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.

1. “…a journey, not a destination”
Allah Dad Khan
July 25th 2009 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 1

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3. 3

4.  1.Available natural resource base, including water, land,
biodiversity ,grazing areas and forest; climate, of which
altitude is one important determinant; landscape,
including slope; farm size, tenure and organization; and
dominant pattern of farm activities and household
livelihoods, including field crops, livestock, trees,
aquaculture, hunting and gathering, processing and off-
farm activities.
 2.Taking into account the main technologies used,
which determine the intensity of production and
integration of crops, livestock and other activities.
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5.  The word "sustain," from the Latin sustinere
(sus-, from below and tenere, to hold), to keep
in existence or maintain, implies long-term
support or permanence.

6.  TheTechnical Advisory Committee of
Consultive Group of International
Agriculture Research ( CGIAR) define
Sustainable Agriculture “ Successful
management of resources for agriculture to
satisfy the changing humans needs while
maintaining or enhancing the quality of the
environment and conserving natural
resources”.
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7.  A farm system that mimics as closely as
 possible the complexity of a healthy and
 natural ecosystem.
 Goals include:
▪ Providing a more profitable farm income.
 Promoting environmental stewardship.
 Promoting stable, prosperous farm
 families and communities.

8.  Reduces inputs.
 Uses ecological pest and weed management
 strategies.
 Cycles nutrients back into the soil for fertility
 and health.
 Strengthens rural and urban communities.
 Produces viable farm income.
 Promotes healthy family and social values.
 Brings the consumer back into agriculture.

9.  “…an integrated system of plant and animal
production practices…that will
▪ satisfy human food and fiber needs
▪ enhance environmental quality
▪ make the most efficient use of
nonrenewable resources
▪ sustain economic viability
▪ enhance quality of life.”
1990 Farm Bill
June 15 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 9

10.  Intercropping, diversity
 and cover cropping
 􀂄 Crop rotation
 􀂄 Farmscaping
 􀂄 Use of
 resistant
 varieties

11.  􀂄 Residue cover protects the soil from wind and
 water erosion.
 􀂄 Allows for greater moisture retention in rainfed
 systems.
 􀂄These systems build soil organic matter over a
 period of years, and reach a higher “steady
 state” level than tilled systems in the same
 environment.

12.  The use of fresh or undecomposed manure in
 agricultural systems is of great benefit to the
 farm.
 􀂄There are variations in nutrient profiles of
 animal manures.
 􀂄 If using raw manure, cannot apply to fields
for
 organic certification less than 120 days before
 harvest.

13.  Use of compost in crop production and grass
 farming is beneficial to build soil organic matter,
 add nutrients to the soil and retain water.
 􀂄 Nutrient contribution of manure-based
 compost is balanced between N-P-K. Have a
 compost nutrient assessment done.
 􀂄 How much compost to apply and timing is
 different on each farm.
 􀂄 Ease and economics of use, local availability
 and costs as well as variability of quality.

14.  Cover crops improve the soil’s physical
 properties with carbon and nitrogen cycling.
 􀂄 Some cover crops actually suppress certain
 parasitic nematodes and soil borne diseases, i.e.
 rye, triticale, mustards.
 􀂄 Cover crops have superb weed suppressing
 effects by competing with weeds for light and
 smothering unwanted plants or through
 allelopathy.
 􀂄 Reduce erosion and attract beneficial bugs.

17.  Provides a secure living for farm families
 Provides a secure living to other workers in
the food system
 Provides access to good food for all
June 15 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 17

18.  Selecting profitable enterprises.
 Sound financial planning.
 Direct marketing.
 Risk management.

19. Preserves
the
quality of
soil,
water,
and air
June 15 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 19

20.  Typical definition looks at physical surrounding (land,
air, water, plants, living /non living organisms etc).
 Contemporary definition, include social, economical and
political components of environment.
 General definition, include institutional frame work,
capacity, investment climate, geopolitical constraints
etc are non physical elements of the environment in
which every ecosystem has to operate and survive
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21. 1. Global warming caused by the greenhouse
effect
2. The depletion of the ozone layer
3. Air pollution
4. Water pollution
5. Groundwater depletion,
6. Chemical pollution
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22.  Sustainable agriculture can be viewed as management
 of a production system where there is a multitude of
 complex interactions occurring between soil, water,
 plants, animals, climate and people.
 􀂄The GOAL is to integrate all these components into a
 solid production system that benefits all participants.
 􀂄 Farms stay environmentally sustainable by mimicking
 natural processes and ecosystem function.
 􀂄 Diversifying our farms with various enterprises, both
 animals and crops, we manage risks a whole lot bet

23.  Energy flow is the pathway of sunlight through a
 biological system.
 In relation to the farm, energy capture is
enhanced by
 maximizing the leaf area available for
photsynthesis
 and by cycling the stored energy through the
food
 chain.
 We make money in farming by capturing
sunlight –
 in essence, we are farming the sun (and the soil).

