Agriculture sustainability and food security is important to ensure future development and meet the needs of a growing global population expected to reach 11 billion by 2050. Sustainable agriculture aims to increase production without compromising future generations' ability to meet their needs by considering factors like water and soil management, energy and wildlife conservation, and reducing reliance on non-renewable resources. Achieving sustainable agriculture requires efforts across the entire food system from producers to consumers and changes to policies, institutions, and social values.
The document discusses the need to achieve sustainable development and food security as the world population grows. It notes that many believe it is possible to eradicate hunger within the next generation through increased agricultural production, improved supply chains, reduced food losses, and ensuring all people have access to nutritious food. The UN's Zero Hunger Challenge and Sustainable Development Goal 2 aim to end hunger by 2030 through strategies like increasing smallholder productivity and income, eliminating food waste, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
The document discusses 5 important elements of sustainable agriculture:
1) Protecting water quality and supply by keeping contaminants out of water sources and carefully managing consumption.
2) Sustainable land use that maintains wildlife habitats and biodiversity to support pest management and ecosystem health.
3) Transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar and wind to reduce dependence on finite fossil fuels and climate impacts.
4) Selecting suitable crop varieties and livestock, and diversifying production to ensure long-term agricultural success while protecting the environment.
5) Establishing equitable labor practices and developing rural communities to mitigate social and economic costs of agriculture.
The document discusses opportunities and solutions for sustainable food production to meet rising global demand. It proposes the following post-2015 goals: 1) Increase global food supply by 70-100% through higher productivity and less waste, 2) Eradicate hunger and malnutrition by 2030, and 3) Make agriculture more environmentally sustainable and resource efficient. Achieving these will require agro-ecological intensification through improved varieties, agronomic practices, and technologies to increase smallholder incomes and efficiency of inputs like water and fertilizer. Early solutions proposed include closing yield gaps, agronomic innovations, increasing mechanization, and technologies to save energy, water and labor.
Sustainable Agriculture And Environmental Protection Usda Weri Nri UnChristina Parmionova
The Brundtland Commission, formally the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in 1983. The commission was created to address growing concern "about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development." In establishing the commission, the UN General Assembly recognized that environmental problems were global in nature and determined that it was in the common interest of all nations to establish policies for sustainable development.
The document discusses sustainable agriculture and sustainable habitats. It defines sustainable agriculture as farming using ecological principles that can last over the long term. A sustainable habitat is an ecosystem that provides food and shelter without resource depletion or external waste production, allowing it to continue indefinitely. The document also discusses how buildings account for most global energy demand and how energy-efficient designs can significantly reduce consumption.
The document discusses the social dimensions of climate change, noting that climate change impacts are deeply intertwined with global inequality and threaten development gains, so both aggressive mitigation and pro-poor adaptation are needed, with a focus on social equity, governance, and protecting vulnerable groups. It also outlines the World Bank's work on these social aspects of climate change across regions, countries, and initiatives.
The document discusses the need to achieve sustainable development and food security as the world population grows. It notes that many believe it is possible to eradicate hunger within the next generation through increased agricultural production, improved supply chains, reduced food losses, and ensuring all people have access to nutritious food. The UN's Zero Hunger Challenge and Sustainable Development Goal 2 aim to end hunger by 2030 through strategies like increasing smallholder productivity and income, eliminating food waste, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
The document discusses 5 important elements of sustainable agriculture:
1) Protecting water quality and supply by keeping contaminants out of water sources and carefully managing consumption.
2) Sustainable land use that maintains wildlife habitats and biodiversity to support pest management and ecosystem health.
3) Transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar and wind to reduce dependence on finite fossil fuels and climate impacts.
4) Selecting suitable crop varieties and livestock, and diversifying production to ensure long-term agricultural success while protecting the environment.
5) Establishing equitable labor practices and developing rural communities to mitigate social and economic costs of agriculture.
The document discusses opportunities and solutions for sustainable food production to meet rising global demand. It proposes the following post-2015 goals: 1) Increase global food supply by 70-100% through higher productivity and less waste, 2) Eradicate hunger and malnutrition by 2030, and 3) Make agriculture more environmentally sustainable and resource efficient. Achieving these will require agro-ecological intensification through improved varieties, agronomic practices, and technologies to increase smallholder incomes and efficiency of inputs like water and fertilizer. Early solutions proposed include closing yield gaps, agronomic innovations, increasing mechanization, and technologies to save energy, water and labor.
Sustainable Agriculture And Environmental Protection Usda Weri Nri UnChristina Parmionova
The Brundtland Commission, formally the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in 1983. The commission was created to address growing concern "about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development." In establishing the commission, the UN General Assembly recognized that environmental problems were global in nature and determined that it was in the common interest of all nations to establish policies for sustainable development.
The document discusses sustainable agriculture and sustainable habitats. It defines sustainable agriculture as farming using ecological principles that can last over the long term. A sustainable habitat is an ecosystem that provides food and shelter without resource depletion or external waste production, allowing it to continue indefinitely. The document also discusses how buildings account for most global energy demand and how energy-efficient designs can significantly reduce consumption.
The document discusses the social dimensions of climate change, noting that climate change impacts are deeply intertwined with global inequality and threaten development gains, so both aggressive mitigation and pro-poor adaptation are needed, with a focus on social equity, governance, and protecting vulnerable groups. It also outlines the World Bank's work on these social aspects of climate change across regions, countries, and initiatives.
The document outlines the changes made to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) through a reform process. Key changes include:
1) Fifteen new CGIAR Research Programs were established to conduct integrated research across core competencies and form appropriate partnerships to achieve four system-level outcomes: reduction in poverty, increased global food security, improved nutrition, and better natural resource management.
2) A leaner structure was implemented with the Consortium providing a single contact point for donors and overseeing fifteen research centers and programs. A CGIAR Fund was also established as a new multi-donor funding mechanism.
3) The goals of CGIAR's research are now defined as four system-level
Sustainable agriculture in India is important given issues with conventional agriculture such as declining soil fertility, water contamination, and loss of biodiversity. Sustainable agriculture improves ecological sustainability by increasing soil organic matter and water retention, encourages biodiversity through mixed cropping, and reduces pollution. It enhances economic sustainability by focusing on local needs over exports, lowering debt risks, and opening niche markets. Socially, it aims to be inclusive, empower local knowledge, and improve food security and participation. Policies in India should promote sustainable practices like organic farming and resource conservation to ensure long-term agricultural and environmental stability.
