According to farm historian, Paul Conkin, “’Of all human activities, the cultivation of crops has had the largest impact on the face of the earth, beginning with the elimination of up to half of all forests’” [1]. A report by the World Resources Institute supports Conkin’s statement with data. The World Resources Institute shows that nearly half of all deforestation from 2001 through 2018 was a result of agriculture [2]. This data does not illustrate the tree cover lost as a result from agriculture in developed nations which engaged in these practices hundreds of years ago, and thus, already has developed land for agriculture [3]. In order to produce crops and tend cattle, it is imperative to clear the land one plans on using. When one first starts their farm in Stardew Valley they must clear saplings, shrubs, grass, rocks, and trees so that they can plant their parsnip seeds. As a player’s farm expands, they must continue to prepare suitable land, to make room for more crops, cattle, farm buildings, and other resource generating activities. However, the player is incentivized to continuously grow trees so that they can have a constant source of wood, which is such an important core resource in Stardew Valley. As shown in Stardew Valley, if farmers are properly incentivized to plant trees on their land, tree cover loss as a result of agriculture, could potentially be offset.
Wood is used to create craftable items used for both aesthetics such as fences, gates, flowerpots, wood floors and ‘productive’ items, such as chests, charcoal kilns, and mayonnaise machines [4]. Players naturally build these objects as they advance through game, improving and growing their farm. Constructing and upgrading farm buildings also requires copious amounts of wood. Wood is a primary resource in the Community Center upgrade and reconstruction of the tide pool bridge [4]. With all of the wood required to partake in many in-game activities, there needs to be a sufficient source of trees. In Stardew Valley, trees can be planted both on and outside the farm. When a tree is cut down outside the farm, it has a 20% chance of respawning overnight [4]. With Stardew Valley‘s time constraint mechanism it is important for a player to maximize how efficiently they complete tasks. Although there is a self-sustaining source of wood for the player outside of their farm, it may be better to plant trees on one’s farm for quicker access. Therefore, it is desirable to plant trees to ensure consistent wood.
The World Resources Institute discusses how government programs to incentivize farmers to plant trees on their land slightly increased tree cover, improved soil quality, and led to greater local biodiversity [5]. Stardew Valley is not meant to portray all of the nuances involved in farming or the impact of farming. While Stardew Valley does not illustrate the environmental benefits in farmers planting trees on their farm, the gameplay naturally highlights the process of deforestation for agricultural purposes and how providing the proper incentives leads to players planting trees. This has been demonstrated as a real-world solution to improve the environment and improve the issue of diminishing tree cover as a result of agriculture.
References:
[2] Harris, Nancy, Thailynn Munroe, Elizabeth Dow Goldman, Christy Slay, and Forrest Follett. “Agriculture Drove Recent Record-Breaking Tree Cover Loss.” World Resources Institute, February 21, 2020. https://www.wri.org/insights/agriculture-drove-recent-record-breaking-tree-cover-loss.
[3] Voiland, Adam. “Sizing up How Agriculture Connects to Deforestation.” NASA. NASA, 2021. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148674/sizing-up-how-agriculture-connects-to-deforestation.
[4] “Wood.” Stardew Valley Wiki. Stardew Valley Wiki, December 4, 2021. https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Wood.
[5] Ding, Helen, Will Anderson, and René Zamora Cristales. “Smarter Farm Subsidies Can Drive Ecosystem Restoration.” World Resources Institute, August 25, 2021. https://www.wri.org/insights/how-farm-subsidies-combat-land-degradation.
