculture is faced with problems such as the high rate of food product imports in relation to exports, inadequate farm size, fragmentation of farmland, technological backwardness, abandonment of villages and an aging rural population. Growing social inequality is also still one of the challenges of Croatian agriculture, making it difficult to achieve competitiveness for small family farmers. A Strategy to Enhance Farm Production Although agricultural production is facing serious global risks, solutions are possible within the framework of the monitoring and analysis of the risk themselves, and in the context of sustainable agricultural practices. Agrivi farm management software helps farmers to monitor complete farm production and also facilitates the management of potential farm risks. The software provides the best farm practices for over 100 different crops and allows farmers to monitor all field activities; from the consumption of fertilizers, pesticides, work hours of workers and machinery, to finance monitoring and the powerful analysis of the entire farm production. Enhance your farm production, start using Agrivi now! TRY NOWfor free   Text sources: FAO || Huron County View || Encyclopedia Britannica Image sources: Centery Farm || Tackk || Bell Banks || Farming First || Faostat

In a time when food production has flourished and developed countries produce more food than ever, there are almost 800 million people in the world who do not have enough food to lead a healthy and active life. This represents one in nine people on earth! The highest number of hungry people is in Asia (two-thirds of the total) while the highest prevalence of hunger is in Sub-Saharan Africa. Poor nutrition causes nearly half of deaths in children under five years old, and roughly 100 million children in developing countries are underweight. Since 1990, global hunger has been reduced by more than 34%. However, there are still many people who are facing hunger today. To reach the goal of all people having access to sufficient, safe, nutritious and sustainable food, UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon launched the Zero Hunger Challenge. This is a call for action which presents the vision of the world free from hunger, where at the same time, it is possible to face the growing demand for food and meet new environmental challenges. The Zero Hunger Challenge set several goals to end hunger in our lifetime: No stunted children less than two years of age 100 percent access to adequate food all year round All food systems are sustainable 100 percent increase in smallholder productivity and income Zero loss or waste of food.   Zero Hunger Challenge In order to transform our food system and end hunger, the United Nations released the all new Agenda 2030 sustainable development plan: An End to Malnutrition in All Its Forms: Malnutrition is both a driver and an outcome of poverty and inequality. Undernutrition leading to stunting which causes irreversible damage to both individuals and society. Obesity in childhood is a growing problem in all regions. Ensuring universal access to nutritious food in the 1000-day window of opportunity between the start of pregnancy and a child’s second birthday is essential to prevent stunting. This should be supported by a multi-sectoral approach which includes nutrition-sensitive healthcare, water, sanitation, education, agriculture, social protection and specific nutrition interventions, coupled with initiatives that enable the empowerment of women. Access Adequate Food and Healthy Diets, for All People, All Year Round: Access to food that forms the basis of healthy and diverse diets is intricately linked to both rights– particularly equity and women’s rights. All food systems are sustainable: from production to consumption; Sustainable food systems deliver food security and nutrition for all in such a way that the economic, social and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition for future generations are not compromised. The effects of climate change require sustainable and climate-compatible farming practices. Adapt all food systems to eliminate loss or waste of food: Minimizing food losses during production, storage, and transport, and the waste of food by retailers and consumers; empowering consumer choice; commitments by producers, retailers and consumers within all nations. An end to rural poverty: double small scale producer incomes and productivity; Ending rural poverty requires a determined effort to increase the income of the small-scale farmers which holds the key to feeding sustainably a growing global population. This involves improving people’s well-being through sustainable livelihoods: increasing smallholders’ income and productivity and decent rural employment.   Zero Hunger Challenge In the world of plenty, no one should be hungry. By 2050, there will be 9 billion people in the world, so we must work together to ensure that everyone gets the food that they need. It is now up to everyone including: governments, businesses, civil society, farmers, and individuals to join together and eradicate hunger in our world. This is because when you zero out hunger, the possibilities become infinite.   Text sources: IFOAM || World Food Programme || UN.org Image source: UN Zero Hunger Video source: UN Zero Hunger Videos TRY NOWfor free

