4. In simplest terms, sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fiber, or other
plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment,
public health, human communities, and animal welfare. This form of agriculture
enables us to produce healthful food without compromising future generations'
ability to do the same.
Sustainable agriculture is the act of farming using principles of ecology, the study
of relationships between organisms and their environment. It has been defined as
"an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-
specific application that will last over the long term"
5. The primary benefits of sustainable
agriculture are:
Environmental Preservation
Sustainable farms produce crops and
raise animals without relying on toxic
chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers,
genetically modified seeds, or practices
that degrade soil, water, or other natural
resources. By growing a variety of plants
and using techniques such as crop
rotation, conservation tillage, and
pasture-based livestock husbandry ,
sustainable farms protect biodiversity
and foster the development and
maintenance of healthy ecosystems.
6. Protection of Public Health
Food production should never come at the
expense of human health. Since
sustainable crop farms avoid hazardous
pesticides, they're able to grow fruits and
vegetables that are safer for consumers,
workers, and surrounding
communities. Likewise, sustainable
livestock farmers and ranchers raise
animals without dangerous practices like
use of nontherapeutic antibiotics or
arsenic-based growth promoters. Through
careful, responsible management of
livestock waste, sustainable farmers also
protect humans from exposure to
pathogens, toxins, and other hazardous
pollutants.
7. Sustaining Vibrant Communities
A critical component of sustainable agriculture
is its ability to remain economically viable,
providing farmers, farm workers, food
processors, and others employed in the food
system with a livable wage and safe, fair
working conditions. Sustainable farms also
bolster local and regional economies, creating
good jobs and building strong communities.
Upholding Animal Welfare
Sustainable farmers and ranchers treat
animals with care and respect, implementing
livestock husbandry practices that protect
animals' health and wellbeing. By raising
livestock on pasture, these farmers enable
their animals to move freely, engage in
instinctive behaviors, consume a natural diet,
8. Disadvantages of sustainable
farming include higher prices and
less product. A study conducted
over two decades in Switzerland
showed that crop yield was 20%
lower on farms that practiced
sustainable agriculture in relation
to farms that utilized industrialized
methods. The lower productions
rates of sustainable agriculture
raise concerns that this method
will not be able to produce enough
food to feed the growing
population.
Modern farming methods
may be much cheaper and create
more product, but hurt the
environment in the long run.
Hence, the moral advantages of
sustainable farming outweigh the
disadvantages.
9. Sustainable agriculture provides high yields without undermining the
natural systems and resources that productivitydepends onOne
importantresult is that farmers are able to minimize their use of
pesticides and fertilizers, thereby saving money and protecting future
productivity, as well as the environment.
Some of the most commonsustainable agriculture techniques
employed by farmers today to achieve the key goals of weed control,
pest control, disease control, erosioncontrol and highsoil qualityare:
10. Integrated pest management (IPM) is a
broad-based approach that integrates
sustainable practices for economic control
of pests. IPM is defined as "the careful
consideration of all available pest control
techniques and subsequent integration of
appropriate measures that discourage the
development of pest populations and
keep pesticides to levels that reduce or
minimize risks to human health and the
environment. IPM emphasizes the growth
of a healthy crop with the least possible
disruption to agro-ecosystems and
encourages natural pest control
mechanisms .IPM allows for safer pest
control-managing insects, plant pathogens
and weeds.
11. Crop rotation is the sustainable practice
of growing a series of different types
of crops in the same area in
sequential seasons.
Crop rotation gives various nutrients to
the soil. It provides the replenishment
of nitrogen through the use of green
manure in sequence with cereals and
other crops. Crop rotation also mitigates
the build-up of pathogens and pests that
often occurs when one species is
continuously cropped, and can also
improve soil structure and fertility. Crop
rotation is one component of polyculture.
12. Biotechnology is the use of living systems
and organisms to develop or make useful
products . Biotechnology can provide
appropriate new tools for use in solution
of specific problems in sustainable
agriculture . Biotechnology can give little
assistance to sustainable agriculture in the
short term and it could be highly useful in
the long term as an integral part of the art
and science of plant breeding and other
components of sustainable agriculture
systems . The most important is GMOs.
13. Organic fertilizers are fertilizers derived
from animal matter or vegetable matter.
The use of organic fertilizer in sustainable
gardens and farms is quickly gaining in
popularity - the number of acres of
organic agriculture increased from 59
million in 2004 to nearly 81 million in
2009 - especially as their mitigating
effects on the environment are
demonstrated through more and more
studies.
14. Conservation tillage is any method of soil
cultivation that leaves the previous year's
crop residue (such as corn stalks or wheat
stubble) on fields before and after
planting the next crop.
Conservation tillage management can
reduce soil erosion, enhance soil
productivity, decrease dependency on
fossil fuels and minimize water, nutrient,
and pesticide runoff. It is an important
technique of sustainable farming.