Influence of the productive activity of mankind on agricultural ecosystems.

Dear readers, for some time now there has been an increase in the production of agricultural products and together with this, there has been an increase in the use of synthetic products. Some professionals and producers see this situation as the evolution of agriculture due to the positive effect on production, but there are other professionals who think about the balanced use of synthetic products because their indiscriminate application can generate a series of negative conditions in agricultural ecosystems, such as the accumulation of certain elements that can be harmful to the biodiversity of the agroecosystem.

In the same sense, authors such as Acuña et al, (2006), point out that one of the main causes for not having stopped in time the negative processes mentioned above, is due to the lack of knowledge in the excessive use of inputs and the little study of their effect on soil microflora and on the biological processes that condition soil fertility; bringing as a final effect the substantial destruction of microbial associations and their functional or biochemical activity.

From my point of view, this situation has arisen because there has been a single focus on agricultural production based on the economic component, with strategies such as intensive soil tillage, the use of monocultures, transgenic crops, among others, without considering the effect it may have on the social and environmental component, bringing with it the deterioration of natural resources that sometimes directly and indirectly can threaten human health.

It can be said that natural spaces are resilient, adapting to abrupt changes when agricultural systems are established and the ecological balance is altered, but in addition to this, the conventional economic vision is also subject to market prices of synthetic products, agricultural reforms of the countries that can affect production as well as any pest that may occur in the ecosystem.

In view of the above, we have begun to promote agriculture that takes into account natural and biological factors in order to steer agricultural production towards new technologies based on the recovery of soils through sustained agroecological management, with the aim of maintaining food production rates, generating income for producers and ensuring food security for nations.

Finally, interpreting Conway and Pretty (cited in Altieri and Nicholls, 2000), the relationship between agriculture and ecology weakened as ecological principles were ignored in the modernization of agricultural systems; in fact, many agricultural scientists have reached the consensus that modern agriculture is facing an environmental crisis. A large number of people are concerned about the long-term sustainability of current agricultural production systems. There is evidence to show that, although the prevailing capital- and technology-intensive agricultural system has been extremely productive and competitive, it also brings with it a host of economic, social and environmental problems.

- Acuña, O. Importance of microorganisms in soil quality and health. online ACORBAT 2006. Available at: www.musalit.org/pdf/in060651_es.pdf [Accessed: July, 2021].

- Altieri, M. and Nicholls, C. 2000. Agroecology. Theory and practice for sustainable agriculture. Mexico. First edition.