This document summarizes strategies for increasing the global food supply without relying on genetically engineered crops. It finds that GE crops have not significantly increased yields and their primary purpose has been to produce animal feed and biofuels rather than feed people. More effective strategies include optimizing fertilizer use, reducing food waste, shifting away from biofuel incentives that use food crops, and changing diets to consume fewer calories and less meat. Traditional breeding has shown more promise than GE in improving crops for dry conditions in Africa. Overall, the document argues more can be done to boost food security through better resource management and existing agricultural methods rather than an overreliance on genetic engineering.
Metrics and sustainable diets was the focus of a presentation by Thomas Allen of Bioversity International delivered at the Joint Conference on Sustainable Diet and Food Security co-organized by the Belgian Nutrition Society, The Nutrition Society and Société Française de Nutrition on 28 and 29 May 2013 in Lille, France under the auspices of the Federation of European Nutrition Societies, a conference on Sustainable Diet and Food Security. : A system approach to assessing Sustainable Diets. Read more about Bioversity International’s work on diet diversity for nutrition and health
http://www.bioversityinternational.org/research-portfolio/diet-diversity/
This document discusses the environmental drivers of food and nutrition insecurity. It notes that while technological advancements have increased food production, it has also led to environmental degradation and threats to ecosystems. Climate change is projected to reduce crop production in some areas. It argues for a sustainable food systems approach based on diversified eco-agriculture, optimizing efficiency, and addressing issues like subsidies and access to resources to empower smallholders and ensure long-term food security.
The dilemma of the global food system is a deeply existential one . On one hand we have a moral imperative to ensure we have uninterrupted food supply ,on the other , doing so based on the expansion of current practices will have a devastating impact on the environment
The presentation discusses principles of sustainable agriculture. It covers topics like using legume crops and recycling to sustainably source nitrogen for plants. It also addresses managing water resources through irrigation systems, drought-resistant crops, and reducing loss. The document discusses techniques for preventing soil erosion like no-till farming and wind breaks. It notes pressure on land from a growing population and the need for sustainable energy and economic practices in agriculture.
The document presents on the topic of global food sustainability. It discusses major threats like hunger and food wastage. The goal is achieving global food sustainability through food quality, safety, and environmental security. It proposes ways to achieve sustainability like efficiency oriented practices, demand restraint, and food system transformation with a change in mindset. This involves increasing productivity, reducing carbon footprint, empowering farmers, and increasing consumption of locally available food through various farming techniques.
The document discusses the role of agricultural biodiversity in improving nutrition and diets in developing countries. It notes that loss of biodiversity has contributed to poor nutrition outcomes and outlines several traditional agroecosystems that optimize both yields and nutrient outputs through the use of diverse crop combinations and intercropping practices. These systems provide dietary diversity and complementarities that help address micronutrient deficiencies. The document also raises important open questions about how to scale agricultural biodiversity approaches to improve nutrition security.
Organic Solutions to Global Warming and Food SecurityZ3P
Organic and natural agriculture can help mitigate climate change in three key ways:
1) It increases carbon absorption in soils and plants, reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to industrial agriculture.
2) Biodiverse, small-scale organic farms are more resilient to droughts and floods from climate change due to higher water retention and variety of crops.
3) Studies show organic farming practices like reduced tillage and use of cover crops can increase soil organic matter and carbon storage, further reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture.
Forests, biodiversity and food securityCIFOR-ICRAF
The world faces many challenges in attempting to achieve global food
security, and one of those challenges is the continuing loss of forests and
biodiversity. How do we feed the world’s growing population while
maintaining its biodiversity? The answer could be in new approaches to
integrating agriculture and biodiversity.
CIFOR scientist Terry Sunderland explores the links between forests,
biodiversity and food security in this presentation, which he recently gave at the
2nd World Biodiversity Congress in Malaysia to more than 150 delegates.
This document discusses factors contributing to sustainable food production and processing in the European Union. It describes the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which aims to support viable food production, sustainable natural resource management, and balanced rural development. The CAP is being reformed to address issues like food security and climate change. Sustainable agriculture practices like integrated pest management and soil conservation are outlined. Sustainable fishing and aquaculture methods are also discussed, along with their environmental impacts and how the EU is working to reduce discards and protect endangered stocks.
This document discusses knowledge management in Indian agriculture. It notes that over 80% of Indians depend on agriculture and knowledge transfer plays an important role in growth. It describes the major organizations involved in agricultural knowledge - public sector bodies like ICAR, state universities, private companies, and NGOs. Public sector focuses on increasing productivity through research, education, and extension. Private sector focuses on commercial goals and products. NGOs focus on dissemination, documentation, and local knowledge. Climate-smart agriculture is presented as key to ensuring food security amidst population growth and climate change.
Organic Agriculture - a Guide to Global Warming and Food SecurityZ3P
This document provides an overview of how organic agriculture can address climate change and food security through high carbon sequestration, low emissions, and food secure farming. Organic agriculture builds soil carbon through practices like avoiding chemical fertilizers, building soil fertility, and appropriate tillage. If all agricultural lands converted to organic, estimates show it could sequester 5-32% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually. Organic also reduces emissions through practices like nutrient cycling and integrated crop-livestock systems. It enhances food security by prioritizing local production and consumption and improving smallholder farm resilience.
Farmer movements: current and potential role in achieving integrated agricultural landscapes
This document discusses farmer and producer movements and their role in supporting diversified farming systems. It notes that small-scale farmers generate 70% of the world's food and examines ways movements are currently supporting diversified systems through initiatives like LandCare and Natura 2000. However, scaling these efforts faces constraints including gaps in knowledge, capacity among farmers, and unsupportive policies, incentives and investment environments.
This document analyzes access to organic and local produce in the St. Louis metropolitan area and how it relates to income and market type. It summarizes previous research showing the environmental, social and economic impacts of conventional agriculture and lack of access to healthy foods in low-income areas. The study examines access points and availability of organic/local produce across 11 census tracts of varying incomes. Preliminary results indicate less availability in lower-income tracts. Recommendations target improving access across incomes to increase demand for sustainable agriculture and support local farmers/economies.
Tackling food and nutrition security: the importance of gender specific activ...ACIAR
Dr Brigitte Bagnol is a researcher associated with the International Rural Poultry Centre (IRPC), KYEEMA Foundation, Australia and part of the AIFSC project 'Strengthening food security through family poultry and crop integration'. Her presentation looks at the gender dimensions of this work.
