What Is Sustainable Agriculture?

April 25, 2024 brushlee

Over the past several decades, we’ve been producing the majority of our food using industrial Sustainable Agriculture. It’s a system of large farms that produce the same crops every year, with massive amounts of fertilizers and pesticides which harm our soil and air, water, and our climate. This system is not designed to last as it squanders and destroys the resources it relies upon.

But a growing number of innovative farmers and scientists are taking a different path, moving toward a farming system that is more sustainable–environmentally, economically, and socially. The system is able to accommodate farms with all sizes that produce an array of diverse foods as well as fuels, fibers, and other products tailored to the local climate in regional and local markets. It employs the most advanced, scientifically-based methods that increase profitability and efficiency and minimize environmental damage. Sustainability also means that the entire system is more resistant to floods, droughts, and other effects of the climate changes that farmers are currently experiencing. While the shift to a system of this kind usually involves a few upfront expenses, smart policies from the government could benefit farmers transition to this system.

The desirable aspect? An increasing number of scientific studies have demonstrated that a more durable model is equally profitable and productive in the long run, and can satisfy our requirements over the long run.

Sustainable agriculture 101

Sustainable Agriculture may be the fad for the next decade. What is it precisely?

Sustainability is a broad term that covers a variety of aspects. Sustainability in the environment, for instance implies a responsible stewardship for the natural resources and systems which farms depend on. This can include:

Making healthy soil and stopping erosion
Water management is a smart business
Eliminating pollution of the air and water
Storing carbon in farms
Increased resilience to extreme weather

Promoting the conservation of biodiversity

A socially and economically Sustainable Agriculture system lets farms of any size to make money and contribute to local economies. A system that is sustainable supports the future generations of farmers. It works fairly with its employees is a good example of racial equity and justice, provides the opportunity to eat healthy for everyone, and puts the interests of communities and people over the interests of corporate corporations.

There’s an entire branch of research dedicated to the pursuit of these goals. Agroecology is the science behind managing the farms and ecosystems. Working in harmony with nature instead of in opposition to it, farmers can minimize harmful environmental impacts, without sacrificing profitability or productivity. By prioritizing research which considers the interdependence of economic, environmental and social elements and societal factors, we can build an ecologically sustainable system.

Sustainable agricultural practices

Through the years of research and practices, the following methods of farming have proved to be effective in achieving sustainability, particularly when combined with:

It is important to rotate crops and embrace diversity. The planting of a variety of crops has numerous advantages such as healthier soils and better pest control. Intercropping practices for diversity of crops include (growing different crop varieties in a single space) as well as complex multiyear crop rotations.

Cover crops and perennials are planted for planting. Cover crops like clover, rye or hairy vetch, are planted in times of off-season when soils could be uncultivated, whereas perennial crops cover the soil and ensure that roots remain alive all year. These plants benefit protect and enhance soil health by stopping erosion and replenishing soil nutrients and limiting weeds and reducing the requirement for fertilizers and herbicides.

Reducing or eliminating tillage. Plowing traditional (tillage) can prepare the fields for plantation and helps prevent issues with weeds but it could also lead to loss of soil. Methods that do not require tillage, or reduced-till that involve putting seeds directly into soil that is not disturbed can benefit reduce erosion and boost soil health.

Implementing integrated pest management (IPM). Many methods that include biological and mechanical control, can be used regularly to keep the pest population under control, while limiting the recourse to pesticides that are chemical in nature.

Incorporating livestock and crops. Industrial Sustainable Agriculture is known to keep the production of animals and plants separate which means that animals are away from the areas in which their food is made, and the crops growing away from the abundance of manure fertilizers. An increasing amount of evidence indicates that a clever integration of animal and crop production could make farms more profitable and efficient.

Agroforestry practices should be adopted. By incorporating trees or shrubs in their farming practices farmers are able to help in providing the shade as well as shelter to will protect animals, plants and water resources, providing more revenue from fruit or nuts crops.

The management of whole landscapes and systems. Sustainable farms take areas that are not cultivated areas or lesser intensively cultivated areas as an integral part of the farming. For instance natural vegetation along streams, or even strips of prairie plants in or around fields for crops could benefit to stop erosion, cut down on runoff of nutrients and also benefit to provide support to bees and other pollinators, as well as the biodiversity of the entire area.

What these practices share is the emphasis on soil. Protecting soils on farms and alive with living organisms could solve many of the issues associated in industrial farming. Living soil that is healthy and healthy promotes healthy crops, stores liquid like a sponge, reduces pollution and can warrant farming communities and communities flourish.

A key element that connects many different practices, is diversity. In the field of agriculture the most efficient and sustainable systems are more diverse and complex, just like nature itself.

More read: Sustainable Certification