Letters
CROP FARMING COMES AT A COST, TOO
In your article 50 ways to join the planet diet (April issue), you commented that crop farming is better for the environment than livestock farming – ‘end of story’. My concern is that all main crops deplete the soil and in order to maintain soil condition and productivity, they need lots of organic matter and/or to be left fallow. Even using chemical fertiliser (not a great option), you can’t get away from the fact that organic matter needs to be replaced. That means huge amounts of organic matter would need to be composted, reducing the amount of crop grown for food. Currently, farmyard manure is used and with the reduction in meat and dairy consumption there would be less manure to use on a greater number of fields. Also, wouldn’t carbon be released when grazing land is ploughed? I do fully accept things need to change, but I think it’s not as simple as you said: it is not ‘end of story’, but more the very first paragraph in a long story. MAGGIE, VIA EMAIL