Turbo-Charge your Hiring with ReferralsManish Grover
This document discusses how companies can reduce hiring costs through employee referrals and the Wisestep referral hiring platform. It notes that hiring is expensive, costing $4,000+ per hire in the US and £4,500 in the UK. Employee referrals provide high quality candidates at lower costs than other hiring channels. Wisestep helps companies manage referrals from employees, social networks, website visitors, and their professional community in one place to reduce hiring costs by up to 50% while saving time.
Agriculture sustainability and food security is our insurance policy for futu...Howard Barmil
This is an academic lecture and discussion which was done at the University of Jordan in college of agriculture; this lecture was made for the PHD candidates.
Sustainable agriculture is the system of farming (cultivating land, harvesting and selling farm products), while enhancing wise rural land development in concert with community interests and environmental protection. We must meet the needs of the present without jeopardizing or compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Understanding sustainability.
We must envision the broadest sense; it starts at the individual farm, and ends at the consumer’s table going through the full cycle of the ecosystem (farmers, farmworkers, consumers, policymakers and others). An emphasis on this ecosystem circle allows a larger and more thorough view of the consequences of farming practices on both human communities and the environment. A systematic approach gives us the tools to explore the interconnections between all agents in this ecosystem cycle.
The document outlines the changes made to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) through a reform process. Key changes include:
1) Fifteen new CGIAR Research Programs were established to conduct integrated research across core competencies and form appropriate partnerships to achieve four system-level outcomes: reduction in poverty, increased global food security, improved nutrition, and better natural resource management.
2) A leaner structure was implemented with the Consortium providing a single contact point for donors and overseeing fifteen research centers and programs. A CGIAR Fund was also established as a new multi-donor funding mechanism.
3) The goals of CGIAR's research are now defined as four system-level
Sustainable agriculture in India is important given issues with conventional agriculture such as declining soil fertility, water contamination, and loss of biodiversity. Sustainable agriculture improves ecological sustainability by increasing soil organic matter and water retention, encourages biodiversity through mixed cropping, and reduces pollution. It enhances economic sustainability by focusing on local needs over exports, lowering debt risks, and opening niche markets. Socially, it aims to be inclusive, empower local knowledge, and improve food security and participation. Policies in India should promote sustainable practices like organic farming and resource conservation to ensure long-term agricultural and environmental stability.
This document summarizes strategies for increasing the global food supply without relying on genetically engineered crops. It finds that GE crops have not significantly increased yields and their primary purpose has been to produce animal feed and biofuels rather than feed people. More effective strategies include optimizing fertilizer use, reducing food waste, shifting away from biofuel incentives that use food crops, and changing diets to consume fewer calories and less meat. Traditional breeding has shown more promise than GE in improving crops for dry conditions in Africa. Overall, the document argues more can be done to boost food security through better resource management and existing agricultural methods rather than an overreliance on genetic engineering.
Metrics and sustainable diets was the focus of a presentation by Thomas Allen of Bioversity International delivered at the Joint Conference on Sustainable Diet and Food Security co-organized by the Belgian Nutrition Society, The Nutrition Society and Société Française de Nutrition on 28 and 29 May 2013 in Lille, France under the auspices of the Federation of European Nutrition Societies, a conference on Sustainable Diet and Food Security. : A system approach to assessing Sustainable Diets. Read more about Bioversity International’s work on diet diversity for nutrition and health
http://www.bioversityinternational.org/research-portfolio/diet-diversity/
This document discusses the environmental drivers of food and nutrition insecurity. It notes that while technological advancements have increased food production, it has also led to environmental degradation and threats to ecosystems. Climate change is projected to reduce crop production in some areas. It argues for a sustainable food systems approach based on diversified eco-agriculture, optimizing efficiency, and addressing issues like subsidies and access to resources to empower smallholders and ensure long-term food security.
The dilemma of the global food system is a deeply existential one . On one hand we have a moral imperative to ensure we have uninterrupted food supply ,on the other , doing so based on the expansion of current practices will have a devastating impact on the environment
The presentation discusses principles of sustainable agriculture. It covers topics like using legume crops and recycling to sustainably source nitrogen for plants. It also addresses managing water resources through irrigation systems, drought-resistant crops, and reducing loss. The document discusses techniques for preventing soil erosion like no-till farming and wind breaks. It notes pressure on land from a growing population and the need for sustainable energy and economic practices in agriculture.
The document presents on the topic of global food sustainability. It discusses major threats like hunger and food wastage. The goal is achieving global food sustainability through food quality, safety, and environmental security. It proposes ways to achieve sustainability like efficiency oriented practices, demand restraint, and food system transformation with a change in mindset. This involves increasing productivity, reducing carbon footprint, empowering farmers, and increasing consumption of locally available food through various farming techniques.
The document discusses the role of agricultural biodiversity in improving nutrition and diets in developing countries. It notes that loss of biodiversity has contributed to poor nutrition outcomes and outlines several traditional agroecosystems that optimize both yields and nutrient outputs through the use of diverse crop combinations and intercropping practices. These systems provide dietary diversity and complementarities that help address micronutrient deficiencies. The document also raises important open questions about how to scale agricultural biodiversity approaches to improve nutrition security.
Organic Solutions to Global Warming and Food SecurityZ3P
Organic and natural agriculture can help mitigate climate change in three key ways:
1) It increases carbon absorption in soils and plants, reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to industrial agriculture.
2) Biodiverse, small-scale organic farms are more resilient to droughts and floods from climate change due to higher water retention and variety of crops.
3) Studies show organic farming practices like reduced tillage and use of cover crops can increase soil organic matter and carbon storage, further reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture.
Forests, biodiversity and food securityCIFOR-ICRAF
The world faces many challenges in attempting to achieve global food
security, and one of those challenges is the continuing loss of forests and
biodiversity. How do we feed the world’s growing population while
maintaining its biodiversity? The answer could be in new approaches to
integrating agriculture and biodiversity.
CIFOR scientist Terry Sunderland explores the links between forests,
biodiversity and food security in this presentation, which he recently gave at the
2nd World Biodiversity Congress in Malaysia to more than 150 delegates.
