Cash crops (cotton, sugarcane, rice, etc.), mainly destined for export, play a major role in the geographic, geopolitical, social and economic construction of territories. They have enabled millions of smallholders and traders to benefit from world trade. However, their impact on biodiversity is one of the most significant.
Cash crops are intended to be sold in order to generate regular income for the farmers. This distinguishes them from food crops, which are grown for personal consumption. All BIODEV2030 countries have identified agriculture as a priority economic sector contributing to biodiversity erosion and national development. 6 in particular have selected cash crops: Benin (cotton), Ethiopia (coffee), Guinea, Mozambique (soya and sugar cane), Uganda, Senegal (market gardening), and Tunisia (agro-industry on a watershed scale).
THE PLAYERS AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES OF CASH CROPS
The mainstay of agriculture in many countries, cash crops make a significant contribution to tax revenues and GDP in many countries around the world. In Benin, for example, the cotton sector accounts for 80% of the country's export earnings and 13% of GDP. As a result, some countries have sought to promote cash crops. Uganda, for example, has reformed its agricultural policy with a view to developing commercial production. In human terms, cash crops remain one of the main sources of income, particularly in rural areas. It is estimated that in Senegal, groundnut cultivation directly or indirectly supports 1/3 of the population.
A wide range of players are involved in cash crop production, from input suppliers to end distributors, producers, cooperatives and transporters. The State and research organizations also play a key role in the development of production.
Because of their territorial location and growth (e.g. an average of +6.4% in Uganda), cash crops exert great pressure on biodiversity.
In recent years, some cash crops have begun to move towards more sustainable practices, in particular to meet international demand.
62 BILLION USD
of agricultural products exported by Africa in 2017
Source: Bouët, Antoine and Odjo, Sunday P. (Eds.). 2019. Africa agriculture trade monitor 2019. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/9780896296909
THE IMPACT OF CASH CROP FARMING ON BIODIVERSITY
Agricultural practices have a major impact on biodiversity. Chemical inputs are widely used to control pests and increase yields. This contributes to ecosystem pollution and soil impoverishment, leading to desertification. On the other hand, clearing plots of land with fire can cause fires. Left unchecked, these fires have a direct impact on buffer zones and protected areas.
Deteriorating soil fertility, combined with high demand due to population growth, is driving farmers to expand their farmland. This is leading to a reduction in the length of fallow periods, which are beneficial to biodiversity. This phenomenon also puts pressure on numerous ecosystems: forests, mangroves, arid zones, etc. The opening up of new fields through land clearing is responsible for the reduction in forest cover and the fragmentation of habitats for numerous species.
Combined with the constraints associated with the impacts of climate change, these effects will further contribute to the degradation of ecosystems and biodiversity.
86%
of the world's species threatened with extinction are mainly due to agriculture
Source: UNEP. Our global food system is the primary driver of biodiversity loss [online]. Available at: https: //www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/our-global-food-system-primary-driver-biodiversity-loss.(Page consulted on 25/07/2022)
Cash crop farming has a negative impact on biodiversity due to :
1. Land-use change to the detriment of many ecosystems, particularly forests. Increased production does not have to be synonymous with habitat destruction and fragmentation. The ecological impact of destroyed ecosystems must be taken into account.
2. The use of chemical inputs , leading to pollution, soil impoverishment and erosion of surrounding biodiversity. The consequences range from degraded soil fertility (and hence lower yields) to environmental desertification. Their use must be strictly controlled and reduced.