Industrialized farming is often seen as the most cost-effective way to supply food. However, it incurs hidden costs that society must pay, including pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and the loss of wildlife. According to the United Nations, industrialized farming costs economies around the world about $3 trillion every year.
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Sustainable agriculture, or eco-friendly farming, is a movement that aims to minimize and ideally avoid the environmental and societal costs of industrialized farming.
An Overview of Sustainable Agriculture
Regulations in the United States describe sustainable agriculture as an integrated system of animal and plant production practices that has long-term goals regarding:
- Meeting the demand for food products
- Supporting and enhancing natural resources related to agriculture
- Optimizing the use of resources, using natural systems where appropriate
- Sustaining the economic viability of agriculture
- Improving the quality of life for agricultural workers and society writ large
Everyone, from farmers and growers to consumers and waste managers, can play a role in making agriculture more sustainable. Farmers can use crop rotation techniques and minimize their water use while consumers can prioritize products made using sustainable farming techniques.
Innovation is a big part of sustainable agriculture. Scientists from various disciplines — including biology, chemistry, engineering, and economics — continually work together to develop more sustainable agricultural systems. Innovation often manifests as precision agriculture techniques that increase production without incurring unnecessary costs.
Techniques and Practices in Sustainable Agriculture
Eco-friendly farming techniques combine cutting-edge innovation with long-lost regenerative farming practices used by native people trying to live in harmony with their surroundings.
Crop rotation
Crop rotation, widely used before the adoption of chemical fertilizers, involves planting different kinds of crops in a particular sequence. This sustainable technique offers many benefits, from preventing soil erosion to combatting diseases.
Modern firms are finding success through the adoption of crop rotation techniques. Technological advancements and research have taken the practice to new levels. The ongoing collection of crop rotation data will allow for the continuous improvement of this technique.
Smart irrigation
Commercial agriculture requires significant amounts of water, and industrial irrigation has all kinds of negative impacts on the environment. In addition to planting crop species requiring less water, sustainable farms minimize water use using smart irrigation practices. For example, drip irrigation is a kind of precision agriculture that uses 20 to 40% less water while producing 20 to 50% more yield.
Cover crops
Instead of being cultivated as a food source, cover crops are grown off-season to protect growing fields from soil erosion and the build-up of organic matter. Cover crops have also been used to reduce weeds, retain soil moisture, and support pollinator populations.
Integrated pest management
Instead of chemical agents, integrated pest management uses biological measures to target pest species for eradication while minimizing harm to humans and the environment. For example, ladybugs have been used to keep the aphid population under control, while poultry is known to prey on a wide range of agricultural pests.
Scientific and Technological Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture is a significant area of interest for research scientists. While some innovations specifically focus on increasing yield or minimizing environmental damage, others focus on less technical areas.
In one recent study, scientists analyzed the potential for using mobile device crop rotation software for small and subsidiary farms in the developing world. The researchers noted that many features of crop rotation software could be used without an internet connection, but calculations for specific plans would require a connection. The researchers also noted that more regional data is necessary to develop specific regional applications or applications that could be used worldwide.
In another recent study, researchers described how bacterial and fungal inoculants could have a range of sustainable uses, including for pest control or as fertilizer alternatives. While growers have experienced anecdotal success using microbial inoculants, the study team called for an extensive analysis of emerging inoculant products in various soil and growing conditions.
Challenges and Criticisms of Sustainable Agriculture
Several major challenges stand in the way of the transition from conventional to sustainable agriculture. These challenges include:
- Maintaining yields: Research has shown that transitioning to sustainable agricultural practices will decrease yields.
- Nitrogen demands: Sustainable agriculture has difficulty addressing the amount of nitrogen necessary to cultivate commercial crops. While the cultivation of nitrogen-fixing legumes can help address this problem, growing these crops implies less area for primary crops.
- Land needs: If eco-friendly farming produces lower yields and requires nitrogen-fixing plants, sustainable farms will require more land than conventional firms to generate the same product.
- Dietary changes: To make agriculture more sustainable, the demand for animal products must be decreased because raising poultry and livestock is resource-intensive.
- Food waste: The agricultural industries in developed countries produce significant levels of food waste because excessive production levels are used to control market prices.
- Access to food: Many populations, even in developed countries, have difficulty accessing food.
- Climate change: Climate-resilient crops and other measures must be developed to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
While technical innovation can help address some of these challenges, issues like dietary changes and food waste will require significant shifts in attitudes and buying practices across societies.
Sustainable Farming Case Studies
Bec-Hellouin is a farm in France designed as a ‘mini-forest garden’ with a tiered system that includes a canopy, shrub layer, and ground cover.
With about 4.4 acres of land, the forest farm produces approximately 800 varieties of fruit, vegetables, and herbs. A firm study performed between 2011 and 2015 found that Bec-Hellouin could produce the same or more than a conventional farm on the same plot of land.
Ridgedale Farm AB in Sweden is an educational farm focused on cultivating the next generation of farmers who use sustainable practices. Students learn about the farm’s permaculture design, regenerative farming practices, agroforestry, pasture-raised livestock, and poultry processing facility.
Future Outlook
Sustainable agriculture is about more than innovation and techniques. It is a long-term process that attempts to negotiate competing interests to create an agricultural system that benefits society and the environment.
As researchers continue to make sustainable agriculture more practical, the general public must consider the costs of industrialized farming and consider more sustainable approaches.
Continue Reading: An Overview of Sustainable Fertilizer Developments
References and Further Reading
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program. (Retrieved 2024 November 25). What is Sustainable Agriculture? | Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program. https://sarep.ucdavis.edu/sustainable-ag
Schöning, J. et al. (2023 February). Crop rotation and management tools for every farmer?: The current status on crop rotation and management tools for enabling sustainable agriculture worldwide. Smart Agricultural Technology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277237552200051X
O'Callaghan, M. et al. (2022 April 10). Soil microbial inoculants for sustainable agriculture: Limitations and opportunities. Soil Use and Management. https://bsssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sum.12811
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