BiodiversityDiversity threatened

The savannas of Africa are habitats for a diverse range of flora and fauna. But biodiversity is threatened by extensive farming.

If this equilibrium is disturbed by external influences, that often has unsuspected consequences for people and for flora and fauna. At the end of a complex chain of cause and effect, whole species may become extinct and ecosystems be destroyed. This makes it increasingly difficult for nature to cope with extreme climatic events such as long droughts. And of course the consequences of decreasing biodiversity mainly affect the poorer rural sections of the population, because they are directly dependent on the fertility of the soil.

Problematics of monocultures

Extensive agriculture, as is mostly used in cotton growing, is often characterised by monocultures, a high level of pesticide use, and high water consumption, thus threatening biodiversity in the surrounding area. There is no time for natural enrichment of the soils with nutrients (as is done at CmiA in crop rotation with Leguminosae, soy or groundnuts). In the long term, the soil becomes leached, the yield steadily decreases, and pests multiply. In some cases that means commercial farmers have to use ever larger quantities of pesticides and fertilizers for their crops. In the end, just barren wasteland is left, and new farmland has to be developed. The groundwater is seriously contaminated, causing diseases in human and animals. High water consumption is also a problem – long-term artificial irrigation often leads to erosion and excessive salinity of the soil. The groundwater level sinks, and rivers, wetlands or lakes dry out (as happened with Lake Aral); there is a shortage of drinking water for humans and animals.