Photograph by Louis Daria, Your Shot
Sustainable agriculture takes many forms, but at its core is a
rejection of the industrial approach to food production developed during
the 20th century.
This system, with its reliance on monoculture,
mechanization, chemical pesticides and fertilizers, biotechnology, and
government subsidies, has made food abundant and affordable. However,
the ecological and social price has been steep: erosion; depleted and
contaminated soil and water resources; loss of biodiversity;
deforestation; labor abuses; and the decline of the family farm.
The
concept of sustainable agriculture embraces a wide range of techniques,
including organic, free-range, low-input, holistic, and biodynamic.
The
common thread among these methods is an embrace of farming practices
that mimic natural ecological processes. Farmers minimize tilling and
water use; encourage healthy soil by planting fields with different
crops year after year and integrating croplands with livestock grazing;
and avoid pesticide use by nurturing the presence of organisms that
control crop-destroying pests.
Beyond growing food, the philosophy
of sustainability also espouses broader principles that support the
just treatment of farm workers and food pricing that provides the farmer
with a livable income.
Critics of sustainable agriculture claim,
among other things, that its methods result in lower crop yields and
higher land use. They add that a wholesale commitment to its practices
will mean inevitable food shortages for a world population expected to
exceed 8 billion by the year 2030. There's recent evidence, though,
suggesting that over time, sustainably farmed lands can be as productive
as conventional industrial farms.
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