Pros and Cons of Monoculture Farming
Monoculture agricultural fields only contain one type of crop, while polyculture agricultural fields contain several types of crops interspersed with one another. The vast majority of modern agricultural fields are monoculture fields. In this post, I'm going to break down the pros and cons (mostly cons, lesbehonest) of industrial monoculture farming.
Pros of monoculture
Monocultures are simple
When all the crops in a field are the same, farmers only need to use one uniform process to plant, maintain and harvest the crops. This allows farmers to work more efficiently and quickly because they can simply apply the same methods and treatments to each plant. For example, monoculture farmers may only need one type of fertilizer because the all their crops will likely be deficient of the same nutrients. On the other hand, polyculture farmers may need multiple fertilizers because each crop could potentially be deficient of different nutrients. Figuring out which crops need which fertilizer in a polyculture system could be more difficult and complicated than applying a single fertilizer to an entire field.
Monocultures can use more efficient equipment
Monocultures are also more efficient because most modern agricultural equipment is tailored for monoculture fields. This means that planting monoculture fields allow farmers to reap the benefits of modern ag equipment. Without this equipment, farming would be much harder than it already is and much less productive.
Monocultures are Economically Efficient
The efficiency of these processes also translates to economic efficiency. Under the efficiency of a monoculture system, farmers can spend less time in their fields and get higher yields. Planting monoculture fields also allows farmers to buy seeds, fertilizers and pesticides in bulk and to sell their crops in bulk. This enables cheaper production and greater profits than polyculture systems allow.
Although the efficiency of monoculture systems is only one pro, it is a behemoth of a pro that has kept farmers across the globe attached to monoculture farming for centuries. Since our modern agricultural systems have invested so heavily in monoculture methods, large scale polyculture fields are nearly non-existent. Research and resources simply have not been devoted to increasing the prevalence of polyculture fields. This means that for modern farmers, polyculture fields just don't make economic sense. However, polyculture farms have many benefits that have been experienced on smaller scales, some of which are outlined below.
Cons of Monoculture
Monocultures are Susceptible to Pests and Disease
Diseases and pests can spread more quickly through monoculture fields than polyculture fields because there are no other plants to stop or slow the spread of that disease or pest. This means that monocultures could easily be wiped out by a single pest or disease.
Currently, pesticides and fertilizers prevent widespread crop loss in monocultures, but this obviously isn't an ideal solution. Pesticides and fertilizers require energy to make and often end up running off of the soil and into groundwater or other ecosystems, where they can cause hella ecological damage. Polycultures are less susceptible to disease, so they require fewer pesticides in order to thrive. This not only can save farmers money, but can also prevent pesticide runoff in surrounding environments.
Monocultures deplete Soil nutrients
Each type of crop takes different nutrients from the soil and gives back different nutrients to the soil. So, if only one crop is planted in a given area, those crops will take a disproportionate amount of certain nutrients from the soil. This will leave the soil with an overabundance of some nutrients and a deficiency of other nutrients.
As a counterexample, Native Americans have traditionally planted corn, beans and squash together in the same field. Planting these three crops together encourages healthy soil because while the corn and squash take nitrogen from the soil, the beans give nitrogen back to the soil. In polycultures like the this, the soil can produce all the nutrients the plants need without the use of fertilizers. This can help keep soils stocked up with the nutrients they need to be healthy and productive for years to come.
In monocultures, soils can become depleted of certain nutrients that crops need. Without a wide array of nutrients, soils can become ecologically unproductive, rendering them useless to food production and basic ecological functions. If we are going to feed everyone on the globe well into the future, we need healthy soils to support our food system and our other basic needs.
Monocultures decrease biodiversity
Since only one type of crop is present in monocultures, this creates a very uniform ecosystem. Uniform ecosystems are generally worse for our environment because they are more susceptible to disease, as explained above, and can exclude species that rely on unique or diverse ecosystems.
For example, monarch butterflies thrive in the presence of milkweed plants. Lately, monarch populations have struggled partially because monoculture farming (and, more specifically, the herbicides that accompany it) is discouraging the growth of milkweed plants. The case of the beloved monarch shows that a lack of biodiversity can harm species that are crucial to the functioning of healthy ecosystems.
On the other hand, polycultures encourage biodiversity because they inherently contain a more diverse array of plants. This biodiversity not only contributes to soil health but also to the health of plant, animal and insect species who need those plants to survive and thrive.