Why Diversity Should Be The Main Focus When Farming

Earth is estimated to be around 4.5 billion years old. There has been quite a lot of evolution that has gone on since then and still goes on today. It is estimated that we have over 10 million unidentified species on this planet, and most of them which we cannot see. Think about all of the undiscovered microorganisms and microbes that perform their daily duties to keep the cycle of life churning. So why must we neglect the evolution that has occurred on this planet when we went to farm specific crops?

Rather the evolution that lead to all the living species should serve as the framework for which one creates a farming program. Nature has farmed plants for millions of years without human intervention. Problems like nutrient deficiency and soil compaction only became common when humans started commercial agriculture. So, how does nature farm? Nature farms the same crops year after year by returning the organic matter back into the soil to feed an extensive underground network of microorganisms. Nature relies on the diversity of macroorganisms, microorganisms,

and microbes to create an abundance of balanced nutrients in the soil. If there were ever imbalances in the soil (think long before you were born and up until present day), then how do we see lush green plants growing in the forests year after year? Diversity. Do as Nature does.