Social justice, equity and ecological sustainability
In this chapter:
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Global poverty and hunger are related to land degradation
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Poor and rural communities are most vulnerable to land degradation
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Nations, businesses and other agencies need to act towards sustainable land use
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Social justice would result in the sustainable use of arable land for food production An equitable process would require rich, developed countries to make changes first
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Everyone needs to identify that land degradation is a global problem
Global Impacts & Sustainability
Currently, about 40 percent of the global population lives in some form of poverty. Many of these people live in absolute poverty with no homes, no access to clean water and little or no substantial food supply. The interrelationships of poverty, malnutrition and disease with regard to land management should help determine what happens next.
The continual degradation of land through mismanagement has had and will continue to have the most profound effects on developing nations and rural farmers. These communities are the most vulnerable to environmental changes. They are more susceptible to disease and death because of inadequate living conditions and medical access.
The expansion of urban areas and the increase in global population is placing stress on the land. Land degradation is occurring at a rapid rate. This process cannot be easily reversed as land is something that can only be replenished through natural processes which may take hundreds of years. Land, however, is a key factor in the survival of human beings. It is in our best interests to make some local and global changes towards sustainable use of what land we have left.
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Land degradation most often occurs in developing countries, where poor agricultural practices are not making sustainable use of the land. These rural farmers have nowhere else to go. They must continually use the same land to grow their crops and raise their cattle. Land degradation severely affects the productivity of the land which then affects the farmers. As fewer crops are produced and more land is degraded, the chance of poverty, hunger and displacement increases.
The socially just result
What would a fair and just outcome be?
A socially just outcome would result in the sustainable use of arable land for food production throughout the world. This would require a ban on further exploitation of already severely degraded lands. Management of sustainable land use needs to be enforced on a global scale so that every person is able to attain their basic human right of adequate living standards and food security.
Social justice would result in implementing various agricultural practices that promote sustainability and do not degrade the land, so that humans can benefit for the long-term. Natural vegetation could be planted on lands that have been overused or cleared. This would help protect the soil from the effects of weathering, promote biodiversity and help the land naturally replenish.
Urbanisation is also a problem for the sustainable use of land. Arable land is often cleared for infrastructure. This increases the number of people living in one area and decreases the amount of land that is able to provide these people with food. Pollutants from industry and urban areas infiltrate both the land and the water which decreases biodiversity and creates land degradation. A socially just outcome would result in the reduction of urban and industrial pollution. It would also include a reduction in the rate of urban sprawl into otherwise arable lands.
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The relationship between inarable lands and a rural community can often result in poverty and hunger. As the global population increases, the amount of natural land decreases. This results in an increase of degraded land. Sustainable use of all natural land needs to be implemented in order to promote global social justice. Developing countries, for example, that give unproductive land to poor and rural farmers are not demonstrating the best example of social justice. This action only exacerbates (worsens) the issues of land degradation, poverty and hunger.
An equitable process
What would an equitable process require?
The production of food is entirely reliant upon the use of land. An equitable process of agricultural land management would require nations, corporations, NGOs and other agencies that have the necessary means to research and implement better farming practices.
It is essential to implement sustainable agricultural practices. Some methods are already known about and used on a very small scale. An equitable process would require that sustainable practices such as crop rotation, better irrigation techniques and organic farming be used by the people who can afford to do so.
Those who live in poor rural communities often do not have the means to implement sustainable land management. Ideally, developed nations would work with developing nations to give poor and rural communities the information and means necessary to make changes towards sustainable agricultural methods. These changes could help solidify the global food supply and eradicate global poverty.
Humans around the globe need to understand the importance of our land. An equitable process would require everyone responsible to identify the problems of land degradation and understand why excessive use, deforestation and pollution are having a negative impact on ecological sustainability and ultimately humankind. Every country would then need to create, implement and enforce by law the limitations required in order to use land in a sustainable way.
Case study - AusAID in India
An example of an equitable process is the Australian government programme, Australia Agency for International Development (AusAID), which takes action to combat degradation and desertification in developing countries. Population growth and the subsequent growth of cattle farming, has had an extremely negative impact on the arid northwest region of India. Experts established relationships with villagers and rural farmers in order to collect data on social, economical, and environmental impacts of agricultural practices on the environment. Experts from various fields then created, explained and helped implement more sustainable agricultural practices in these rural arid regions.