This document discusses factors contributing to sustainable food production and processing in the European Union. It describes the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which aims to support viable food production, sustainable natural resource management, and balanced rural development. The CAP is being reformed to address issues like food security and climate change. Sustainable agriculture practices like integrated pest management and soil conservation are outlined. Sustainable fishing and aquaculture methods are also discussed, along with their environmental impacts and how the EU is working to reduce discards and protect endangered stocks.
This document discusses knowledge management in Indian agriculture. It notes that over 80% of Indians depend on agriculture and knowledge transfer plays an important role in growth. It describes the major organizations involved in agricultural knowledge - public sector bodies like ICAR, state universities, private companies, and NGOs. Public sector focuses on increasing productivity through research, education, and extension. Private sector focuses on commercial goals and products. NGOs focus on dissemination, documentation, and local knowledge. Climate-smart agriculture is presented as key to ensuring food security amidst population growth and climate change.
Organic Agriculture - a Guide to Global Warming and Food SecurityZ3P
This document provides an overview of how organic agriculture can address climate change and food security through high carbon sequestration, low emissions, and food secure farming. Organic agriculture builds soil carbon through practices like avoiding chemical fertilizers, building soil fertility, and appropriate tillage. If all agricultural lands converted to organic, estimates show it could sequester 5-32% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually. Organic also reduces emissions through practices like nutrient cycling and integrated crop-livestock systems. It enhances food security by prioritizing local production and consumption and improving smallholder farm resilience.
Farmer movements: current and potential role in achieving integrated agricultural landscapes
This document discusses farmer and producer movements and their role in supporting diversified farming systems. It notes that small-scale farmers generate 70% of the world's food and examines ways movements are currently supporting diversified systems through initiatives like LandCare and Natura 2000. However, scaling these efforts faces constraints including gaps in knowledge, capacity among farmers, and unsupportive policies, incentives and investment environments.
This document analyzes access to organic and local produce in the St. Louis metropolitan area and how it relates to income and market type. It summarizes previous research showing the environmental, social and economic impacts of conventional agriculture and lack of access to healthy foods in low-income areas. The study examines access points and availability of organic/local produce across 11 census tracts of varying incomes. Preliminary results indicate less availability in lower-income tracts. Recommendations target improving access across incomes to increase demand for sustainable agriculture and support local farmers/economies.
Tackling food and nutrition security: the importance of gender specific activ...ACIAR
Dr Brigitte Bagnol is a researcher associated with the International Rural Poultry Centre (IRPC), KYEEMA Foundation, Australia and part of the AIFSC project 'Strengthening food security through family poultry and crop integration'. Her presentation looks at the gender dimensions of this work.
Turbo-Charge your Hiring with ReferralsManish Grover
This document discusses how companies can reduce hiring costs through employee referrals and the Wisestep referral hiring platform. It notes that hiring is expensive, costing $4,000+ per hire in the US and £4,500 in the UK. Employee referrals provide high quality candidates at lower costs than other hiring channels. Wisestep helps companies manage referrals from employees, social networks, website visitors, and their professional community in one place to reduce hiring costs by up to 50% while saving time.
Agriculture sustainability and food security is our insurance policy for futu...Howard Barmil
This is an academic lecture and discussion which was done at the University of Jordan in college of agriculture; this lecture was made for the PHD candidates.
Sustainable agriculture is the system of farming (cultivating land, harvesting and selling farm products), while enhancing wise rural land development in concert with community interests and environmental protection. We must meet the needs of the present without jeopardizing or compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Understanding sustainability.
We must envision the broadest sense; it starts at the individual farm, and ends at the consumer’s table going through the full cycle of the ecosystem (farmers, farmworkers, consumers, policymakers and others). An emphasis on this ecosystem circle allows a larger and more thorough view of the consequences of farming practices on both human communities and the environment. A systematic approach gives us the tools to explore the interconnections between all agents in this ecosystem cycle.
The document provides observations from visiting 6 different stores to analyze their layouts, merchandising approaches, and first impressions. Key findings include: (1) Stores like Apple and MAC Cosmetics create open and inviting entryways to draw customers in further, while others like Whole Foods and Banana Republic use limited exterior merchandising. (2) Interior approaches differ, with Apple focusing on hands-on experiences and Whole Foods on impulse purchases. (3) Overcrowded stores like Zumiez and Brookstone risk overwhelming customers at the entrance.
Avi waste management solutions tripoli1Howard Barmil
The document discusses plans for a waste treatment plant in Tripoli, Libya designed by Aqua Vital Int. Ltd. & Co. KG. It proposes using mechanical and biological treatment (MBT) technologies to process 2.37 million tons of waste per year. MBT involves both mechanical and biological processes like shredding, sorting, composting, and anaerobic digestion to reduce waste volume and extract recyclables before disposing of the residual waste in landfills. The plant aims to recover materials like construction waste, metals, glass, paper, and plastics while producing fertilizer and electricity. Flexibility is emphasized to adapt to changing waste streams over time.
Monif M. Loutfy is a Lebanese resident engineer with over 17 years of experience managing large construction projects in the Middle East. He has a Masters in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution and post-graduate diplomas in Project Management. Currently, he is the resident engineer for the Jumeirah Park project in Dubai, overseeing 2764 villas, civil works, and infrastructure. Previously, he managed the construction of villas, townhouses, and infrastructure for other large projects in Dubai.
How to training series - changing a tire on the roadsideSylvia Kay
This document provides instructions for changing a flat tire on the roadside. It begins by describing a real situation where an IHG revenue manager named Steve had a flat tire while driving in Australia. It then outlines the 16 step process to change the tire that Steve followed after watching an instructional video. The steps include securing the vehicle, locating the spare tire and tools, jacking up the car, removing the lug nuts and flat tire, and installing the spare tire. The document concludes by testing the user's knowledge with a questionnaire and encouraging them to provide feedback on their experience.
Creating a Successful Social Recruitment StrategyManish Grover
I made this presentation at the HCMNext 2013 Conference on Social Media in Human Capital Management. The delegates were HR Practitioners and Professionals from IT, ITES, Manufacturing, Automotive and Pharma Industries.
