Page 4 - Vol.39-No.5

Breaking the plastic cycle in agriculture
EDITORIAL
Sustainable solutions and alternatives to halt the proliferation of plastic

We need to talk about plastics. Plastic products Abandoned plastics have a tendency to degrade into 39
have become a convenient tool in many areas of life, smaller particles known as microplastics. Microplas- 39
and agriculture is no different. Plastics are used for tics can accumulate in the soil and harm beneficial
everything from seedling trays and irrigation tubing to organisms, such as earthworms and mycorrhizal fungi,
pesticide containers and livestock feed bags. However, which are essential for healthy soils and plant growth.
their proliferation has led to mounting environmental They can also transfer and accumulate in food chains, ❐ Arab World Agribusiness -
problems that threaten soil health, water quality and threatening food safety, food security and potentially
human well-being. human health. The most widely circulated
In late 2021, the Food and Agriculture Organization “We need to better monitor the quantities of plastic agribusiness journal for Arab
of the United Nations (FAO) released a landmark report products that are used and that leak into the envi-
assessing the use of plastics in agriculture. The report ronment and to promote more responsible models in countries
calculated that, in 2019, agricultural value chains used agriculture, such as the sustainable and circular bio-
12.5 million tonnes of plastic products in plant and economy,” according to Lev Neretin, FAO leader of
animal production and 37.3 million tonnes in food the Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture ❐ 39 years in Arab Agribusiness
packaging. programme. services.
“We estimated that crop production and livestock Bioeconomy potential
sectors together contributed 10 million tonnes, fol- Sustainable and circular bioeconomy — built on ❐ Linking farmers, decision
lowed by fisheries and aquaculture with 2.1 million
tonnes and forestry with 0.2 million tonnes,” said Rich- responsible and efficient use of renewable biological makers and researchers in
resources such as plants, algae, fungi and bacteria —
ard Thompson, FAO Agricultural Plastics and Sustain-
ability Specialist and one of the authors of the report. offers promising solutions to improve the sustainability agriculture field.
of plastics used in agriculture.
“The global demand for greenhouse, mulching and
silage films is also projected to increase by about 50 Upstream, this could be as simple as removing plas- ❐ First-hand information on
percent by 2030,” he added. tics in some cases, for instance using cover crops and
plant residues such as straw instead of plastic mulches. agricultural resources.
The afterlife of agricultural plastics But it could also mean using bio-based plastics, which
are fully or partially made from biological resources.
But where does all this plastic go once it has served ❐ Subscribe now and get a
its purpose? Existing data suggests that only a small Bio-based plastics can be less toxic and have a lower
environmental and carbon footprint than their petro-
fraction of agricultural plastics is collected and re- free copy of the “Arab
cycled, while most are buried or landfilled, resulting leum-based equivalents. However, some issues remain
with the cost, waste separation, biodegradability and
in negative impacts to ecosystems, biodiversity and Agriculture 2023 Year
human health. compostability of bio-based plastics. Book”.
That is why biodegradable and compostable op-
Alarmingly, many plastics aren’t disposed of at tions — those that can be broken down by naturally
all. A good example is mulching films, which farm- occurring microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi
ers commonly use to cover the soil to help regulate — are still recommended for some agricultural sys- ❐ Arab Agriculture- a complete
temperature, conserve moisture and suppress weed tems and fishing operations, especially where plastics
growth. These films can be difficult to retrieve after cannot be avoided in the first place, cannot be replaced reference Directory.
harvesting, often leaving plastic residues in the soil with reusable or more durable materials and cannot
that lead to erosion, reduced water infiltration and be easily retrieved.
decreased microbial activity. ❐ Alphabetical listings of Int’l and 1 Year Subscription US$ 80
Looking further downstream, bioremediation — in Arab Food and Agriculture
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Dairy Farming products ! a promising bioeconomy application that can help us ❐ Latest statistics in agriculture FrEE
tackle pollution. Several studies have confirmed that
• Feeds and feeding systems some microorganisms and plants can remove micro-
• Milking equipment/Packaging and marketing and nano-plastics from soil or water. products. The Annual
Irrigation
• Pipes, pumps and equipment What FAO is doing For further details contact: Publication of
• Power roll, sprinkler and drip irrigation Given that much plastic waste can be attributed
• Waste water treatment and desalination projects to agrifood systems, FAO is increasingly designing FAnAr PUbliShing Wll Arab Agriculture
Fisheries and Fish Farming solutions and supporting governments in sustainably Marketing & Circulation Dept. Directory
• Breeding of fish / Fish feeds and fisheries equipment managing agricultural plastics. A good example is the
“Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management” with one year
Bees and Beekeeping P.O. Box 10131, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
• Treatments for pests or diseases / Beekeeping equipments (GEF FARM) project, funded by the Global Environ- Tel: (+973) 17 213900, CR No 24116 Subscription
ment Facility, through which FAO is supporting Kenya
Show Preview: and Uruguay to strengthen their enabling policies and of
Sahara 2023 - Egypt, Agrame 2023 - Dubai regulatory frameworks to reduce and improve manage- E-mail: fanar@batelco.com.bh
Agrena 2023 - Egypt ment of agrochemicals and plastics used in agriculture. alfanar2014f@gmail.com Arab World
www.fanarpublishing.net Agribusiness