The world currently produces more food per person than ever before. However, there are still over 800 million people who are suffering from severe malnutrition worldwide. For example, in rich countries total per capita food production for human consumption is about 900 kg a year. Due to unequal food distribution and large quantities of food lost during production and wasted in more developed countries, it feels like there is not enough food to feed the entire world. Food waste represents a one third (amounting to over one trillion dollars) of all food produced globally and thus it has a negative impact on the environment, economy, food security and nutrition. Food waste is a more serious problem in industrialized countries. It is usually caused by both retailers and consumers throwing perfectly edible foodstuffs into the trash. Per capita waste by consumers is between 95-115 kg a year in Europe and North America, while consumers in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia throw away only 6-11 kg a year each. Just one quarter of all wasted food could feed all of the undernourished people around the world who suffer from hunger. The most food loss occurs through the food supply chain, from farm crop production to processing, transport, storage and distribution management while it arrives to the end user. In broad terms, food losses are influenced by crop production choices and patterns, internal infrastructure and capacity, marketing chains and channels for distribution, and consumer purchasing and food use practices. Food losses also represent the waste of resources used in farm production such as land, water, energy and inputs. Stages of food waste in the world The issue of food losses is of critical importance in the efforts to combat hunger, raise income and improve food security in the world’s poorest countries. Food losses have an impact on food security for poor people, on food quality and safety, economic development and the environment. The exact causes of food losses vary throughout the world and are dependent on the specific conditions and local situation in a given country. Stages of food waste; North America, Oceania and Europe Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia have a high amount of food waste in the stages of storage and handling due to poor infrastructure for food preserving while rich countries in North America, Oceania and Europe have the most food waste in stages of consumption and production. Food waste in industrialized countries can be reduced by raising awareness among food industries, retailers and consumers. There is a need to find good and beneficial use for safe food that is currently thrown away. By learning how to reuse leftover food to feed humans and animals, and to produce energy and compost, food waste can become a valuable input to close nutrient cycles. In order to improve food production to reduce food loss, Agrivi farm management software gives farmers best farming practices in the form of tasks. For over 100 different crops, the system guides farmers on what to do during a specific season. They can also track all of their farm activities on fields, inputs of fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, work hours of workers and machinery. Using knowledge-intensive farm technologies, such as the Agrivi system for the tracking of crop production, farmers can make the right decisions at the farm level. In the end, the system gives them an insight into profitability and productivity of their farm with powerful Agrivi analytics and reports. Farmers are the managers of the most productive lands on the Earth. Using best farming practices they can reduce food loss and thus improve the food chain. Change the way food is produced – use Agrivi.   Text sources: Foodtank || Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Image source: World Food Clock TRY NOWfor free

Growing or farming season is a period of the year during which growing conditions, like temperature and moisture, are most favorable for cultivation of crops. Understanding when these periods of growth occur helps farmers better manage their farm production and better understand how variability in climate affects the ability of farmers to plant, grow and harvest specific crops. The growing periods are determined based on the start of the rainy season, potential evapotranspiration and temperature. It follows that some areas of the world are not suitable for crop growth at any time, some are suitable year round and some are defined by multiple growing seasons. Around the world, there are different growing seasons, depending on the distance of countries from the equator. Farming Season in Europe and North America Europe and North America belong to the temperate region, which has warm summers and cold winters and the length of the growing season depends mostly on temperature. This is typically from April until October or November, although this varies considerably with latitude and altitude, e.g. in most of the Portugal and Spain the growing season is almost year-round while in northern Finland and the higher Alps it may be only from June to September. Farming Season in South America and Indonesia Central and South America and Indonesia have a tropic climate, it's warm year-round and the growing season can last the entire year. In Indonesia, the growing season is sometimes interrupted by a rainy season, during which is too wet to grow crops. Farming Season in India Indian farming is dependent to a large extent on monsoons, soil and relief. The Indian farming season is classified into two main seasons based on the monsoon and one season based on irrigation practices: Kharif (autumn) farming season, from July –October during the south-west monsoon Rabi (spring) farming season, from October-March (winter) Zaid season, crops are grown throughout the year due to artificial irrigation. Farming Season in