Provide an introduction to some of the different the ideas around ICT Strategy and Enterprise Architecture
Take a look at a real-life example of building a Technology Architecture strategy
Understand the relationship between Business Strategy and Technology Strategy
Begin mapping your own Technology Strategy against the Business Strategy for your firm
Agriculture in developing countries must undergo a significant transformation in order to meet the related challenges of achieving food security and responding to climate change. Projections based on population growth and food consumption patterns indicate that agricultural production will need to increase by at least 70 percent to meet demands by 2050. Most estimates also indicate that climate change is likely to reduce agricultural productivity, production stability and incomes in some areas that already have high levels of food insecurity. Developing climate-smart agriculture is thus crucial to achieving future food security and climate change goals. This seminar describe an approach to deal with the above issue viz. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and also examines some of the key technical, institutional, policy and financial responses required to achieve this transformation. Building on cases from the field, the seminar try to outlines a range of practices, approaches and tools aimed at increase the resilience and productivity of agricultural product systems, while also reducing and removing emissions. A part of the seminar elaborates institutional and policy options available to promote the transition to climate-smart agriculture at the smallholder level. Finally, the paper considers current gaps and makes innovative suggestion regarding the combined use of different sources, financing mechanism and delivery systems.
The document discusses trends in agriculture that have led to unsustainable practices and their negative environmental and human impacts. It defines sustainable agriculture as a system that can produce food indefinitely without causing irreversible environmental damage. Traditional and modern methods are outlined, such as crop rotation and integrated pest management. While no strict rules exist, organic standards provide similarities though sustainability does not exclude all synthetic inputs. Barriers to sustainable development include high costs and political resistance despite economic incentives.
The document discusses trends in agriculture that have led to unsustainable practices and their negative environmental and human impacts. It defines sustainable agriculture as a system that can produce food indefinitely without causing irreversible environmental damage. Traditional and modern methods are outlined, along with the goals of minimizing impacts while maintaining production levels. Organic farming is distinguished from sustainable practices. Both positive and challenges to politics and economics that can help or hinder sustainable agriculture are presented.
Sustainable AgricultureGreen.power point presentationbhavya91102
The document discusses trends in agriculture that have led to unsustainable practices and their negative environmental and human impacts. It defines sustainable agriculture as a system that can produce food indefinitely without causing irreversible environmental damage. Key aspects of sustainable agriculture include crop rotation, integrated pest management, soil and water conservation techniques, and nutrient recycling through practices like composting manure. While organic farming excludes synthetic inputs, sustainable agriculture aims to balance nutrient inputs and outputs without reliance on outside sources. Transitioning to sustainable systems faces economic and political challenges but may save farmers money in the long run.
The document discusses trends in agriculture that have led to unsustainable practices and their negative environmental and human impacts. It defines sustainable agriculture as a system that can produce food indefinitely without causing irreversible environmental damage. Traditional and modern methods are outlined, along with the goals of minimizing impacts while maintaining production levels. Organic farming is distinguished from sustainable practices. Both positive and challenges to politics and economics that can help or hinder sustainable agriculture are presented.
The document discusses sustainable agriculture and its goals. It notes that industrialized farming has led to various negative environmental and social impacts. Sustainable agriculture aims to minimize these impacts while maintaining production levels over the long term. It does this through practices like crop rotation, integrated pest management, and soil and water conservation techniques. While similar to organic farming, sustainable agriculture does not necessarily exclude all synthetic inputs.
This document discusses climate smart agriculture (CSA) techniques to increase food security amidst climate change. It notes that agricultural production must increase 70% by 2050 to feed the growing global population. Climate change is reducing yields and CSA aims to sustainably increase productivity and resilience. CSA techniques include altered planting times, crop diversification, water conservation methods, and sustainable land management practices like mulching and agroforestry. The document concludes CSA is needed to address food security and climate change by increasing food production sustainably while reducing emissions and improving resilience.
What is sustainable agriculture ppt Presentation by Allah Dad Khan Mr.Allah Dad Khan
1. The document discusses sustainable agriculture and defines it as a farming system that mimics natural ecosystems by being profitable, environmentally friendly, and supporting communities.
2. Key aspects of sustainable agriculture include diversification of crops and livestock, applying organic matter to soils, using cover crops and crop rotations, and direct marketing to consumers.
3. The goals of sustainable agriculture are to provide secure livelihoods for farmers and rural communities, ensure access to healthy food for all, and preserve environmental resources like soil and water quality.
The document discusses innovations needed for a sustainable agricultural future given challenges like food insecurity, rising food prices, and climate change. It outlines both successes and problems of current agriculture systems. Precision farming is highlighted as an innovation using GPS, sensors and software to optimize crop yields while minimizing inputs. The use of mycorrhiza fungus is also discussed as helping plants absorb nutrients and re-energizing soil. The document concludes innovation must continue to address agricultural problems without creating new issues.
AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEM AND THER OUTLINE.pptxAfra Jamal
This presentation involves with the ecosystem of agriculture and their properties, components, types, outline, threats, conservation, genetically modified crops and their impacts
Chapter 3 reword1. In what ways does industrialized farming affe.docxwalterl4
Chapter 3 reword
1. In what ways does industrialized farming affect ecological integrity?
Answer: As American agriculture has become more industrial, it has become increasingly dependent on fossil energy and other finite natural resources. The total food system currently claims about twenty-percent of all fossil energy used in the U.S., with farming accounting for about one-third of the total percentage. In fact, our industrial food system requires about ten calories of fossil energy for every calorie of food energy produced. Supplies of fossil energy are finite, and there is a growing consensus that fossil energy in the future will be far less plentiful and costlier.
Pollution represents negative energy, in that it destroys the usefulness of other energy resources or requires energy to mitigate its negative impacts. Industrial agriculture pollutes the air, water, and soil with toxic agrochemicals and livestock manure. It is a major source of pollution, accounting for more than twenty-percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, even more than transportation. In fact, agriculture has become the number one nonpoint source of pollution in the U.S., creating huge dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico. An industrial agriculture is not ecologically sustainable.
Industrial agriculture also is a significant contributor to the depletion of social energy. Farm workers today are among the lowest paid workers in the U.S., while working under dangerous and disagreeable conditions, most without adequate health care or other fringe benefits. A growing reliance on migrant farm workers also creates cultural and political conflicts, particularly in times when good paying jobs are few. Many farm families fare little better, as independent farmers are periodically forced out of business to make room for further corporate consolidation. Therefore, rural communities in agricultural areas have suffered decades of economic and social decline and decay.
2. The concept of ecosystem services is gaining increasing recognition. What are some of the most important ecosystem services provided by agriculture? To what extent do you think a threatened loss of ecosystem services can drive change in policy and practice? Why?
