Self-sufficiency in such industries as foodstuff production employing unsustainable methods has come at an exorbitant price for the environment, said the top authority at the Department of Environment.
In a recent meeting with Iran's Chamber of Cooperatives and members of its agriculture commission, Isa Kalantari, the DOE chief, noted that sustainable development has been almost ignored in development programs and unfortunately the already troubled environment should pay the price, Zist Online reported.
"We have extremely weakened the soil for wheat production and livestock breeding, giving space to pests to spread pollution and disease," Kalantari said.
Short-term goals and wrong policies in usage of natural sources not only have strangled the country's productivity in agriculture, but have also made Iran the first country with the huge amount of 12 to 16 million tons of degraded soil.
The Agriculture Ministry has been tasked by law to reach self-sufficiency in 95% of food products.
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