An Effective and Efficient Way towards Sustainable Development

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February 5, 2018
Terrace Agriculture –
An Effective and Efficient Way towards Sustainable Development
The constant increase of the world’s population has both its upsides and downsides. On one hand, the increase in the number of people means more manpower and more ability to turn great ideas into reality through billions of interconnected minds. On the other hand, this increase in population could also mean harm, since the Earth’s carrying capacity is very limited in comparison. In line with this, plenty of novel ways in agriculture are now being developed to prevent the collapse of our ecosystem. Technology that has existed thousands of years ago, under the guise of “terrace agriculture/terrace farming”.
Advantages of Terrace Farming
While modern agriculture is much preferred by modern farms to cater for mass-production, it also presents some problem such as over-cropping, soil erosion, and excessive water use. These problems are usually interconnected with each other in most agricultural farmlands (Kumar). Terrace farming solves these problems by making sure that water is both slowed down (reducing velocity) and conserved by allowing gradual flow with the aid of gravity. Because of this soil is not eroded easily as compared to traditional methods of agriculture, terrace farming is best at “promoting soil health, minimizing water use, and lowering pollution levels on the farm” (Feenstra, Ingels, and Campbell).
The Water Cycle and Terrace Farming
As stated previously terrace farming reduces the need for water significantly. This is due to the fact that most of the terrace farms are built on hillsides and other mountainous areas (i.e. Banaue Rice Terraces). This does not only let humans utilize what is considered ‘perilous&r...