Answer: Ecosystem services are defined as “the benefits provided by ecosystems to humans”. Many key ecosystem services provided by biodiversity, such as nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, pest regulation and pollination, sustain agricultural productivity. Promoting the healthy functioning of ecosystems ensures the resilience of agriculture as it intensifies to meet growing demands for food production. Climate change and other stresses have the potential to make major impacts on key functions, such as pollination and pest regulation services. Learning to strengthen the ecosystem linkages that promote resilience and to mitigate the forces that impede the ability of agro-ecosystems to deliver goods and services remains an important challenge..
The document discusses climate smart agriculture as an approach to sustainable development. It describes how climate smart agriculture seeks to preserve natural resources, transition agricultural production systems, enhance food security, mitigate climate change, increase productivity, use inputs efficiently, and increase resilience. It provides examples of climate smart agriculture practices and technologies adopted, as well as challenges and recommendations for the future approach.
Sustainability is the future of world livestock.docxfeed arshine
1. The document discusses the future of sustainable livestock production. It argues that silvopastoral systems, which integrate trees, shrubs, and pasture plants to feed livestock, can provide more efficient feed conversion, higher biodiversity, better animal welfare, and replace unsustainable systems.
2. It then provides details on silvopastoral systems used in various countries. Systems that plant fodder trees and shrubs like Leucaena leucocephala alongside pasture grasses have been shown to increase milk production, dry matter, and protein available to cattle compared to pasture alone.
3. Soil structure and earthworm populations are better maintained in silvopastoral
Around 70% of producers (farmers, tribals on forest land etc.) population in India comes under the category of small (19%) and marginal (51%) farmers. These categories of farmers have land holding of around 1 hectare and implementing existing policies to allot Govt. land to them (Booklet no. 434, Agricultural situation in India: ASIS-6). This population is mostly, poor, hungry, malnourished, illiterate, isolated, deep in debt, having lost their knowledge to follow their agro-ecology, having fallen into global investment in the market oriented development research, with extension focused on adapting and converting to high cost, high risk green revolution/Biotechnologies systems. This is the cause of their distress and the agrarian crisis in India. So, if we want our agriculture to again contribute significantly to the development and growth by becoming sustainable in the long term, we need to assist/facilitate by meeting the needs of the producer community so that they once again follow their producer oriented, low cost, low risk, agro ecology, primarily to meet their nutrition, food and cash requirements as this is the target population (mostly women and youth) that has capabilities and if given proper resources to develop their capacities
One hectare feasibility study with forwardRitesh Karnik
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Renewable Energy and Agriculture: A Partnership for Sustainable DevelopmentIJMERJOURNAL
ABSTARCT: Agriculture is the sole provider of human food. Most farms machines are driven by fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and in turn, accelerate climate change. Such environmental damage can be mitigated by the promotion of renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, biomass, small hydro, and biofuels. These renewable resources have a huge potential for agriculture industry. The concept of sustainable agriculture lies on a delicate balance of maximizing crop productivity and maintaining economic stability, while minimizing the utilization of finite natural resources and detrimental environmental impacts. Sustainable agriculture also depends on replenishing the soil while minimizing the use of non-renewable resources, such as natural gas, which is used in converting atmospheric nitrogen into synthetic fertilizer and mineral ores, e.g phosphate or fossil fuel used in diesel generator for water pumping for irrigation.Hence, there is a need for promoting use of renewable energy systems for sustainable agriculture e.g solar photovoltaic water pumps and electricity, greenhouse technologies, solar dryers for post harvest processing and solar hot water heaters. In remote agricultural lands, the underground submersible solar photovoltaic water pump is economically viable and also an environmentally friendly option as compared with a diesel generator set. This article details the role of renewable energy in farming by connecting all aspects of environment, societal change and ecology
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1. Agriculture sustainability and food security is our insurance policy for future development
By the year 2025, %83 of the expected global population of 8.5 billion will be living in developing countries. Yet the capacity of available resources and technologies to satisfy the demands of this growing population for food and other agricultural commodities remains uncertain. Agriculture has to meet this challenge, mainly by increasing production on land already in use and by avoiding further encroachment on land that is only marginally suitable for cultivation. By 2025 about 925 Million hungry this number will increase up to 2 Billion hungry people on 2050. (Source: UN sustainable development)
These data must not only worries us but also it must fuel our motivations and strengthen our commitment in finding new avenues to increase our farming productivity and develop our agricultural systems to be more adoptive and sustainable for our future generations so we can meet the current growing demand of food, and reserve these same resources for our future generation so they can keep up with the continuous growing demand of food for decades to come.
Facts:
Until the Industrial Revolution, the vast majority of the human population labored in agriculture.
As of 2011, the International Labor Organization states that approximately one billion people or over 1/3 of the available work force are labored in agriculture.
By 2050 the world’s population will reach 11 Billion, doubling the food quantities which we do consume nowadays.(Source: International Labor Organization)
Agricultural land (% of land area) in Jordan (Source: World Bank) (2009) %11.5 (2010) %11.3 (2011) %11.3 (2012) %11.7
Population Growth rate in Jordan as of 2013 is %2.2 (source: World Bank)
2. What is sustainable agriculture?
Sustainable agriculture is the system of farming (cultivating land, harvesting and selling farm products), while enhancing wise rural land development in concert with community interests and environmental protection. We must meet the needs of the present without jeopardizing or compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Understanding sustainability.
We must envision the broadest sense; it starts at the individual farm, and ends at the consumer’s table going through the full cycle of the ecosystem (farmers, farmworkers, consumers, policymakers and others). An emphasis on this ecosystem circle allows a larger and more thorough view of the consequences of farming practices on both human communities and the environment. A systematic approach gives us the tools to explore the interconnections between all agents in this ecosystem cycle.
Adopting sustainable agriculture is a process, which will involve all agents of the mentioned above ecosystem, and this transition will require a series of small, realistic steps. By laying out our plan to achieving agricultural sustainability we must consider both the family economics and the farmer’s potential profitability and how we as researchers can influence how fast or how far participants can go in the transition. It is important to realize that each small decision can make a difference and contribute to advancing the entire system further on the "sustainable agriculture continuum." The key to moving forward is the will and commitment to take the next step forward.
It’s important to point out to all agents (participants) in this ecosystem cycle that reaching a sustainable agriculture is our moral duty for the coming generations, and we must magnify the importance of everyone’s role in this system so they can be committed and convinced of the importance of their role in this eco cycle system in achieving our goal of sustainable agriculture system.
