Wicherek Stanislas P. Water and Agriculture

Wicherek Stanislas P. Water and Agriculture. 2005, Center de Biogéo, Paris.The great agricultural plains conjure up visions of wealth and fertility. Paradoxically though, they are confronted with a serious problem: eroding soils and alteration of water quality.Today the best lands in the world are threatened by a diminution of natural fertility, a decrease in crops, floods, and mudslides. Moreover, changes in farming practices and land reallocation (1966-1975) are also responsible for a plague entailing pollution of the environment, including soil and water, and significant economical damages. What can be done in the medium term to avoid irreversible repercussions on the environment and human health?Our work constitutes both a social debate on account of the socio-economic issues at stake and the object of research of complex ecological rigor. It gives value to the multifunctionality of agrarian landscapes which equally are a reflection of the dysfunctions of agro-ecology: on the one hand, agricultural activities pollute the soil and water, and, on the other, agriculture is on the receiving end of urban and industrial pollution. The primary objectives are those of reconciling the productive necessities of competitive agriculture and the need for a better quality of life in tight symbiosis with «Nature».