Intensive agriculture aims at the maximum possible exploitation of the means of production.
Agriculture is the set of tasks that involve tilling and cultivating the land to obtain food and different raw materials that are used in the most varied production processes. Intensive , for its part, is an adjective that refers to that which is carried out with greater intensity or energy than usual .
Intensive agriculture is the agricultural activity that exploits the means of production to the maximum . This intense use of productive means can be developed in terms of capitalization , inputs or labor .
Capitalization, labor and inputs
Let's take the case of an intensive agricultural system that appeals to constant capitalization. In this case, the activity will require large sums of money to develop facilities that allow control of the environment.
When pressure on labor intensifies, however, it becomes necessary to have many workers to carry out cultivation or harvesting tasks. Regarding inputs, an example of intensive agriculture is produced with those flowers that require the application of multiple products so that, in the markets, they appear in good condition.
Characteristics of intensive agriculture
At a general level, it can be said that intensive agriculture aims to obtain large productions in small spaces . It is common to focus on a single product , deriving all resources to its exploitation.
The use of pesticides , fertilizers and other agrochemicals and a high amount of fuel is common in intensive agriculture to increase land productivity.
Intensive agriculture seeks to maximize the productivity of the land.
Relationship with the environment
It is important to mention that intensive agriculture usually generates negative effects on the ecosystem , affecting the native fauna and flora and damaging the land, which can cease to be productive due to overexploitation.
When thinking about intensive agriculture in ecological environments, a very common example is the method called deep terracing . It is about creating a spongy bed of soil in which vegetables grow very easily, and their roots can develop properly, in a straight line and with the expected depth. One of its main advantages is that it does not require the presence of a large surface area , since it makes better use of every square centimeter than other methods.
The origin of the deep bed is very old, and over the decades it has received different names, among which the French method , the Chinese method or, as it is known in North America, simply the Method stand out. In addition to its benefits for farmers, we can also say that it does not harm the environment as much as other more aggressive practices. Its use is usually reserved for family or school gardens.
Intensive agriculture vs. extensive agriculture
If we look in the opposite direction to intensive agriculture, we find extensive agriculture , a production system that is characterized by making use of the natural resources found in the place, unlike the first, which seeks to maximize productivity. in the shortest possible time, through processes such as drainage or irrigation, and with the help of chemical products.
Between the 1960s and 1980s, an increase in agricultural productivity took place in various parts of the world, which became known as the green revolution . This phenomenon, which began in the United States and then spread to other countries, is often mentioned as a historical intensification of agriculture , and for this reason it is not uncommon for confusion to arise with the term intensive agriculture .
Simply put, intensive agriculture and the green revolution are completely unrelated, mainly because the former closed decades ago, but also because it simply involved an expansion of extensive agriculture.