Africa Africa's seasons fall broadly into three periods: Rainy season (December–April): During these months is warm and wet, with temperatures generally at 20°C. Most yearly rainfall occurs at this time. Cool dry season (May–August): Temperatures drop, averaging around 16°C. July is usually the coldest month. Hot dry season (September–November): Temperatures rise rapidly and reach into 30°C with high humidity, making this season one of the least comfortable times of the year. Farming Season in East Asia The climate of East Asia is both similar to and different from the climate of Europe and North America. It's similar to cold winters and warm summers and different in that most of the rainfalls occur during the warm summer months, rather than during the winter months. This abundant water supply during the warm growing season allows intensive farming, with two and sometimes three crop cycles per year. Around the world, there are many growing seasons due to elevation or height above sea level and temperature of a given region. Accordingly, each region has its own unique crop production cycles, which require certain farming techniques to achieve higher yields. Now, when farmers have an insight into an abundance of farming seasons across the world, they are able to better manage their farm production. Not only knowledge of growing seasons helps farmers manage their production but also using modern farming tools such as farm management software Agrivi. With best practices processes for over 100 different crops, powerful analytics and reports, Agrivi helps farmers track their whole farm production and allows the complete overview of farm's productivity and profitability. The latitudes and longitudes dictate various growing seasons and farming activities, but you can manage your farm simply and easy with Agrivi system. TRY NOWfor free

We have already written about growing food and nutrition demands. Top priority is a food security, due to increasing population growth and the fact that 1 billion people still go to bed hungry each day. Climate of the croplands has a great impact on farming. These conditions can't be changed, but farmers can adjust on it using proven farming techniques, such as mulching, intercropping, conservation agriculture, crop rotation, integrated crop-livestock management, agro-forestry, improved grazing, and improved water management, together with innovative practices, such as better weather forecasting, drought- and flood-tolerant crops, and crop and livestock insurance. On the following maps you'll see crop production across the world and how climate affects global farming. Current crop yields Agricultural yields vary widely around the world due to climate, management practices and the mix of crops grown. You can see this yield difference on a map, which shows average yields for few major crops, mainly cereals. Data were compiled by fusing agricultural census records with satellite images. Crop yields are very high throughout most of the Great Plains in North America, resulting from good soils, high fertilizer inputs, and irrigation (particularly in the western portion of the region). Throughout most of Eastern Europe and western Africa crop yields are moderate while throughout eastern and southern Africa Crop yields range from low to moderate. Climate, poor soils and limited nutrient and water management all contribute to low yields. Throughout most of Brazil, India, China and Indonesia crop yields range from moderate to high, due to more rainfall. The highest yields in Indonesia are where oil palm, a high-calorie crop, is abundant. Click on the map to enlarge Closing yield gaps A key way to meet increasing demand for food is to make croplands more productive. Many croplands, however, fall well short of their full yield potential for their climate. Boosting yields to 95% of their potential--largely through improving nutrient and water management--would increase crop production by 58%. You can see this yield gap on a map which illustrates the potential calorie gains by closing yield gaps for few major crops, mainly cereals. Crop yields vary from moderate in Brazil and western Europe, moderate to high across western Africa, in the Great Plains in North America and India, to very high in eastern and southern Africa, where improvements in nutrient and water management could potentially double (even quadruple) yields. In China yield gaps range from low to high, with most of the potential calorie gains in northern China. In Indonesia yield gaps are low, largely influenced by strong production of oil palm. Click on the map to enlarge Increasing water use efficiency 70 % of humanity's freshwater withdrawals are for irrigating crops. Nearly a quarter of all croplands are irrigated; these lands provide a third of global crop production. Although this production is critical for food security, more efficient methods are needed to ensure a sustainable supply of water for other human and natural uses. This map shows patterns of irrigation use. Note that 'zero' values indicate that one or more of the major crops are grown in these areas, but are not irrigated. In Great Plains, India, China and semi-arid and Mediterranean regions irrigation is used extensively, mainly where rainfall is insufficient for regular crop growth. The water is used from surface water sources, as well as non-renewable sources like groundwater. Brazil has sufficient amount of rainfall to grow crops during the wet season. Crops grown in the dry season typically have lower yields, but provide additional income and reduce soil erosion. On the other hand, in Africa irrigation is