Definitions Of Sustainable Agriculture Research Articles

Sustainable Agricultural Development In Indonesia (Article Review)

ABSTRACTThe definition of sustainable agriculture is the successful management of resources for agricultural enterprises to meet changing human needs while maintaining or improving environmental quality and conserving natural resources. The true meaning of sustainable agriculture is one that is economically sustainable which is achieved by: less energy use, minimal ecological footprint, less packaged goods, widespread local purchasing with shorter food supply chains, less processed foodstuffs, community gardens and gardens more houses, and so on Sustainable agriculture relies heavily on returning nutrients to the soil by minimizing the use of non-renewable natural resources such as natural gas (which is used as a feedstock for fertilizers) and minerals (such as phosphates). The most important factors in the utilization of natural resources in a land are soil, sunlight, air, and water.Sustainable agriculture is the implementation of the concept of sustainable development in the agricultural sector. The concept of sustainable agriculture is based on three pillars: economic, social, and ecological.Keywords: Development, Agricultural, Sustainable

Quantitative assessment of agricultural sustainability reveals divergent priorities among nations

<h2>Summary</h2> Agriculture is fundamental to all three pillars of sustainability, environment, society, and economy. However, the definition of sustainable agriculture and the capacities to measure it remain elusive. Independent and transparent measurements of national sustainability are needed to gauge progress, encourage accountability, and inform policy. Here, we developed a Sustainable Agriculture Matrix (SAM) to quantify national performance indicators in agriculture and to investigate the trade-offs and synergies based on historical data for most countries of the world. The results reveal priority areas for improvement by each country and show that the trade-offs and synergies among indicators often differ. Exceptions to common economic-versus-environmental trade-offs, for example, offer opportunities to learn from countries with synergistic pathways for multiple sustainability indicators. These SAM indicators will improve as data become more available, but this version offers a useful starting point for evaluating progress, identifying priorities for improvement, and informing national policies and actions toward sustainable agriculture.

ORGANIC FARMING FOR CROP IMPROVEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN THE ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Sustainable development has caught the imagination and action of the world for more than a decade. Sustainable agriculture is necessary to attain the goal of sustainable development. According to the F ood and Agriculture Organization (FAO), sustainable agr iculture is the successful management of resources to satisfy the changing human needs while maintaining or enhancing the quality of environment and conserving natural resources. All definitions of su stainable agriculture lay great emphasis on maintai ning an agricultural growth rate, which can meet the demand for food of all living beings without draining the basic resources towards crop improvement. Organic farming is one of the several approaches found to meet the objectives of sustainable agriculture. Most of the techniques used in organic farming like intercropping, mulching and integration of crops and liv estock are not alien to agriculture systems including the traditional agricultural practices. H owever, organic farming is based on various laws an d certification programmes, which prohibit the use of almost all synthetic inputs and the central theme of this method is the health of soil. The adverse effe cts of modern agricultural practices on the farm an d also on the health of living beings and thus on the environment has been well documented all over the world. Application of technology, particularly the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides all arou nd us has persuaded people to think aloud. As a result of global climatic changes, their negative effects on the environment are manifested through soil erosion , water shortages, salination, soil contamination, genetic erosion, Organic farming is one of the wide ly used methods, which is thought as the best alternative to avoid the ill effects of chemical fa rming. It also has far more advantages over the conventional and other modern agricultural practice s that are available today.

The Sustainability of Agriculture in a Northern Industrialized Country—From Controlling Nature to Rural Development

The concept of sustainability has been a part of theory and practice in agriculture for a long time, but the diverse roots of the concept have led to a number of different definitions of sustainable agriculture. This paper provides an overview of the policy development of sustainable agriculture in Finland by examining internal and external discourses of sustainability and the evolution in different dimensions of sustainability. We show that the debate on sustainability within European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy and Finnish agri-environmental policy are reflected in attempts to implement and monitor sustainability in agriculture in Finland. However, indicators suggest a largely non-sustainable condition. This has contributed to a shift in policy objectives from sustainable agriculture to sustainable rural development, especially in the EU context. As there are commonly trade-offs between the economic, ecological and social dimensions of sustainable development, future developments in sustainable agriculture will inevitably be characterized by continuous redefinitions of problems, paradigm revisions and reassessments of actions already taken.