How can we do this?
Social awareness campaigns must be carried with total support from the government and legislators and both bodies must be very active in the process of promoting and encouraging the need to adopt the sustainable agriculture system and they must illustrate to the public the pros and cons of converting to this system.
Policy makers must introduce tax incentives to those farmers who begin to adopt the process of sustainable agriculture and increase the taxes on those companies and farmers who are less adoptive to the sustainable agriculture system.
3. Food security and sustainable agriculture;
It’s important to take in consideration the food security in the country/region where we intent to implement our sustainable agriculture system, food security and population growth have to be always present in our plan in converting to sustainable agriculture.
Factors and elements which must be considered to achieve sustainable agriculture
Water, Wildlife, Energy, Air, Soil, diversity, Inputs use, management & planning, animal selection, animal nutrition, reproduction, herds health, grazing, and confined livestock production.
Water:
How can we preserve our water resources and water quality while doing intensive farming to meet the market demand? How can we deal, treat and solve the salinization and contamination of ground and surface waters by pesticides, nitrates and selenium? Farmers do realize the severely negative effect of salinity on the quality and quantity of their crops and produce. Salinity has become a problem for farmers wherever water of even relatively low salt content is used on shallow soils in arid regions and/or where the water table is near the root zone of crops. Temporary solutions include the use of salt-tolerant crops, low-volume irrigation, and various management techniques to minimize the effects of salts on crops. In the long-run, unfortunately, some farmland may need to be a banded and or removed from production, or converted to other uses which can include the conversion of row crop land to production of drought-tolerant forages, the restoration of wildlife habitat or the use of agroforestry to minimize the impacts of salinity and high water tables and we must adopt the reduction of using Pesticide and nitrate which can contaminate the water and use different topsoil-friendly practices while farming.
Soil: According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Soil erosion continues to be one of the most serious threats to our continued ability to continue producing adequate food to meet our market demand. . Temporary solution can include developing practices to keep soil in place, which include reducing or eliminating tillage, managing irrigation to reduce runoff, and keeping the soil covered with plants or mulch.
Air: Agricultural activities can affect air quality. The poor air quality can come from the smoke from agricultural burning; dust from tillage, traffic and harvest, pesticide drift from spraying, and nitrous oxide emissions from and the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Temporary solution include incorporating crop residue into the soil, using appropriate levels of tillage, and planting wind breaks, cover crops or strips of native perennial grasses to reduce dust.
4. Energy: The WFO (World’s Farmer Organization) have lately debated the relationship between renewable energy and sustainable agriculture and they have concluded that both sectors can deeply and intensively cooperate with each other, since they both do share the same goals of saving our environment and making our future planet earth a better place for our future generations to live on. Modern agriculture is heavily dependent on non-renewable energy sources, especially fusel fuel. The continued use of these energy sources cannot be sustained indefinitely, yet to abruptly abandon our reliance on them would be economically catastrophic. However, a sudden cutoff in energy supply would be equally disruptive. Temporary solution, we must reduce our reliance on non-renewable energy sources such as fusel fuel, and substitute it with renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind power and thermo power, and return to the use of more human labor to the extent that is economically feasible.
Wildlife.
Agriculture can affects water resources through the destruction of natural habitats when constructing new farmlands. The conversion of wild habitat to agricultural land can reduces fish and wildlife through erosion and sedimentation, the effects of pesticides, removal of riparian plants, and the diversion of water. Temporary solution can include maintaining the plant diversity in and around both riparian and agricultural in order to support a diversity of wildlife. This diversity will enhance natural ecosystems and could aid in agricultural pest management.
Other factors or methods to be considered while approaching and planning for sustainable agriculture.
Crop diversity: Diversified farms are usually more economically and ecologically resilient. While monoculture farming has advantages in terms of efficiency and ease of management, the loss of the crop in any one year could put a farm out of business and/or seriously disrupt the stability of a community dependent on that crop. By growing a variety of crops, farmers spread economic risk and are less susceptible to the radical price fluctuations associated with changes in supply and demand. Temporally solution is adopting Optimum diversity which can be obtained by integrating both crops and livestock in the same farming operation. This was the common practice for centuries until the mid- 1900s when technology, government policy and economics compelled farms to become more specialized. Mixed crop and livestock operations have several advantages. First, growing row crops only on more level land and pasture or forages on steeper slopes will reduce soil erosion. Second, pasture and forage crops in rotation enhance soil quality and reduce erosion; livestock manure, in turn, contributes to soil fertility. Third, livestock can buffer the negative impacts of low rainfall periods by consuming crop residue that in "plant only" systems would have been considered crop failures. Finally, feeding and marketing are flexible in animal production systems. This can help cushion farmers against trade and price fluctuations and, in conjunction with cropping operations, make more efficient use of farm labor.
5. Soil management: Healthy soil will produce healthy crop plants that have optimum vigor and are less susceptible to pests. While many crops have key pests that attack even the healthiest of plants, proper soil, water and nutrient management can help prevent some pest problems brought on by crop stress or nutrient imbalance. Furthermore, crop management systems that impair soil quality often result in greater inputs of water, nutrients, pesticides, and/or energy for tillage to maintain yields.
Temporally solution can be achieved by using cover crops, compost and/or manures, reducing tillage, avoiding traffic on wet soils, and maintaining soil cover with plants and/or mulches. Conditions in most Jordanian soils (warm, irrigated, and tilled) do not favor the buildup of organic matter. Regular additions of organic matter or the use of cover crops can increase soil aggregate stability, soil tilth, and diversity of soil microbial life.
Inputs use: Many inputs and practices used by conventional farmers also can be used in sustainable agriculture. Sustainable farming, however, do maximize reliance on natural, renewable, and on-farm inputs. Equally important are the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a particular strategy. Converting to sustainable practices does not mean simple input substitution. Frequently, it substitutes enhanced management and scientific knowledge for conventional inputs, especially chemical inputs that harm the environment on farms and in rural communities. Temporally solution by focusing on developing efficient, biological systems which do not need high levels of material inputs.