necessary, but water sources are limited, as well as in Indonesia, where irrigation is largely limited to rice producing areas. Click on the map to enlarge Changing crop use & diet About 62% of crop production is for food; 35% is used for animal feed and 3% is harvested for fuel and other industrial uses. Shifting more crop production toward food use could potentially add about 50% more calories to the global food supply. Although a complete shift may be impractical, reducing meat consumption can have a strong influence on food security. This map depicts the proportion of crop production that is used for food. Nearly all crops produced in Africa, India and China are used directly as food while in Indonesia is used only 2/3 of the crop production. In recent years, demand for animal feed (domestically produced and imported) has increased as meat consumption has increased. In North and South America majority of the crop production is used for feed and fuel, while in Europe only half of the crop production is allocated to feed and fuel. As a result, only a small fraction of the calories produced reach the dinner table. Click on the map to enlarge Crop production will have to double by 2050 to fulfill the needs of a growing and increasingly affluent population. Meeting this challenge will be difficult but not impossible.   Source: Esri TRY NOWfor free

Agricultural or farm land is land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops. According to the FAO, farm land is the land under temporary agricultural crops, temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow (less than five years). Other sources counted land under permanent crops also into farm land. This is the land cultivated with crops that occupy the land for long periods and need not be replanted after each harvest, such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines. The land area of the world is 13.003 million ha, from which 4.889 million ha are classified as ‘agricultural area’ by the FAO (this is 37.6% of the land area). The agricultural area use is divided into 3 categories: arable land (28% of the global agricultural area), permanent crops (3%) and permanent meadows and pastures (69%) which account for the largest share of the world’s agricultural area. Reasons for loss of arable land Population growth and changing consumption habits will create a considerable degree of additional demand which will turn place pressure on arable land resources Arable land scarcity is the result of a range of human and climatic factors including degradation, climate change, soil constraints, urban encroachment and unequal land distribution There currently remains some 2.7 billion hectares of land with potential for crop production in the world, concentrated in South and Central American and Sub-Saharan Africa The solutions to addressing the availability of arable land are three-fold: the production of more arable land, increase in the productive capacity of existing arable land and the conservation of arable land in order to prevent degradation Despite more than an adequate supply of arable land to meet future demand, land availability will continue to be a major factor in meeting future food security because of the need to find a balance between competing interests and uses and finite resources.   Global arable land per person According to the Global Land Assessment of Degradation, nearly two billion hectares worldwide has been degraded since the 1950s. These two billion hectares represent 22% of the world’s cropland, pastures, forests and woodlands. In particular, Africa and Latin America have the highest proportion of degraded agricultural land. Asia has the largest proportion of degraded forest land, as revenue-poor national governments pursue lucrative policies of deforestation. Degradation is not the only reason for declining levels of arable land. There are a variety of climatic, environmental and human factors all of which have an effect on available arable land resources. At present some 12% (over 1.5 billion hectares) of the world’s land surface is used in crop production. This area represents over a third (36%) of the land estimated to be suitable for crop production to some degree. There remains some 2.7 billion hectares of land with potential for crop production. Global arable land will decrease This land, however, while plentiful, is unevenly distributed between regions and countries. An estimated 1.8 billion hectares of the potential crop land is located in developing countries, where rapid projected population growth means that demand pressures in the future will be significant. Yet 90% of that 1.8 billion is in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa and half of the total is concentrated in just seven countries (Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Sudan, Argentina, Colombia and Bolivia). There is virtually no spare land available for expansion in South Asia, the Near East and North Africa. Global land area in numbers The alternative to creating more arable land is to improve the yield and productivity of land currently being cultivated. These technologies include high-yielding varieties, management of fertilizers and pesticides, mechanization, irrigation management and use of new farming techniques such as farm software Agrivi. It helps farmers manage whole farm production, from tracking of activities on all fields, consumption of fertilizers, pesticides, work hours of workers and mechanization, to tracking of finances and complete farm analysis and reports.   Source: Future Directions TRY NOWfor free

