MEC 600:

ENGINEERS IN SOCIETY

TITLE:
SUSTAINABILITY ON LARGE SCALE MODEL FARMING

PREPARED BY:
MUHAMMAD HARIZ BIN RAHAMAT (2015115263)

PROGRAMME:
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING (HONS) MECHANICAL

CLASS:
EMD7M2A

PREPARED FOR:
DR BULAN ABDULLAH

SUBMISSION DATE:
23𝑟𝑑 MAY 2018

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of contents 2
List of figures 3
List of tables 4
Acknowledgement 5
Terms of reference 6
Abstract 7
Objectives 8
Problem statement 9
1.0 Introduction 10
2.0 Effect to quality of life 12
3.0 Current challenge 15
4.0 Suggestion / solution 17
5.0 Potential unethical matter 18
6.0 Conclusion 20
7.0 References 21

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 Industrial agriculture factory farm. [25] 10

Figure 2.1 Pesticide being sprayed on the farms. [21] 12
Figure 2.2 Dead fish due to lake of dissolve oxygen. [22] 13
Figure 2.3 Product of illegal deforestation. [23] 14
Figure 3.1 Soil Erosion & degradation. [24] 15

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 5.1 Topics on discussion regarding unethical matter. 18

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my deepest appreciation to numerous individuals who have contributed to
the success of our report. Firstly, thanks to the lecturer of this subject, Dr. Bulan Abdullah for
her unrelenting guidance from the beginning of the semester to the completion of this report.

Furthermore, special thanks to my classmates who have also been great friends to exchange
opinions and share ideas for improvements to complete this academic report.

Nevertheless, last appreciation also goes to my own family for moral and financial support which
make this report successful.

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 TERMS OF REFERENCE

On 11𝑡ℎ April 2018, Muhammad Hariz bin Rahamat have been instructed by Dr. Bulan
Abdullah to write a report on “Sustainable Development Problems regarding Large Scale
Modern Farming” and to submit it on 23𝑟𝑑 May 2018.

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 ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study case are to identify the impact of professional engineering solutions to
societal and environmental contexts and demonstrate knowledge and need for sustainable
development, also to be able to understand the impact of professional engineering solutions in
societal and environmental contexts and demonstrate knowledge of and need for sustainable
development particularly on issue of sustainability of large-scale model farming. The analysis
explaining on society for getting to know the foundation of related issue in agriculture, how can
it effects on quality of life, does the technique of agricultural faces any challenges, point out
available solutions to solve the problems and discover lists of unethical potential matters in
agricultural system.

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 OBJECTIVES

COURSE OUTCOME (CO) PROGRAM OUTCOME (PO)

Identify the impact of professional PO 7; Environment and Sustainability:
engineering solutions to societal and Able to understand the impact of professional
environmental contexts and demonstrate engineering solutions in societal and
knowledge and need for sustainable environmental contexts and demonstrate
development [PO7, LO6, SS4];{A4}. knowledge of and need for sustainable
development.

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 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Sustainable development is defined as development that satisfies the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy theirs. Sustainable development insists
on the need to protect the diversity of genes, species, and all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in
nature. This is possible in particular to protect the quality of the environment, and by the
restoration, development, and maintenance of habitats that are essential to species. In this case, it
focused more on sustainability of large scale model farming matter.

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 1.0 INTRODUCTION

As retrieved from MyAgricultureInformationBank website, agriculture can be defined as a very

broad term encompassing all aspects of crop production, livestock farming, fisheries, forestry,
and many more. It is the most important human economic activity. Agriculture is the activity of
man for the production of food, fiber, fuel, and others, by the optimum use of resources for
instance consider few important aspects like environmental preservation, protection of public
health, sustaining vibrant communities, and upholding animal welfare. [1]

Figure 1.1: Industrial agriculture factory farm. [25]

There are two types of size on agriculture, firstly is large-scale agriculture else called Industrial
agriculture usually owned by huge corporations, very few farmers required to operate the farms
on a very large field that produce a lot of crops. Whereas for small-scale agriculture usually
owned by a small group of family members that manage to produce variety of crops but only on
a small amount. [2]

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Particularly, large-scale farming is characterized by monocropping which means corporation
only grows one crop per year on the same plot of land. The practice of monocropping leads to
heavy amount usage of chemical inputs like pesticides as prevention and a first line defense from
insect and seeds that produce yielding crops on the plantation yet, they do not re-germinate. [3]