Animal Production Practices:
Most farms used to integrate both crop and livestock operations. In fact, the two were highly complementary both biologically and economically. However the current picture has changed quite drastically. Crop and animal producers are still dependent on one another to some degree, but the integration now most commonly takes place at a higher level--between farmers, through intermediaries, rather than within the farm itself. This is the result of a trend toward separation and specialization of crop and animal production systems. Even with the growing specialization of livestock and crop producers, many of the principles outlined in the crop production do apply to both groups. The actual management practices will be quite different. Temporally solution, good management planning, Including livestock in the farming. Stock mobility, daily feeding, health concerns, breeding operations, seasonal feed and forage sources, and complex marketing are sources of worries. Therefore, a successful farm plan should include enterprise calendars of operations, stock flows, forage flows, labor needs, herd production records and land use plans to give the manager control and a means of monitoring progress toward goals.
6. Animal Selection: Animal selection must be appropriate for the farm’s resources, farm capabilities and constraints such as feed and forage sources, landscape, climate and skill of the manager must be considered in selecting which animals to produce. There is a wide range of breeds available in each of the major ruminant species, i.e., cattle, sheep and goats. Animal nutrition, Feed costs are the largest single variable cost in any livestock operation. While most of the feed may come from other enterprises on the farm, some purchased feed is usually imported from off the farm. Feed costs can be kept to a minimum by monitoring animal condition and performance and understanding seasonal variations in feed and forage quality on the farm. Determining the optimal use of farm- generated by-products is an important challenge of diversified farming. Reproduction, use of quality germplasm to improve herd performance is another key to sustainability. In combination with good genetic stock, adapting the reproduction season to fit the climate and sources of feed and forage reduce health problems and feed costs. Herds health, animal health greatly influences reproductive success and weight gains, two key aspects of successful livestock production. Unhealthy stock waste feed requires additional labor. A herd health program is critical to sustainable livestock production. Grazing Management, most adverse environmental impacts associated with grazing can be prevented or mitigated with proper grazing management. First, the number of stock per unit area (stocking rate) must be correct for the landscape and the forage sources. There will need to be compromises between the convenience of tilling large, unfenced fields and the fencing needs of livestock operations. Use of modern, temporary fencing may provide one practical solution to this dilemma. Second, the long term carrying capacity and the stocking rate must take into account short and long-term droughts. Especially in Mediterranean climates such as in Jordan, properly managed grazing significantly reduces fire hazards by reducing fuel build-up in grasslands and brush lands. Finally, the manager must achieve sufficient control to reduce overuse in some areas while other areas go unused. Prolonged concentration of stock that results in permanent loss of vegetative cover on uplands or in riparian zones should be avoided. However, small scale loss of vegetative cover around water or feed troughs may be tolerated if surrounding vegetative cover is adequate. Confined Livestock Production, animal health and waste management are key issues in confined livestock operations. The moral and ethical debate taking place today regarding animal welfare is particularly intense for confined livestock production systems. Confinement livestock production is increasingly a source of surface and ground water pollutants, particularly where there are large numbers of animals per unit area. Expensive waste management facilities are now a necessary cost of confined production systems. Waste is a problem of almost all operations and must be managed with respect to both the environment and the quality of life in nearby communities.
7. The Economic, Social & Political Context
Having strategies for preserving natural resources and changing production practices, sustainable agriculture requires a commitment to changing public policies, economic institutions, and social values. New strategies must take into account the complex, reciprocal and ever-changing relationship between agricultural production and the broader society. The sustainable agriculture system extends far beyond the farm and involves the interaction of individuals and institutions with contrasting and often competing goals including farmers, researchers, input suppliers, farmworkers, unions, farm advisors, processors, retailers, consumers, and policymakers. Relationships among these actors/agents shift over time as new technologies spawn economic, social and political changes. Therefore, a wide diversity of strategies and approaches are necessary to create a more sustainable food system. Temporally solution to concentrate on efforts to alter specific policies or practices, to the longer-term tasks of reforming key institutions, rethinking economic priorities, and challenging widely-held social values.
Food and agricultural policies: Existing government policies often impede the goals of sustainable agriculture. New policies are needed to simultaneously promote environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. For example, commodity and price support programs could be restructured to allow farmers to realize the full benefits of the productivity gains made possible through alternative practices. Tax and credit policies could be modified to encourage a diverse and decentralized system of family farms rather than corporate concentration and absentee ownership. Government and land grant, and universities research policies could be modified to emphasize the development of sustainable alternatives. Marketing orders and cosmetic standards could be amended to encourage reduced pesticide use. Coalitions must be created to address these policy concerns at the local, regional, and national level.
8. Land use: Conversion of agricultural land to urban uses is a particular concern in Jordan, as rapid growth and escalating land values threaten farming on prime soils. Existing farmland conversion patterns often discourage farmers from adopting sustainable practices and a long-term perspective on the value of land. At the same time, the close proximity of newly developed residential areas to farms is increasing the public demand for environmentally safe farming practices. Temporally solution, by studying a comprehensive new policies to protect prime soils and regulate development is needed, particularly in Jordan Valley, helping farmers to adopt practices that reduce chemical use and conserve scarce resources, sustainable agriculture research and education can play a key role in building public support for agricultural land preservation. Educating land use planners and decision-makers about sustainable agriculture is an important priority.
Labor: In Jordan, the conditions of agricultural labor are generally far below accepted social standards. Policies and programs are needed to address this problem, working toward socially just and safe employment that provides adequate wages, working conditions, health benefits, and chances for economic stability. The needs of migrant labor for year-around employment and adequate housing are a particularly crucial problem needing immediate attention. To be more sustainable over the long-term, labor must be acknowledged and supported by government policies, recognized as important constituents of land grant universities, and carefully considered when assessing the impacts of new technologies and practices.
Rural Community Development: Rural communities in Jordan are currently characterized by economic and environmental deterioration. Many are among the poorest locations in the Middle East. Therefore, sustainable agriculture presents an opportunity to rethink the importance of family farms and rural communities. Economic development policies are needed to encourage more diversified agricultural production on family farms as a foundation for healthy economies in rural communities. In combination with other strategies, sustainable agriculture practices and policies can help foster community institutions that meet employment, educational, health, cultural and spiritual needs.
Consumer awareness and the Food System: Consumers can play a critical role in creating a sustainable food system; they can send strong messages to producers, retailers and others through their purchases. Food cost and nutritional quality have always influenced consumer choices. The challenge now is to find strategies that broaden consumer perspectives, so that environmental quality, resources usage, and social equity issues are also considered in shopping decisions. At the same time, new policies and institution involvement must be created to enable producers using sustainable practices to market their goods to a wider public. Organized coalition around improving the food system is one specific method of creating a dialogue among consumers, retailers, producers and others.