‘Irrigation and use of chemicals may increase food supply but damage the environment.’

How far do you agree with this statement? Support your answer using evidence.

I agree to this statement to a certain extent. Irrigation allows greater areas of land to be farmed as the farmers are no longer reliant on rainfall. For example, the land that was once desert in Egypt now grows crop with water from Aswan Dam. Irrigated land also allow farmers to practice double cropping and this will produce more yields.

However, there is an increased risk of water-borne pests or diseases in irrigated areas for example, mosquitos will breed in stagnant water.

Use of chemicals such as fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides also increase food supply. Fertilisers increase the nutrients of the soil and improve yields. Pesticides kill pests and reduce the loss of crops to the pests. Herbicides kill weeds that otherwise compete with the crops for sunlight and nutrients.

However, excessive use of the chemicals will have extensive damage to the environment. Runoff-of pesticides and herbicides may damage water supplies and kill insects/plants beyond farmed land. This will damage the ecological system. 23% of water supply for USA comes from groundwater sources.

Irrigation and use of chemicals may increase food supply but it should always be used in moderation as excessive use will always lead to damage of the environment.