Mainly big country used industrial agriculture because it makes a considerable contribution to
the agricultural production outputs in those countries, cited from LargeScaleAgriculture website.
In other case, this practice of large scale agriculture can create the capability of a country to
supply its own population with food during war threat or other conflict. [4]

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 2.0 EFFECT TO QUALITY OF LIFE

Nowadays industrial farm looks more like a factory farms that came along with their facilities
and tight designed in order to produce huge amount of foods in the cheapest price for population
could get. With cheapest price, the nutrition obtained from it slightly below quality standard.
That is because the method used by large-scale agriculture tend to be less than humane, sanitary
and do not sustainable which can cause lots of damages. [5]

Toxic gases were release during the usage of pesticides on the crops, it’s a tactic which these
farmers claims used to ensure that most of their crops could survive for harvest. These toxic
chemicals purposely to kills insects or bugs that disturb the crops are supposed to sprayed to the
crops, however some of it might spilled on the soil that cause degradation, or even becomes
airborne and goes to the atmosphere that might affect human lungs. [6]

Figure 2.1: Pesticide being sprayed on the farms. [21]

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Another harm caused by Industrial agriculture method towards environment is it decreasing
oxygen level on marine ecosystem. This situation clearly occurs when access fertilizers been
wash away from farms to nearby bodies of water, it fertilizes so many of algae on top of the
water surface, which is called eutrophication. After nutrients from algae is gone, the unwanted
organic matter falls to the bottom of water to decompose by using dissolved oxygen, DO. This
bother others water living creature as they have to share small amount of dissolve oxygen in
order to survive. [7]

Figure 2.2: Dead fish due to lake of dissolve oxygen. [22]

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Forest ecosystem were abuse by human beings while on the quest to achieve large-scale model
agriculture. Earth loss of its biodiversity which means the variety of plant and animal life in the
world or in a particular habitat, when forest being chop down and cleared just so fields and farms
could be made. This effected area eventually can cause unwanted natural disaster such as tornado
since most of the hill responsible to block the wind has gone. [8]

Figure 2.3: Product of illegal deforestation. [23]

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 3.0 CURRENT CHALLENGE

In order to fulfil high demand of food as population increase proportionally by years and to
increase uncertainty of environmental changes, a large-scale farming technique has been
introduced as the main tool to resolve the issues, as addressed by organic agriculture. [9]

However, there are few main reasons why large-scale agriculture has been a challenge to
environment, safety and health. Firstly, it affects in form of Soil Degradation due to repeating the
exact action of growing the same type of crop on the exact soil area, namely are Monocropping.
Some of the characteristics are the harshness of the soils and lessen the productiveness of the
soils. Consequence can be worst with introduce the usage of chemical inputs such as pesticides
or even fertilizers. [10]

Figure 3.1: Soil Erosion & degradation. [24]

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Another aftermath of large-scale farming is that it Vulnerability to cope with climate change and
shocks is poor, as it can ruin the whole harvest if the crop planted were not reached the drought
resistant suitable limit. Besides climate changes, pests’ attacks on some crops also may be
contagious to the whole harvest. [11]

Lastly, large-scale farming is highly unsustainable and most probably unable to feed the future is
because it gave powers only to corporations. Many small-scale farmers are unable to compete
healthy while dominated largely by a few multinational and seed corporations, where power is
concentrated. that farmers are reliant on seed companies to provide them with seeds each year,
rather than becoming self-sufficient due to non-re-germinate seeds. This takes control away from
farmers either small or large, and places them into the growing agribusiness industry, which
strives to make profits rather than ensure food security for the needs of a growing population.
[12]

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 4.0 SUGGESTION / SOLUTION

Following wide-ranging discussions, participants at the workshop in Mozambique organized by

International Institute for Environment and Development, IIED, they agreed upon five ways in
which sustainable agriculture could be achieved. [13]

Firstly, by ensuring immediate benefits towards the farmers if they are going to substitute their
practice of agriculture technique. Getting a positive return from sustainable agriculture may not
be a quick process though, as it takes time for new approaches to be adapted to different
agroecological and socio-economic conditions and to show their impacts, for instance rebuilding
organic matter dramatically improves soil fertility and moisture, but it can take few years for it to
happen. [14]

In order to achieved good sustainable practices, it needs to be technically and economically

efficient. Appropriate intermediate technological solutions such as light machinery and
affordable tools is one of the medium that can encourage small-scale farmers to test them. New
tools and practices can be better tested to the local conditions through participatory research and
development. [15]

Farmers know a lot, but they may not know about alternative methods if they have not been
exposed early stage. Research and technical extension staff need additional resources to reach
out more farmers, for training on 'non-conventional' farming methods and learn innovative ways
to share their knowledge of agriculture, for instance, integrated pest management while ensuring
that farmers' interests and learning skills are prioritized. [16]

