Pinpointing low environmental efficiency crops boosts pertinently regulating diversified agricultural environmental footprints
Pinpointing Low Environmental Efficiency Crops: A Path to Smarter Farming In the face of accelerating climate change and rising global demand for food, identifying and managing crops with low environmental efficiency has become a critical aspect of sustainable agriculture. These crops, which require disproportionately high amounts of water, land, or agrochemicals while yielding relatively little, can significantly inflate agriculture’s environmental footprint. By pinpointing these underperformers, scientists and policymakers can strategically redirect resources toward more sustainable alternatives, optimizing land use and reducing pressure on ecosystems. The environmental inefficiency of certain crops often goes unnoticed due to traditional agricultural practices and economic incentives. For instance, crops like rice and cotton are notorious for their high water consumption and methane emissions, yet they continue to dominate vast farming landscapes. Advanced data analytics and...