Agriculture was and still is the focal point of human survival and the world economy. Initially, the concept of agriculture was limited to only growing crops and fields that the farmers used to plow with farm and domestic animals and use the harvested crop for domestic trade.
However, with passing time, the agricultural sector has expanded to different domains. Now, we have livestock, dairy, and even bee harvesting, raw material included in the agricultural sector.
We cannot imagine a living space without agriculture despite all the technological advancements. Food production, raw material, marketable surplus and foreign exchange, are dependent on agriculture. The farming industry has a fair share in the economic development of the states altogether. All these factors are making agriculture utmost important.
What Is Agriculture?
Agriculture is the scientific industry of managing the growth of wild plants and raising domesticated animals for the use of humans in daily life. Although the techniques have changed with advancing time the context of the agriculture process is still the same.
Moreover, the agricultural sector expansion has diversified the definition of agriculture. Now we can say that agriculture is the growing, processing, nation’s marketable surplus, and distribution of agricultural products.
Agricultural sector development is catering to the needs of people, plants, and animals globally. Agriculture is a primary source of food security and supply of agricultural products.
Why Is Agriculture Important and Its Role in Everyday Life
Agriculture is not only important for fulfilling the food supply and stabilizing the food security but is also essential for regulating the economic development of the state. As the agricultural sector is expanding so it provides several job opportunities for unemployed people.
You can take the man out of a farm but you cannot take farming out of a man’s life. Agriculture is instilled in human life and its survival by all means. We get the everyday essentials like food, diary, cotton, or yarn all from the agricultural sector.
Therefore, we cannot deny the importance of agriculture and its critical role in everyday life. Following are a few main aspects that are functioning on the foundations of agriculture.
Importance of Agriculture in the Food Supply
Malnutrition and food insecurity is one of the leading problems around the globe. It occurs due to the weak agriculture sector in the states. Food is an undeniable necessity of life whether it’s humans or animals or even plants. For this reason, agriculture has been serving livelihoods since the beginning of this world.
No matter what type of dish or cuisine you are eating around the world, its ingredients come from agriculture. Apart from this, the straw or unwanted crops, grass serve as the food for the livestock animals.
The farm animals like cows, goats, and buffaloes provide meat and milk. Moreover, the excretory product of these animals turns out to be the food or fertilizer for plants. In this way, the cycle of food security goes on in agriculture.
Source of Livelihood
Humans need some source of income to put bread on their tables. There are numerous occupations but the most demanding and important source of livelihood is agriculture. Around 70% of the fast growing population and livelihood depends on son agricultural business.
It does not only include farming or working on fields but other farming-related setups like machinery, sales, and distribution of marketable and the harvested agricultural products are also part of the agricultural field.
Contribution to National Revenue
The economic development of a state cannot completely rely on internal trade. To flourish and stabilize the national income, the state has to go for foreign trading and exports. Most of the developing countries’ national revenue is determined by agricultural commodities.
Rice, fruits, and vegetables are the most common exports and sources of foreign exchange. This revenue promotes more agricultural sector advancements in innovative technology and stability of the national income and economical system.
Thus, the agricultural products stabalize the economic system by saving foreign exchange as a result of marketable surplus exports of major industries.
Source of Employment
Unemployment is a rising problem in almost every other nation. The developing countries tend to create more agriculture sector jobs to beat unemployment. There can be numerous job opportunities on farms in various forms.
The farmers all alone cannot grow, process and supply the crops, fruits, vegetables around the state. for this purpose, a proper system is built to ease the supply chain.
The botanical scientist, technicians for farm equipment, field workers or machine operators, etc, the agriculture field is getting more diverse day by day; hence creating multiple job opportunities to battle unemployment.
Moreover, the irrigation system, water supply, and drainage system construction of other infrastructure also create ample room for labor force and jobs in agriculture.
Importance of Agriculture for Medicine
The Medicine field cannot rely on science and chemicals all alone. Agriculture contributes in form of providing organic resources to attain the building components of medicine.
Enzymes
For instance, the fruit of the papaya is used by scientists to extract the papain enzyme. Espagnol is often recommended by doctors for treating constipation problems with laxatives.
Alkaloids
Moreover, the alkaloids are obtained through the farming of opium and poppy plants. These drugs are used to prepare, pain killers and cough and cold medicines.
Furthermore, the glycosides for heart diseases are also obtained through different plants.
Why Is Agriculture an Important Occupation Throughout the World?
Agriculture is the most important and occupied profession around the developing and developed countries. It has been there since the start of the world and persists as one of the essential fundamentals of living.
The most common necessities of mundane life like food, dairy, and raw material come are sourced through agriculture. Major industries run on raw materials, like cotton and yarn that come from agriculture i.e., farming lands and livestock.
Developing Countries
The agriculture industry plays a big role in establishing the national economy of developing countries and promote foreign exchange. The agricultural exports generate national income while the internal trades of agricultural products boost the transport industry in the developed countries. Thus, the agriculture industry is the center of the economic growth of a state.
What Is Agricultural Biodiversity?
Agricultural biodiversity also known as the agroecosystem is the umbrella term covering farming, Botanics, genetic revolution, animals, plant species, and agricultural ecosystems. It helps with the recreation of different types of seeds and vegetations through agricultural research and non agricultural activities.
Agricultural biodiversity is important because it helps in increasing soil fertility and prevents diseases due to parasites. It also helps in the formation of new plant species and seed modifications through genetic interactions.
Sustainability of Livelihood
Animal and plants genetic resources, food hunting, wild animals, and aquatic organisms are all included in the agricultural biodiversity. Moreover, it helps in the sustainability of livelihood as most people use agricultural biodiversity to earn their living in form of farming, bio-technicians, and much more. Hence, human life is dependent on genetic diversity regardless of dwelling countries.
Abiotic Factors
Agricultural biodiversity also helps combat climatic conditions and heal environment. The local climate change, ecosystem, chemicals, and pH also determine the abiotic factors of biodiversity. Apart from this, nutrient cycling, disease management, hydrological cycle, erosion control, production and pollination other cultivation aspects support the growth of biodiverse ecosystem or agroecosystem.
Socio-cultural Norm
We can say that agricultural and genetic biodiversity control the production, processing, management practices, and diversification of human, wild and aquatic life. All the crops, plants, and fruits are the result of agricultural biodiversity as it is a long-lost socio-cultural norm.
Final Thoughts
In a nutshell, agriculture is the pivot of life whether it’s humans, animals, plants, or marine life. This traditional practice is expanding to new spectrums with technological advancements and new methods. The farmers now are using genetically modified seeds for manufacturing improvised crops as a result the production increases.
Agriculture plays an important role in the continuation of the food supply and food security chain. Also, agriculture is the important source of livelihood for about 7o% of the world’s fast growing population. The medicine industry also benefits from the cultivation of organic plants and herbs. Most importantly, it strengthens the national income generation.
Biodiversity conservation is all that matters in the agriculture sector. It helps it grow in different dimensions from fields to labs. The botanicals are advancing their manufacturing practices with technical development that increase productivity.
Whereas, genetic formation and interaction is providing broad exposure to the farmers with the cultivation of new forms of agriculture.
Thus, biodiversity is carving the future of the agriculture industry around the globe as agriculture regulates and stabilizes the economic development of the state with foreign exchange.