Agricultural Extension Ideologies and the Quest for A Sustainable Agriculture: Some Thoughts and Speculations

This paper makes an attempt at reviewing agricultural extension ideologies or perspectives and their influence on stakeholder’s world-view in relation to sustainable agriculture. Specifically, the paper brings together several perspectives that have been suggested to encourage farmers to do things differently in the interest of a sustainable agricultural industry. Judging from the amount of resources spent on agricultural extension by developing countries, one comes to the conclusion that it is considered to be very important. There have been numerous attempts to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of agricultural extension worldwide, hence the perspectives described and discussed in the paper are but a drop in the bucket full of perspectives. The common factor among all the extension perspectives is the desire to bring about a productive agriculture today and tomorrow, which in essence, is the writer’s simple definition of sustainable agriculture. The perspectives discussed embrace both hard and soft systems. The transfer of technology (TOT) and the earlier farming systems perspectives are discussed as examples of hard system perspectives. In the group of soft systems, the paper discusses the actor oriented perspective, the network perspective, the agricultural knowledge information perspective (AKIS) or simply the knowledge information system perspective (KIS) and the rapid appraisal of agricultural knowledge system (RAAKS) perspective (which is an offshoot of AKIS). The paper concludes by pointing out that this multiplicity of perspectives (ideologies) may bring confusion to the technology developer, disseminator and user. But so long as the perspectives increase understanding about how people develop their world views in the area of agricultural development, they are worth the effort. This is especially crucial to such an important theme as agricultural sustainability. How do we bring about rapid adoption by farmers and others, technologies that ensure the sustainability of the industry through the agency of agricultural extension? The perspectives described and discussed in the paper attempt to answer this precise question. The problems associated with ‘the tragedy of the commons’ (despite claims to the contrary) are all real to us all. Overgrazing, deforestation, forest and range fires, cultivation down steep slopes, disregard of laws protecting catchment areas, over-dependence on chemicals in agriculture, are some of the problems that have attracted a lot of scientific and political attention, for a long time. The results of agricultural extension and research are quite often not commensurate with the effort expended, when measured against various criteria of agricultural success including sustainability. Therefore, this paper’s small contribution is to get agricultural scientists, extension practitioners and other stakeholders thinking more deeply as to “why we continue to get low production and productivity responses from the majority of small farmers in developing countries despite considerable efforts on the part of technology producers and disseminators to improve the sector’s performance? Why do we continue to experience degradation of the land resource despite our efforts”? These are vexing questions that will continue to exercise our minds in the 21st century as they did in the 20th century.

Building diverse community networks for sustainable food systems: Guiding philosophies of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

AbstractThe Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) is a grassroots organization that facilitates the exchange of sustainable farming practices among its members, creates marketing opportunities for local farmers, and promotes consumer awareness and support for sustainable agriculture. Interviews with PASA's board members and staff, content analyses of PASA's literature, and a mail survey and spatial analysis of PASA's members—who include both farmers and members who do not farm—were used to examine members' characteristics, why they value being members, and the philosophies and strategies that guide the organization's successes. Results indicate that by embracing a broad definition of sustainable agriculture, PASA promotes profitable and environmentally sound farming practices to a diversity of farmers. Networking with a broad cross-section of local and regional organizations and institutions has enabled PASA to use the expertise of community leaders and share fundraising to develop marketing opportunities for farmers. Linking sustainable agriculture with priorities of community economic development has brought farmers to urban planning tables, increased inner city access to fresh, local food, and increased the economic viability of local farmers. PASA's experiences exemplify the opportunities and tensions involved with networking with mainstream institutions to gain greater support for the sustainable agriculture community. PASA provides one model of how sustainable agriculture organizations can play an integral role in supporting sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable Agriculture in the Middle Eastern Context: Why Prevailing Models Won't Work

