ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

 

  Sustainable Agriculture is the management and conservation of the natural resource base, and the orientation of technological and institutional change in such a manner as to ensure the attainment and continued satisfaction of human needs for present and future generations (FAO). 

Sustainability has three principal dimensions : economic growth, social equity and protection of the environment. Underlying the economic dimension is the principle that society's well being would have to be maximized and poverty eradicated through the optimal and efficient use of natural resources. The social aspects refers to the relationship between nature and human beings, uplifting the welfare of the people , improving access to basic health and education services , fulfill food security needs and respect for human rights. The environmental dimension , on the other hand is concerned with the conservation and enhancement of the physical and biological resource base and ecosystem.

 There's a whole field of research devoted to achieving these goals : Agroecology, the science of managing farms as ecosystems. By working with nature rather than against it , farms managed using agroecological principles can avoid damaging impacts without sacrifying productivity or profitability.

FACTS ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

1. 40% of today’s global population works in agriculture, making it the single largest employer in the world.

2. Sustainable agriculture is the rejection of the industrial approach to food production (aka factory farms). It integrates three main things: environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity.

3. The ecological and social price of factory farms is: erosion, deforestation, depleted and contaminated soil and water resources, loss of biodiversity, labor abuses, and the decline of family farms.

4.The concept of sustainable agriculture embraces a wide range of techniques, including organic, free-range, low-input, holistic, and biodynamic.

5. With this type of farming, chemical pesticides or fertilizers aren’t necessary, crop diversity is encouraged, and precipitation provides irrigation water.

6. Organic farming typically requires 2.5 times more labor than conventional farming, but it yields 10 times the profit.

7. “Healthy” soil is an important component of sustainability. Methods to enhance and protect the productivity of the soil include using cover crops, compost manures , avoiding traffic on wet soils , and maintaining soil cover with plant mulches.

8. The goal of sustainable farmers is to develop efficient, biological systems that don’t need high level of material inputs (aka harmful chemicals).

9. There are 4 key sustainable goals : Satisfy human needs , and contribute to biofuel needs . Enhance environmental quality, Sustain the economic viability of agriculture. Enhance thee quality of life for farmers, farm workers and society as a whole.

 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PRACTICES

Over decades of science and practice, several key sustainable farming practices have emerged—for example:

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 multi-year crop rotations.Farmers have used crop rotation for centuries as a technique to keep the soil healthy and avoid depleting it entirely of nutrients. Different crops are planted in different locations over several years in such a way that the succeeding crop helps replenish the nutrients the previous one has taken out of the soil, or vice versa. The most common way is to plant grain crops after legumes. Legumes fix high levels of nitrogen in the soil, which the grains need a lot of but are less able to secure. Crop rotation also helps prevent diseases. Most diseases attack a single crop, so rotating can eradicate them from the site. Leaving a field to go fallow or planting a cover crop before the main cultivated crop are also excellent ways of reserving the health of the soil.

Planting cover crops. Cover crops, like clover or hairy vetch, are planted during off-season times when soils might otherwise be left bare. These crops protect and build soil health by preventing erosion, replenishing soil nutrients, and keeping weeds in check, reducing the need for herbicides.   

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

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.

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 be a recipe for more efficient, profitable farms.

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

Managing whole systems and landscapes. Sustainable farms treat uncultivated or less intensively cultivated areas, such as riparian buffers or prairie strips, as integral to the farm—valued for their role in controlling erosion, reducing nutrient runoff, and supporting pollinators and other biodiversity.

Crop Diversity

While planting lots of different species of plant is an excellent method of sustainable farming, it is not often possible for commercial farmers who have a market for a certain crop. However, by planting diverse varieties of the one species, they can accrue many benefits. Having multiple varieties makes the crop stronger as there is more genetic diversity. This means that it is less likely to succumb to a disease or pest, as these tend to favor a specific variety. Therefore, the farmer has less need of pesticides and so rescues costs.

Crop diversity is also a great way to control pest populations. A variety of plants will attract a wider variety of insects and other creatures, such as birds and bats, some of which will hopefully predate those that could damage crops. The use of natural predator-prey relationships to control pests also means the farmer has no need to use chemical pesticides (which can cause ecological problems by running off the land into the water table and water bodies) and so saving money. The farmer can release populations of beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings onto their crop to control pests. Alternatively, they can plant the edges of fields with flowers that will attract insects. Keeping or planting trees on the farm will attract birds, as they are somewhere to nest, and bats, as the trees provide somewhere to roost.

Sell Locally

One of the biggest causes of greenhouse gases – and thus drivers of climate change – is transportation in vehicles using fuel derived from fossil fuels, and growing food for consumption in other parts of the country, or even internationally, requires a lot of transportation. Selling food in local markets helps reduce these emissions. There are many other benefits as well. Food sold locally needs less packaging, as it does not have as long between harvest and sale as food grown for distant markets. Selling locally also keeps money in the local economy and allows producers to engage directly with their customers. This fosters good community relationships, with customers more likely to support local producers – meaning even those farming on a small scale can make a living.

A key theme connecting many of these practices is diversification. “Keep it simple” is good advice in many situations, but when it comes to agriculture, the most sustainable and productive systems are more diverse and complex—like nature itself.

THE WAY FORWARD

Recent studies have shown that agroecological practices can support productive, profitable farms. It has been seen that complex crop rotation systems can outperform conventional monoculture in both yield and profitability.

Crop breeding research is also crucial to the success of a more sustainable agroecological system , providing farmers with access to a broad range of crop varieties that can be readily adapted to farm specific conditions and practices. Breeding research programmes have dwindled in recent years , leaving farmers increasingly reliant on a limited set of varieties tailored to the needs of conventional farms.

To help farmers adopt sustainable agriculture practices , its vitally important that we support agroecology research along with outreach and education to help farmers make effective use of science.