Environment

Half of international cropland enlargement replaced natural vegetation and tree cover: Study

·        Cropland area across the planet increased  nine per cent and cropland net primary production (NPP) by twenty five per cent from 2003-2019, consistent with a new study.

·        The growth was primarily because of agricultural enlargement in africa and South America.

·        But forty nine per cent of the new cropland area replaced natural vegetation and tree covers, indicating a conflict with the sustainability goal of protective terrestrial ecosystems.

·        The largest cropland enlargement (34 per cent) was determined in africa.

·        The report outlined cropland as ‘land used for annual and perennial herbaceous crops for human consumption, forage (including hay) and biofuel’.

·        Perennial woody crops, lasting pastures and shifting cultivation are shut out from the definition.

·        Cropland expansion may be a major factor in forest loss, that comes in conflict with United Nations’ sustainable Development Goal fifteen (SDG 15) that aims to stop deforestation and degradation of natural habitats.