Secciones de una Consola

Branislav Gulan1, Danilo Tomić2

,,Our lovely, blue planet Earth is the only home we know... the Earth is exactly like it should be... We disturb our poor planet in a way being serious and contradictable in that ’’we people are now new and perhaps decisive factor. Our intelligence and our technology gave us the power to influence the climate and land. How will we use that power? Whether we will make concessions to ignorance and self-satisfaction in the things concerning the whole man’s family? Do we appreciate short-lived benefits than the benefits of the Earth? Or we will, perhaps, start thinking about what comes tomorrow, taking care of our children and grandchildren, tending to understand and protect complex systems of living on our planet? The Earth is a tiny and fragile world. It should be fostered and cherished.’’

Karl Segan,Kosmos

Abstract

In this paper authors has researched utilization of land potentials in the world, Europe, Serbia and its ratio according to population. On the results of research authors remark that relation toward very important resources are not satisfied at the global and national level. Permanent grow worlds population from one side and limited land from other side must be very seriously warning for the creators of the national governments and wider union of states that responsibility relation in utilization of this resource.

Key words:land, population, non rational utilization

1_{Chamber of Commerce and industry of Serbia - Belgrade.} 2_{PhD, Higher School of Professional Business Studies Novi Sad.}

Introduction

On the Earth, water (oceans, seas, lakes and rivers) and land (agriculture and others) are in relation 6:4. This relation has not changed since the beginning of the world which reveals the fact that a man could not influence it. The main reason is that it is exclusively a product of the nature. However, the great changes influence both water (relation of drinking and salt water) and continental part of the planet. A man could not influence the changes caused by the natural factors. On the other side, a man is responsible for certain changes. Although the land is non- renewable natural resource the pressure on it was too huge in the previous century. This trend is popular in the XXI century, too.

Global problems

From three billion in 1960 the number of inhabitants grew to 6,7 billion in 2009, and as of 2011 there are seven billion people living on the Earth. This number is constantly increasing, so by 2030 it could be expected to be 8,2 billion inhabitants, and by 2050 there will be near nine billion inhabitants(Graphic1).

Graphic 1.The increase of number of inhabitants from 1960 to 2009

Source:Republic Office of Statistics (RZS72010).

According to the data obtained from the UNCTAD in Serbia in 2012 the number of inhabitants dealing with agriculture amounted to 563.000 and participated in total labour force with 12,6 percent. With 355.000 of men there were total of 208.000 women dealing with the agriculture

In ancient year 1992 (corrected by estimated number in Montenegro) the number of those being in the agriculture was 1.218.000 and share of 27,7 percent in total labour force. With 630.000 of men there were 588.000 of women, so it means that there were by seven percent more men than women.

According to the projections for 2020 (when Serbia is expected to become the EU member-state) the number of people dealing with the agriculture will amount to 378.000, with the share of 8,3 percent in total employment rate. There will be 255.000 men, and 123.000 women and the number of men will be higher by 107 percent. As of 1922 the labour force in Serbia will increase by 3.3 percent by 2020. In that case, the number of those dealing with agriculture will be reduced by 69 percent.

This data on the trend sin the labour force could be compared with the data referring to the countries being in transit, where a growth by 3,7 percent, while the data on the agricultural labour force might be compared with the developed countries where the decrease will amount to 70,6 percent. With the share of 12,6 percent of the agricultural in the total labour force in Serbia is 112.181 countries for which there are the data to be compared with the data for 2012. A higher share of the agricultural in the total labour force in Europe has only Albania (39,6 percent) and Poland (15,4 percent). Among the former Yugoslavian Republics the lowest share has Slovenia 0,6 percent, and only five countries have lower share such as: Qatar, Bahrain, Singapore, Brunei and the Netherlands Antilles. After Slovenia the lowest share has Bosnia and Herzegovina (2,5 percent), then Croatia (3,7 percent), while Macedonia (6,5 percent) has a half lower share of the agrarians in total labour force in Serbia.

