He Mutualism is a kind of interaction that occurs in nature, between different types of a biological community And that is beneficial for both. This means that this relationship will not be a reason for damage to one of the parties.
He Mutualism phenomenon integrates a larger series of inter -specific relationships That symbiosis is called. Two different species in it (E Even from different kingdoms) They create very narrow links, which can last a lifetime.
Is Relationships are very important in the maintenance and development of the various ecological dynamics And experts say they occur much more often than previously believed.
Mutualism in nature
In Mediterranean environments, in a context of climate change and in a highly antropized area, such as ours, Nature and agriculture need each other; They have a relationship similar to mutualism between two types, when two organisms are associated because they receive benefits for each other and vice versa. The nature It offers the country, the air and the life needed for cultivation, while agriculture can be diverse the landscape, that there is not much forestcontinuity to prevent large fires and to preserve open spaces.
These areas They are the key to protecting biodiversityBecause they are the habitat of typical types of agricultural environments, such as steppe birds and wild bees. Although this basis is clear, doubts arise about this type of mutualism, and some people wonder if it is possible that agriculture will take at the same time that we protect the fauna and flora that are surrounding us. Let’s analyze it more thoroughly and discover that agriculture and nature They are not opposite concepts.
Nature and agriculture
The Agriculture is an essential sector for nature conservation. This principle may seem contradictory, but it has all meaning in a changed area such as Catalonia, where forests have not stopped in the last 100 years and where the loss of biodiversity cannot be stopped. Firstly, promoting a sustainable agricultural model would enable us to maintain a balanced landscape between forests and open spaces, such as cultivation fields.
Creating this mosaic is essential in our country, because it breaks the continuity of the forest and protects us against large fires, a challenge linked to forest expansion. For example the provisional data of a study that They lead in Creaf show that it is necessary to restore 17,000 hectares of crops To protect the metropolitan region of Barcelona del Fuego.
In this area, the new forests are young and vulnerable for episodes of drought and heat waves caused by climate change. That is why studies such as those of the Wilde project to replace them with another landscape, such as agriculture. In addition, Agriculture brings heterogeneity to the landscape with the important open spacesRefuse habitats that have brought many species to the limit, such as steppe birds and insects.
In particular, the latest report from LPI indicates that they have already lost 40% of the populations of agricultural environments. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions To the atmosphere. On the one hand, we save the costs and transport emissions if we have to import products from abroad. On the other hand, because agriculture on the basis of regenerative criteria will be able to breathe new life into the soil and to set more carbon in the form of organic matter of the nature.
Moreover, it will also help to reduce the effects that climate change can have on the Human Health and Ecosystems. In fact, the Life Polypharming project has already shown that the regenerative garden absorbs up to 30 times more carbon than the conventional. This is added that the production and consumption of proximity are crucial aids for Food sovereignty.
Earth and Water
On the other side of mutualism we think the nature And their ability to protect and offer are fundamental pillars for agriculture to stay on over time. First of all, We have to think that crops grow on the groundWhat must be in good condition to be productive.
This means that we have to treat it as what it is: a living ecosystem, full of organisms that help plants to facilitate nutrients or to reduce the incidence of vermin and diseases. For example, Some micro -organisms of the soil, free or in symbiosis with the roots of legumes, They supply plants nitrogen in an assimilable way for them, of nitrogen in the air.
This is essential for plants such as beans, chickpeas or peas. So if we do not implement measures to limit the use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers in agriculture, or if we do not form the agricultural sector in scientific alternatives that are able to regenerate the soil and improve micro -organisms, they will disappear. Lifeless on the ground, we will increasingly depend on fertilizers Artificial, which can generate a colossal waste from these products, with nitrogen losses up to 80%, according to a recent study and an extra costs for farmers.
Another important point is that it Uncontrolled use of pesticides and fertilizers ensures that they leak to aquifers Over time. These groundwater are those who supply our houses, supply water crops and feed the sources of the country. Moreover, they act as a lifeguard in periods of drought, because they retain long -term water. If we infect them, we draw a vital source and this process is reversed, according to the researchers is almost impossible.
When fertilizers reach nitrates the aquifers, it is very difficult to solve it because physical access is complicated and Groundwater has a slow dynamic and takes many years to recover. An alarming case is already being given in Doñana, where intensive agricultural exploitation has caused serious wetland problems. It is clear that without abundant and quality water the impact not only influences farmers, but also damages us.
Washed and climate
Another crucial point is that climate change influences us all. Agriculture and cattle are closely connected to the Nature Cycli – Bloom, Defrost, Hours of Light, etc. – and Basal temperatureSo they are very vulnerable to the changes caused by global warming. According to data from the Catalan weather service, the production of some fruit trees is advanced or delayed due to warmer winters.
Some flourish from the time and lose energy to produce in the spring, while late frost ruined whole crops. They indicate that for example The perale blooms 37 days earlier, the olive tree 19 days earlier and the fruits of the apricot are formed 28 days before a few years ago.
On the other hand, conventional agricultural production is decreasing worldwide due to global warming and changes in the nature. This forces the agricultural model to reconsider to make it more viable in this new scenario. Projects such as Ecofarmers have shown that agricultural practices away from intensive production increases water retention in the soil and reduce the global temperature.
Mutualism is the future
To maintain refined mutualism, you must work the models that we encourage friendly agriculture with nature and a nature that embraces agriculture. These new models are already starting to grow towards us, and we fully believe that Catalonia will have to travel from intensive agriculture and cattle, with monocultures or large farms, to New regenerative models inspired by natural processes. It is clear that a radical change cannot be given in the short term, but there are various actions, measures and models that are already gradually being implemented and show that it is not a utopian change.
To make it possible, we share a proposal that has very positive results for both tires, but there are many more. Is Regenerative agriculture, a model with which you can keep the land healthy and alive. This type of agriculture and cattle priority gives that the soil remains healthy with agricultural techniques that do not break or pollute the structure. That is why, among other things, the cut is eliminated and the use of fertilizers and pesticides is avoided.
Sustainable agriculture
This decision not only improves soil life, but also lowers the production costs of the vegetables and fruit that is being cultivatedBecause the costs are eliminated in chemical pesticides and fertilizers and possibly increases production in the climate change scenario. Moreover, there is also an increase in the economic value of the products, due to the valuation of consumers and consumers and/or because the number of intermediaries has been reduced. According to the data obtained at the Garrotxa plans Finca, through life polypharming European project, The regenerative garden retains 30% more water and retains more carbon on the ground.
The regenera project is also underway, where four farms participate that have implemented this model for a few years. Of course in This transition to the regenerative model is fundamental Having the financial support of the administration in the first years, because the regeneration of the soil implies an adjustment period before fully productive events without external inputs.
In short, just as mutualism is based on species that work together, With nature and agriculture it is not about going against the other, but about acknowledging that we need ourselves, But with a strong environmental consciousness to row together in the same direction. He Climate change squeezes and you have to work Folding to adjust earlier is not too late. It is time to explore other ways to produce, to look for alternative routes that are not intensive and harmful production for nature, because we will win everything.