24. An effective water cycle includes: no soil
erosion, fast water entry into the soil and the
soil’s ability to store water.
Management decisions on the farm that add to
ground cover and soil organic matter only
enhance the natural water cycle.
Effective water use on the farm results in low surface
runoff, low soil surface evaporation, low drought
incidence, low flood incidence, high transpiration by
plants and high seepage of water to underground
reservoirs (Savory and Butterfield, 1999).

26.  In nature, minerals needed for plant and animal
 growth are continuously being recycled
 through the ecosystem.
 An effective mineral cycle is one where there
 is a movement of nutrients from the soil to
 crops and animals and then back to the soil,
 basically a circle of nutrient renewal.
 Ways to enhance this cycle on the farm
 include: on-farm feeding of livestock, careful
 management of manure and crop residues, and
 practices that prevent erosion

28.  A farm will be dynamic and healthy if it has a
 high diversity of plants and animals (above
 ground and below).
 GREATER
 DIVERSITY =
 GREATER
 STABILITY

30.  Good for families
 Supports
communities
 Fair to all involved
June 15 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 30

31.  Buying farm supplies locally rather than from outof-
 state.
 􀂄 Educating your community about sustainable food
 production.
 􀂄 Direct marketing through CSAs and farmers’
 markets builds community and social sustainability.
 􀂄 School tours and farm internships.
 􀂄 Quality of life on the farm for everyone involved
 with clear communication and general happiness
 with farm wor

32.  Goal is to find and adopt "integrated and resource-
efficient
 crop and livestock systems that maintain productivity,
that are
 profitable, and that protect the environment and the
personal
 health of farmers and their families," as well as
"overcoming
 the barriers to adoption of more sustainable
agricultural
 systems so these systems can serve as a foundation
upon
 which rural American communities will be revitalized

33.  Organic farming
 Biodynamic
 Permaculture
 Agroecological Systems
 Low-input

35.  Economic concentration of agribusiness gives
 farmers little power or control over
production,
 marketing and distribution.
 􀂄 Loss of farms --155,000 farms were lost
from
 1987 to 1997 and 30 million acres have been
 lost to development.

36. June 15 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 36
Goals: A desired end
Practices: Actions to achieve a goal

37.  Figure out where you are
 Analyze your strengths and weaknesses
 Select strategies (practices)
 Keep monitoring your progress
 Re-evaluate your goals and plans
June 15 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 37

38. What are the
Strengths
and
Weaknesses
of our current agricultural system?
June 15 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 38

39.  Abundant Food Supply InThe DevelopedWorld
 Fresh Fruits AndVegetables AvailableYear-round
 CHEAP FOOD
 Luxury foods such as coffee, tea, chocolate, and spices
easily available around the world
 Effective food preservation technologies (refrigeration,
freezing, canning, packaging)
 Convenience Foods
 Mechanization Produces High Labor Efficiency
 Improvements In Soil Conservation
 Availability Of Agricultural Inputs For Quick SolutionsTo
Production Problems
June 15 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 39

40.  Continuing soil loss
 Food safety concerns (mad cow disease, food poisoning
outbreaks, antibiotic resistance, toxins and pesticides)
 Water pollution, air pollution (& odors), habitat loss,
water depletion
 Continuing hunger – and rise of obesity
 Failing farms, economic uncertainty and stress
 Declining communities
 Farm accidents, chronic diseases linked to agricultural
chemicals
 Reliance on fossil fuels, global warming
 Farmland loss to development, ugly countryside
 Difficulty of starting in farming
June 15 Toward a SustainableAgriculture 40

41.  1. Increase in per unit yield developing new
crops, vegetables, fruits varieties and
livestock breeds .
 2. IPM measures should be launched .
 3. Farmer’s education and awareness .
 4. Crop rotation is needed to minimize the
adverse affects of insects .
 5.Drought resistance / tolerant crop
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42.  6. Diversification of crops, economic use of
water resources .
 7. Establishment of food processing units and
cold storages .
 8. Development and improvement of
indigenous breed of buffaloes,
 9. Implementation of legislation relating to
use of pesticides, fertilizers and veterinary
drugs.
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43.  10.WTO cell establishment and then creating
awareness
 11.Soil and water conservation.
 12.Laser leveling.
 13.No till practices.
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44.  To achieve the goal of sustainable agriculture
all the stake holders including farmers ,policy
makers, extension agents, environmental
agents, researchers, play their own part ,their
own unique contribution in strengthening the
sustainable agriculture community.
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45.  Is the present era ofWTO regulated
regulations, namelyTRIPS,SPS etc, the
agriculture productivity tools have
significantly changed .To keep pace with the
changing environment ,agriculture sector
needs to be reorganized on sustainable lines.
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46.  Agriculture has a potential to make world
greener and its judicious development can
conserve the resources, therefore policies
and practices which regulate inputs use and
conserve nature should be promoted
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