This is terrible for long-term ecological health. The soil needs time to recover, and if it's constantly farmed, the soil just gets more and more depleted. A ve

This is terrible for long-term ecological health. The soil needs time to recover, and if it's constantly farmed, the soil just gets more and more depleted. A very early example of well-intentioned regulations ending up causing more harm than good (and indeed, much of what used to be fertile farmland in that part of the world is now desert from over-farming).