Environmental, Economic and Social Aspects of Sustainable Agriculture in American Land Grant Universities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Agricultural sustainability is challenging ‘conventional’ or ‘mainstream’ agriculture as the dominant organizing paradigm for teaching research, and outreach in American land grant universities. However, not all faculty members subscribe to the tenets of sustainable agriculture. This paper examines how a sample of faculty members from all land grant universities in the U.S. view sustainable agriculture. Results show that, in the minds of agricultural academics, agricultural sustainability is closely aligned with enhancing environmental quality. It is less closely tied, for them, to increasing profitability for farmers or with improving the quality of life in rural areas. Results vary by academic discipline and by personal background characteristics.