Organic agriculture as a means of reducing ecological footprint: A review

Abstract

Farming intensification has been regarded as the most viable method to feed the world's rapidly rising population, owing to its greatly increased food production capability within changing environmental conditions. However, due to adverse management practices, application of high rates of agrochemicals and many other unsuited farming activities, intensified farms cause lots of environmental consequences. The emission of greenhouse gases mainly leads to global warming and the degradation of farmlands by converting them into unsustainable lands that could have otherwise been used effectively as agricultural production systems for a longer period. The Ecological Footprint (EF) is one of the best indicators for evaluating biologically productive land and water areas that are required for an individual or activity to meet all current consumption levels while using prevalent common technologies and resource management procedures, according to the sustainable development concept. This EF is widely used around the world for sustainability assessments. This review paper attempts to identify the potential of organic agriculture as a sustainable solution for reducing EF. In Agriculture, EF can be used to assess the ecological impacts of various agricultural production systems. People are now concerned about reducing the harmful effects of unsustainable farming practices on the environment and societal health. In comparison to unsustainable intense commercial farming methods, organic agriculture (OA) is better adapted to achieve targeted production levels in agriculture. Many agronomical practices, such as crop diversification, crop rotation, increasing the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer usage, activities that increase soil carbon sequestration, and reduced or zero tillage practices combined with crop residue retention and nitrogen fixation using pulses, can reduce EF in OA.