Addressing technical and financial constraints is important, but policy coherence is essential for
scaling-up. One way to reinforce policy advocacy for sustainable agriculture is by producing and
consolidating evidence of its benefits, in contrast with the negative impacts of high-input
intensive monocultures agriculture. A better shared understanding of these knowledges would
provide common ground for local actors to pursue the changes that are needed in agricultural
policy and practice. [17]

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 5.0 POTENTIAL UNETHICAL MATTER

Agricultural ethics can branch out to few topics like farming, resource management, food
processing, distribution, trade, and consumption. It’s concerns about particular issue areas that
arise in connection with farm practices and the structure of the agri-food system. [18]

The Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society, for instance, was formed in 1987 to promote
the study of values issues associated with the production, consumption, and distribution of food,
fiber, and natural resources. [19]

Researchers and academics have applied ethical concepts and tools to address several issue areas
in the food system. Its objective is to help practitioners and others interested in these issues to
navigate through the topic of ethics as applied to the world of agriculture. Considerable public
discussion and academic analysis have focused on these following topics: [20]

Topics Descriptions
Farm structure Refers to the general social and economic features of agriculture.
Features include the average size of farms, relative market shares
of different-sized farms, numbers of people employed in farming,
and whether or not farms are owner-operated. The situation and
rights of farmworkers can also be included here.
Animal ethics Focuses on the use of animals, the intensive production of meat
and poultry, extensive production of feedstuffs for animals, and
impacts on the environment due to intensive and concentrated
production. The “happiness” or welfare of animals would also be
included here.
Food safety It’s an issue because of modern food production-transportation-
processing-marketing chains that expose consumers to chemical
additives, microbial pathogens and other human health concerns.
Inspection and transparency in how food is produced is included
here.

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 Environment Impacts are a great concern and raises many questions in how crop
agriculture and livestock production is managed: locally,
nationally and globally. Areas of concern include chemical
residues on food, pesticide exposure on workers, wasteful use of
soil and water resources, and untargeted yet obvious impacts on
the natural ecosystem and wildlife.
International trade It’s a question of fairness in how rules are set, who sets the rules
and who benefits versus those who are pushed out of the market.
The ethical questions revolve around human rights and the
equitable distribution of benefits and harms.
Food security It’s a broad term and covers many aspects of the global food
system. The essential question deals with hunger and how to
provide sufficient food for all. The ethical debate swirls around
the balance of global trade (and food relief) with widespread
agricultural development. Bioterrorism is also a concern here.
Agriculture biotechnology It’s debated in terms of food safety and consumer consent, the
broader environmental effects of its use in crop and livestock
production, its impact on the structure of agriculture, and its
potential to address problems of hunger on a global basis.
Research ethics Focus on the use of animals as research subject. Now it is coming
to be seen in terms of control over the research agenda and the
proper role of self-interested actors (namely, corporations) in
supporting public-sector scientific research.
Table 5.1: Topics on discussion regarding unethical matter.

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 6.0 CONCLUSSION

In conclusion, large-scale model farming caused more harm to nowadays environment and affect
human beings’ safety and health than its goods. This technique is still unsustainable and hard to
accommodate with human population food demands. It needs proper farmer skills and longer
time to improve this method, so it could be implement to industrial agriculture and can overcome
any challenge or obstacles that in its way such as climate changes or protect soil from
degradation and harshness. Briefly said, the objectives have been achieved as the impact of
professional engineering solutions to societal and environmental contexts and demonstrate
knowledge and need for sustainable development were identified, and able to understand the
impact of professional engineering solutions in societal and environmental contexts and
demonstrate knowledge of and need for sustainable development regarding large-scale model
farming technique.

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 7.0 REFERENCES

[1, 2, 3] http://slideplayer.com/slide/7095534/

[4] https://www.largescaleagriculture.com/home/news-details/large-scale-agriculture-gains-in-
importance-globally/

[5, 6, 7, 8, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25] https://infogram.com/the-environmental-impacts-of-large-scale-

conventional-farming-1grv02gxgvvjp1x

[9, 10, 11, 12] https://ampglobalyouth.org/students/the-need-to-break-away-from-the-large-scale-

modern-agriculture-industry/

[13, 14, 15, 16, 17] https://www.iied.org/five-ways-make-farming-more-sustainable

[18, 19, 20] https://www.faithfoodenvironment.org/bibliography/ethics-of-agriculture/

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