Total area of the Earth is constant and amounts to 14,94 billion ha of agricultural or 2,22 ha. Such trend of growing number of inhabitants by 2050 will result in the reduction of total land from the current 2,22 to 1,66 ha, in other words, to 0,13 ha of arable land per capita.

Furthermore, since the beginning of industrialization, we witness taking of the arable areas for the construction of suburbs and business facilities. Therefore, the expansion of urban areas, industrial and technological parks, on one side, and constant increase of the number of inhabitants, on the other side, reduce not only total area, but the arable areas too, what is

more important. In this way in the world near 30 million ha has been lost every year. For comparison, it is the size of whole Italy.3

Industrialization is not the only problem. Cutting of forests, then turning of unfertile areas (meadows and pastures) into fertile and arable lands the problem of the lack of agricultural land is partly solved, but it endangers the ecological balance. At the same time, a dynamic growth of the number of inhabitants on the planet and a growth of the demand for food and purchasing power make the problem of rational use of the agricultural land more serious day in day out.

For example, in the world the arable areas increased by 1,8 billion ha in 2008 in comparison to 1992. This is the consequence of cutting forests and turning the meadows and postures into arable areas. It happens, first and foremost in the countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America where a growth population is high. This is the reason why the arable areas are reduced from 0,28 ha (in 1992) to 0,22 ha (in 2010) per capita, which means that in the world the increase in population is more dynamic that the expansion of arable areas.

Table 1.Arable and non-arable areas (in 000 hectare)

1992 World Europe Serbia

Arable areas 1.512.302 318.791 4.076

Non-arable

areas 11.547.557 1.941.103 6.124

Total: 13.059.859 2.259.894 10.200

2008 World Europe Serbia

Arable areas 3.440.708 303.993 4.225

Non-arable

areas 11.526.172 1.956.106 6.476

Total: 13.066.880 2.260.099 10.200

Source:FAO for the years listed (2008).

Although we have in consideration the figures aforesaid, we are mistaken that total agricultural areas in Serbia amount to near five million hectare and that the arable areas make up 4,2 million hectare. It is said that an 3 _{Sundquist B., (2000) Topsoil Loss – Causes, Effects, and Implications:}

average 0,56 ha is per capita, which is far more than in the Netherlands, Germany, which is our wealth, as someone states. In reality, we do not have these areas anymore. Because of the road construction and illegal construction on best arable areas and the fond of arable areas is getting reduced every year. The precise data do not exist, it is estimated that Serbia losses near 25.000 ha annually. On the other side, near 600.000 ha is not cultivated, which does not allow even more developed countries that Serbia is. Observed at the global level the less arable areas per capita for the last four years have the countries showed in theTable 2.

Table 2.Arable areas per capita4

Country ha arable areas per capita_(2006-2010)

United Arabic Emirates 0,00

Japan 0,01 China 0,10 United Kingdom 0,10 The Netherlands 0,10 Mexico 0,20 France 0,30 Brazil 0,30 Serbia 0,40 Bulgaria 0,40

Source: FAO for the years listed (2008).

When it comes to the countries with the developed market economy, first and foremost, on the territory of the European Union and transoceanic countries the problem concerning the reduction of arable areas solve in two ways. Firstly, they take care of the natural resources keeping under control the increase of inhabitants, and the second way is directly, through the environmental protection and particularly the public care of agricultural and arable areas. It is arranged by laws, regulations and directives. It is great importance because the interests of producers (whose motive is to make a higher profit), the consumers whose interest is better and cheaper food and the government of the national states and a group of states whose interest is to take care of the resources are being entwined and harmonized here. On the other side, the states with dense population (china, India) are forced to have two harvests annually, wider

areas covered by irrigation system and higher usage of chemicals so as to provide healthy food for numerous populations, which makes the pressure on resources previously aforesaid.