What results when farmers depend heavily on a single abundant crop?

When farmers depend heavily on a single abundant crop, the primary consequence is a heightened vulnerability to food shortages and famine. This reliance creates a monoculture system, which can lead to several detrimental effects.

Firstly, if a disease, pest, or adverse weather event affects that specific crop, the entire food supply can be severely compromised. Unlike diverse agricultural practices that spread risk across various crops, monoculture lacks such resilience, making the system more susceptible to catastrophic losses.

Additionally, relying on a single crop can lead to soil depletion and diminished agricultural sustainability over time, as particular nutrients required by that crop are consistently drawn from the soil without adequate replenishment. This can further exacerbate food security issues, potentially causing long-term hunger or famine in communities dependent on that crop.

Moreover, when crop diversity decreases, not only is the resilience of the agricultural system weakened, but dietary diversity also suffers, which can impact nutrition and health for the population relying on that crop. Hence, the heavy dependence on a single crop is linked to a cascade of challenges that ultimately lead to the possibility of food shortages and famine.