Sustainable Agriculture

Meaning

Sustainable agriculture refers to the ability of a farm to produce food indefinitely, without causing severe or irreversible damage to ecosystem health.

It is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs

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Meaning

• The term "sustainable agriculture" was defined in 1977 by the USDA as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term:
• satisfy human food and fiber needs
• enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends

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• make the most efficient use of non renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls
• sustain the economic viability of farm operations
• enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

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Key Issues

• biophysical (the long-term effects of various practices on soil properties and processes essential for crop productivity)
• Socio-Economic (the long-term ability of farmers to obtain inputs and manage resources such as labor).

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Main Goals

• Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals—
• Environmental Health
• Economic Profitability
• Social and Economic Equity.

Key Principles

There are several key principles associated with sustainability in agriculture

• The incorporation of biological and ecological processes such asnutrient cycling, soil regeneration and nitogen fixation into agricultural and food production practices.
• Using decreased amounts of non-renewable and unsustainable inputs, particularly environmentally harmful ones.

Key Principles

• Using the expertise of farmers to both productively work the land as well as to promote the self-reliance and self-sufficiency of farmers.
• Solving agricultural and natural resource problems through the cooperation and collaboration of people with different skills. The problems tackled include pest management and irrigation.

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Important Factors

• The most important factors for a farming site are

Climate

Soil

Nutrients 

and water resources.

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• Of the four, water and soil conservation are the most amenable to human intervention.
• When farmers grow and harvest crops, they remove some nutrients from the soil.
• Without replenishment, the land suffers from nutrient depletion and becomes either unusable or suffers from reduced yields.
• Sustainable agriculture depends on replenishing the soil while minimizing the use or need of non-renewable resources, such as natural gas or mineral ores.

Sustainable agriculture practices�

• Rotating crops and embracing diversity. Planting a variety of crops can have many benefits, including healthier soil and improved pest control. Crop diversity practices include intercropping (growing a mix of crops in the same area) and complex multiyear crop rotations.

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Sustainable agriculture practices

• Planting cover crops and perennials. Cover crops such as clover, rye, or hairy vetch are planted during off-season times when soils might otherwise be left bare, while perennial crops keep soil covered and maintain living roots in the ground year-round. These crops protect and build soil health by preventing erosion, replenishing soil nutrients, and keeping weeds in check, reducing the need for fertilizers and herbicides.   

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Sustainable agriculture practices

• Reducing or eliminating tillage. Traditional plowing (tillage) prepares fields for planting and prevents weed problems but can cause soil loss. No-till or reduced-till methods, which involve inserting seeds directly into undisturbed soil, can reduce erosion and improve soil health.

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Sustainable agriculture practices

• Applying integrated pest management (IPM). A range of methods, including mechanical and biological controls, can be applied systematically to keep pest populations under control while minimizing use of chemical pesticides.

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Sustainable agriculture practices

• Integrating livestock and crops. Industrial agriculture tends to keep plant and animal production separate, with animals living far from the areas where their feed is produced, and crops growing far away from abundant manure fertilizers. A growing body of evidence shows that a smart integration of crop and animal production can make farms more efficient and profitable.

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Sustainable agriculture practices

• Adopting agroforestry practices. By mixing trees or shrubs into their operations, farmers can provide shade and shelter that protect plants, animals, and water resources, while also potentially offering additional income from fruit or nut crops.

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Sustainable agriculture practices

• Managing whole systems and landscapes. 

Sustainable farms treat uncultivated or less intensively cultivated areas as integral to the farm. For example, natural vegetation alongside streams, or strips of prairie plants within or around crop fields, can help control erosion, reduce nutrient runoff, and support bees and other pollinators and biodiversity in general.

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