Contemporary agricultural literature is replete with definitions of sustainable agriculture. These definitions share a concern for the preservation of the natural resource base in order to maintain productivity at a rate that conforms with the needs of an increasing world population. A number of models have been suggested for the accomplishment of this endeavor. These usually entail action for change at the human, policy, political, infrastructural, institutional, economic and technological levels (Rukuni 1994). Sub-models outline, in turn, the framework for change in each of these sectors. The specific case of technology development and use is particularly critical for sustainable agriculture, as technology may be perceived simultaneously as resource damaging and resource enhancing. The technologies associated with the Green Revolution and the ensuing environmental and socio-economic outcomes provide a case in point (Darlymple 1986; Ninan and Chandrashekar 1992). The dominant paradigms for technology transfer, development, and use have been around since the early 1980s. A number of volumes treating this issue, directly or indirectly, have been published in the early 1990s, both in the United States and in Western Europe (for instance, see contributions in Edwards et al. 1990 and in Vosti, Reardon, and von Urff 1991). One common theme of the prevailing literature is that sustainable agriculture (and related technological adaptations) requires cooperation between five major players. These are: the public sector, the industrial sector, the farm sector, the small-scale commercial sector, and non-governmental organizations (NGO). This approach was crystallized by Harwood (1996) in a model of successful technology development and use for enhancing agricultural sustainability, which represents the mainstream thinking on the matter. The following roles are allocated to each of the players:

Sustainability: A View From The Paddock

ABSTRACTSome global organisations and many national governments have adopted formal descriptions of sustainability, despite its elusive meaning. In most instances, the responsibility for the implementation of sustainability is placed firmly on the land‐user. In New Zealand, this is within the context of regional and district plans that are a requirement of the national legislation governing resource management, the Resource Management Act (RMA). In this paper, we analyse various ‘official’ interpretations of sustainability prior to examining Northland farmers' definitions of sustainable agriculture, their views on a hypothetical subsidy for environmental projects on their farms and the impact of the RMA. Economic factors and the maintenance of agricultural productivity remain paramount considerations; many environmental projects are undertaken but provision of a subsidy would make little difference because of existing financial and time constraints; and the RMA has thus far affected only one quarter of respondents.

Grazing Management: Technology for Sustaining Rangeland Ecosystems?

This paper examines the ecological, economic, and social aspects of grazing management technology as it relates to sustaining rangeland ecosystems. We adopt FAO's definition of sustainable agriculture, that is, 'The management and conservation of the resource base and the orientation of technological and institutional changes in such a manner as to insure the attainment and continued satisfaction of human needs for present and future generations. Such sustainable development is environmentally non-degrading, technically appropriate, economically viable and socially acceptable." We explore the ecological aspects of grazing management as they relate to the need to balance solar energy capture and harvest efficiency so as to maximize productivity on a sustained basis. The long- term success or failure of all grazing strategies hinges around management's ability to control the frequency and severity of defoliation of individual plants over time and space. This is a particularly formidable challenge in rangeland environments because of high levels of environmental uncertainty. We then focus attention on the social aspects of grazing management. Grazing management is a social process by virtue of its human component and the major social dilemma encountered in grazed agroecosystems centers around the impacts that ever-increasing human desires have on rangeland resources. We examine the role of ecological economics and the impact of varying human value systems on management of rangeland resources. The fundamental problem encountered in the management of natural resources such as rangeland ecosystems is absence of perfect ecological knowledge. We conclude that the major social dilemma of grazing management stems largely from two phenomena: 1) supply side management tactics designed to meet ever increasing human demands; and 2) potential failure to accurately factor long-term ecological costs into present day value systems. As such, we conclude that current grazing management technology necessarily requires moderate rates of stocking be employed to insure rangeland agriculture (i.e. grazing) is ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially acceptable.

Global linkages in animal agriculture: new opportunities for United States agricultural universities.

Today's rapidly changing world offers new opportunities for Departments of Animal Science that wish to expand their international activity. Seeking a relevant role in the definition of sustainable agriculture, internationalizing courses and curricula for all students, supporting private sector enterprises at home and abroad (export promotion), maintaining collaboration with former students, and providing better information to our farmers and citizens about world conditions: these are some of the challenges now facing us. A survey of heads of departments of animal science at universities in the United States revealed that of 64 respondents, almost all report significant international activities. However, only 20% are satisfied with their present activity level, and 80% intend to seek an expanded international role. The expected benefits from international activity most often mentioned were a broadened faculty experience and a better capacity to prepare students for the 21st century. Anticipated problems are related to faculty and departmental recognition, faculty career trajectories, and continuity of work assignments. On balance, respondents overwhelmingly believe that expected benefits outweigh possible problems. Eighty percent of respondents reported a generally supportive attitude from their administration, but 75% indicated that the department itself needs to provide leadership in the search for new international linkages.