Soil degradation, a decline in soil quality caused by human activities, has been a major global issue during the 20th century and will remain high on the international agenda in the 21st century. The importance of soil degradation among global issues is enhanced because of its impact on world food security and quality of the environment. High population density is not necessarily related to soil degradation; it is what a population does to the soil that determines the extent of degradation. People can be a major asset in reversing a trend towards degradation. However, they need to be healthy and politically and economically motivated to care for the soil, as subsistence agriculture, poverty and illiteracy can be important causes of soil and environmental degradation. Land degradation can be considered in terms of the loss of actual or potential productivity or utility as a result of natural or anthropic factors (water and wind erosion, salinization, and crusting or compaction); it is the decline in land quality or reduction in its productivity. In the context of productivity, soil degradation results from a mismatch between soil quality and soil use. Mechanisms that initiate soil degradation include physical, chemical, and biological processes. Important among physical processes are a decline in soil structure leading to crusting, compaction, erosion, desertification, anaerobism, environmental pollution, and unsustainable use of natural resources. Significant chemical processes include acidification, leaching, salinization, decrease in cation retention capacity, and fertility depletion. Biological processes include reduction in total and biomass carbon, and decline in land biodiversity. Soil structure is the important property that affects all three degradative processes. Thus, soil degradation is a biophysical process driven by socioeconomic and political causes.   What are the causes of soil degradation? The loss of farm land has been caused by a number of factors, many or most of which are tied to human development. The primary causes are: Deforestation Overgrazing Overexploitation for fuelwood Agricultural activities Increased flooding Industrialization. The following figure illustrates the relative sizes of the causal mechanisms as a function of region. On the global basis, the soil degradation is caused primarily by overgrazing (35%), agricultural activities (28%), deforestation (30%), overexploitation of land to produce fuelwood (7%), and industrialization (4%). 6.2 million sq. mi (16 million sq. km) are currently used to grow crops — an amount of land about equal to the size of South America — while 11.6 million sq. mi (30 million sq. km) has been set aside for pastureland, an area equal to the entire African continent. Altogether that's more than 40% of the dry land on the planet. We use 60 times more land to grow and raise food than we do to live on. Farming takes half the world's available freshwater, much of which is used for irrigation. And all that activity — plus the deforestation and degradation that tends to go hand in hand with farming — helps make agriculture the single biggest source of manmade greenhouse gasses, more than industry or transportation or electricity generation. Will the topsoil run out? Some experts fear the world, at its current pace of consumption, is running out of useable topsoil. A rough calculation of current rates of soil degradation suggests we have about 60 years of topsoil left. Some 40% of soil used for agriculture around the world is classed as either degraded or seriously degraded - 70% of the topsoil, the layer allowing plants to grow, is gone. Because of various farming methods that strip the soil of carbon and make it less robust as well as weaker in nutrients, soil is being lost at between 10 and 40 times the rate at which it can be naturally replenished. Even the well-maintained farming land in Europe, which may look idyllic, is being lost at unsustainable rates. Degraded soil Degraded soil mean that we will produce 30% less food over the next 20-50 years. This is against a background of projected demand requiring us to grow 50% more food, as the population grows and wealthier people in countries like China and India eat more meat, which takes more land to produce weight-for-weight than, say, rice. This figure illustrates how pervasive is the problem of soil degradation. No continent is free from the problem. Areas of serious concern include zones where up to 75% of the topsoil has been lost already. Soil degradation will remain an important global issue for the 21st century because of its adverse impact on farm productivity, the environment, its effect on food security and the quality of life. There’s a lot we can do, we just have to choose to do it and provide the right support where it is needed. First-off is getting of carbon back into the soil, by reversing bad farming practices like tillage, nutrient mismanagement, removing stubble and over-grazing. We can add manure and consider using human waste from cities as fertilizer, instead of just flushing it all out to sea. Another important thing is crop breeding, which needs to focus more on human nutrition as well as productivity and on traits that improve the soil. Modern wheat varieties, for example, have half the micronutrients of older strains, and it’s pretty much the same for fruit and vegetables. The focus has been on breeding high-yield crops which can survive on degraded soil, so it’s hardly surprising that 60% of the world’s population is deficient in nutrients like iron. If it’s not in the soil, it’s not in our food.   Sources: USDA, TIME || University of Michigan TRY NOWfor free