As mentioned in a previous blog post, industrial farming can be very harmful. That being said, there are various alternatives to industrial farming that are much better for the environment, such as agroecology, agroforestry, and intercropping.

First, agroecology is a better alternative to industrial farming, because it is a farming approach that mimics the natural ecosystems. It is an alternative method, which uses fewer resources, but produces more food. This is very beneficial for the environment. This is not a new technique. In fact, farmers in Africa have used it to double crop yield within 3-10 years of implementing it. This is proof that it works and is helpful. Some of agroecology’s additional benefits are that it can be used to improve soil fertility, adapt to climate change, and reduce the cost of farming. This is so important, because not only is it an alternative to industrial farming, but it is sustainable.

In addition, agroforestry is also a better alternative. It involves incorporating the cultivation and conservation of trees. Not only is the total output from the farms greater, but crops are also protected from the destructive effects of the wind and weather. By planting more plants and trees, it increases financial diversity and flexibility of farms. Instead of separating crops and animals, they are combined to make one single unit of a large farm. Trees, crops, and animals can all be put together, instead of being spread out, using more space. A major benefit of agroforestry is that it is productive, yet naturally fertilizes the crops instead of adding harmful fertilizers.

Lastly, intercropping is a more beneficial alternative to industrial farming. Intercropping is when crops are grown beside different plans between the rows. In other words, crops are side by side. The benefits to this are more biodiversity and maximizing growing space. There are three types of intercropping, which include mixed cropping, row cropping, and temporal intercropping. Mixed cropping involves planting compatible plants next to each other, while row cropping has different plants. Temporal is planting fast growing crops next to slow growing crops. 

All of these methods are better, more sustainable methods of farming.

References

Conrad, A. (2013, april 23 ). the guardian. Retrieved from The benefits of alternative farming methods :  https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2013/apr/23/farming-methods-agroecology-permaculture

Grah, R. (2015, September 12). afta web. Retrieved from What is Agroforestry? : https://www.aftaweb.org/about/what-is-agroforestry.html

https://www.maximumyield.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from Intercropping: https://www.maximumyield.com/definition/1653/intercropping