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Part Two: Yielding Less: How Monocropping Promotes Deficiency
The research shows us that monoculture–with a reliance on synthetic fertilisers, chemical pesticides and harmful agricultural practices such as mechanized tillage– is harmful for soil physical and biological health. As if that isn’t enough, research is showing that the yields are coming up short, in more ways than one.
We are consistently seeing decreased crop yields in industrial farming when compared to farming methods with increased crop diversity–we are also seeing decreased nutrient levels.
Hidden Hunger is the term coined for a diet with adequate caloric intake accompanied by a chronic deficiency in necessary micronutrients–micronutrients like iron, zinc, vitamin A, iodine, folate and vitamin B12 that our bodies need to function, but consistently come up short in industrial monoculture.
A problem often associated with developing nations, such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where populations lack access to diverse food sources and rely on the limited crops of industrial farming; Hidden Hunger is showing up in high-income countries as well.
The food production industry is built around limited staple crops– staple crops which dominate food manufacturing as we know it. When the world is fed from a limited range of high-volume harvests–often in processed, high calorie, low nutrient forms–obesity and nutrient deficiency rises.
Overall, less people are starving, but an increased proportion aren’t getting the nutrients they need.
In a meta-analysis from 1990 to 2017, data shows that global micronutrient deficiencies are now more widespread than chronic hunger. The authors link a lack of diversification in food production as a cause.1
Neglected and underutilized crop species (NUCS) are plant species that are infrequently grown due to a lack of research, policy support, commercial investment and market development. They, as a whole, have higher micronutrient contents and are better suited for regional growth conditions.
A 2023 meta-analysis highlights the impacts of stepping away from NUCS and instead relying on dominant staple crops. Evidently, planting crops that are more nutrient dense and better suited to local growing conditions is a key strategy for improving nutritional status and environmental health.2 Seems obvious, doesn’t it?
The predominant crops of the monoculture model– corn, wheat, rice and potatoes– do not provide adequate levels of necessary micronutrients. Research is showing that the industrial farming practices that dominate this model are decreasing these micronutrients levels further.
“Relative to conventional farming, regenerative practices… produced crops with higher levels of phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals.”3
In research out of the United States, industrial, synthetically fertilised and herbicide treated farms were paired with farms that used regenerative practices including no-till, cover crops and diverse rotations. The paired farms were followed for 5 to 10 years and the soil organic matter; soil health; and vitamin, mineral and phytochemical levels were measured. The farms that used regenerative practices consistently scored higher in these measured categories.3
These findings are supported in a recent 4-year field experiment out of Canada. This study measured the effect of crop rotation diversity and tillage intensity contributed to the nutrient content of spring wheat grain. It found increased nutrient levels in low tillage and diversified rotations under organically managed systems.4
Healthy soil, healthy crops, healthy bodies.
Recent research extends these findings to major fruit, vegetable and other food crops.
Bhardwaj et al examine how, over the last 60 years, nutrient levels have declined significantly, showing decreased concentrations of essential vitamins, minerals and nutraceutical compounds– such as omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and antioxidants.
They attribute this decrease in nutritional quality to industrial farming practices, reduced cultivation of traditional and diverse crops and soil degradation. They urge that the future of public health depends on reform.5
A food system reliant on a narrow range of staple crops undermines nutritional security and environmental health. By adopting increased crop diversity and regenerative agriculture practices research shows us we can see improvements in nutrient density, soil health and therefore food system stability. Reform involves drastic changes–global public and environmental health necessitate it.
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This article was authored by Katie Johnson A lover of food, nutrition and sustainability, Katie writes by the sea in South East England. Find out more at writerkatiejohnson.
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- Lenaerts B, Demont M. The global burden of chronic and hidden hunger revisited: New panel data evidence spanning 1990-2017. Glob Food Sec. 2021;28:100480. doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100480
- Ali A, Bhattacharjee B. Nutrition security, constraints, and agro-diversification strategies of neglected and underutilized crops to fight global hidden hunger. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1144439. Published 2023 Jun 22. doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1144439
- Montgomery DR, Biklé A, Archuleta R, Brown P, Jordan J. Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming. PeerJ. 2022;10:e12848. Published 2022 Jan 27. doi:10.7717/peerj.12848
- Adesanya T, Zvomuya F, Fernandez MR, St. Luce M. Crop rotation diversity and tillage effects on soil and wheat grain nutrient concentration in an organically-managed system. J Agric Food Res. 2024;18:101411. doi:10.1016/j.jafr.2024.101411
- Bhardwaj RL, Parashar A, Parewa HP, Vyas L. An Alarming Decline in the Nutritional Quality of Foods: The Biggest Challenge for Future Generations’ Health. Foods. 2024;13(6):877. Published 2024 Mar 14. doi:10.3390/foods13060877
