Soil degradation, a key worry in Jamaica's agriculture industry. The process of declining soil quality brought on by human activity, such as deforestation, excessive fertilizer usage, and monoculture farming, is known as soil degradation. Lower crop yields and an increased vulnerability to pests and diseases follow from the depletion of soil nutrients, degradation of soil structure, and erosion of topsoil caused by these factors.
The agriculture sector is significantly impacted by soil deterioration. Jamaica is primarily dependent on agriculture,
Furthermore, biodiversity loss is impacted by soil deterioration. Numerous living things, such as bacteria, fungus, and earthworms, may be found in soil. These creatures are essential to preserving soil fertility and biodiversity. There will be a loss of plant and animal species as a result of soil degradation, which also affects the total biodiversity in the region.
Soil degradation and climate change are related in terms of Jamaica's Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement. The ability of soil to store carbon is diminished by soil deterioration, which also increases carbon emissions. In order to combat this, Jamaica's Nationally Determined Contribution aims to put into practice sustainable land use methods, including as reforestation, conservation agriculture, and agroforestry, in order to lower emissions from land use change and enhance soil carbon absorption.
Adopting sustainable land use techniques, such as crop rotation, intercropping, and conservation agriculture to enhance soil health and fertility, is a crucial strategy for the agricultural sector to combat soil degradation using the Systems Thinking paradigm. This would entail teaching farmers about the advantages of sustainable techniques, offering rewards for using them, and creating suitable legislation and regulations to encourage the shift to sustainable agriculture. The agriculture industry may achieve strong sustainability and secure the long-term survival of the sector by using a systems approach to combat soil deterioration.
Save our soil!