Profitable and Environmentally Sound Agriculture: A Sustainable Approach to the Future

Definitions of sustainable agriculture commonly include twin goals of profitability and environmental soundness. This paper focuses on an examination of the incentive systems moving agricultural pr...

Midwestern land-grant university scientists' definitions of sustainable agriculture: A delphi study

AbstractWhat scientists include among the essential attributes of sustainable agricultural systems can influence the development of agricultural research agendas and how research is done. Current perspectives on sustainability place varying emphasis on environmental and agrarian values and propose different amounts and kinds of change in agricultural production, agricultural science, and rural social institutions. In a delphi study, agricultural scientists at North Central region land-grant universities considered environmental management and development of new farming technologies as essential to a definition of sustainable agriculture, but gave little importance to social or scientific restructuring. With some qualifications, we characterize their view of sustainability as a stewardship perspective that does not include social considerations and explicitly rejects radical social change.

Trends in tillage practices in relation to sustainable crop production with special reference to temperate climates

The concept and some definitions of sustainable agriculture are reviewed. Most of these definitions include economic, environmental and sociological aspects. The finite area of land emphasizes the need for consideration of soil conservation and of soil quality in relation to sustainability. An important element of soil quality is rooting depth. Therefore loss of soil by erosion is a dominant factor in long-term sustainability. The effects of tillage on soil parameters in minimum data sets that have been proposed to describe soil quality are reviewed. Soil organic matter may be one of the most important soil quality characteristics in relation to tillage because of its influence on other soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Conservation tillage practices can increase the organic matter content, aggregate stability and cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the topsoil. However, bulk density and penetrometer resistance are also increased, especially with zero tillage. Although such soil quality parameters may form a basis for describing some of the consequences of particular tillage practices, they do not provide a basis for predicting the outcome in terms of crop growth and yield. This is both because critical values of soil quality parameters have not been defined and because in some soils biopore formation in zero or minimally tilled land can modify the soil for water movement and for root growth and function. The effects of tillage on crop growth and yield in long-term experiments are reviewed. The review only includes experiments in North America, Europe and New Zealand that have lasted 10 years or more to allow for seasonal variation in weather, possible progressive changes in soil conditions and the learning phase often experienced when new tillage methods are used. While there is a good deal of variation in the results of these tillage experiments some patterns have emerged. In long-term experiments, yields of maize in Europe and the US and soybeans in the US have been similar after ploughing and no-tillage, especially on well-drained soils. In Europe, yields of winter cereals have also been similar after traditional and simplified tillage but yields of spring cereals have sometimes been less after direct drilling than ploughing. Trends in tillage practices are reviewed. Conservation tillage in the US is increasing and is used on about 30% of cropland, including no-till on about 10% of cropland. This increase in use of conservation tillage is mainly attributed to the legal requirement for farmers who are in government price support programs to adopt conservation plans which may involve conservation tillage. However, the allowable rates of erosion in these plans are likely to be in excess of rates of erosion for long-term sustainability. Survey information on tillage practices needs to be considered in relation to predictions on suitability of conservation tillage based on experimental results. In the semi-arid prairies of Canada there is a trend toward fewer cultivation operations, but in eastern Canada the mouldboard plough is still the dominant tillage method. In Europe although erosion is less obvious it is believed to be increasing, but minimum tillage is not widely used. This is because of the need to remove at least some straw for successful minimum tillage in sequential winter wheat and barley crops, but there are few economic uses for straw, and burning is illegal in many countries. In the more moist cooler conditions of Europe grass weed proliferation is another constraint, at least with present technology. So far, the overall success of conservation tillage has not been limited by the growing problem of genetic resistance of weeds to herbicides. Societal attitudes to the continued use of herbicides may pose longer-term problems for some conservation tillage practices.

Clarifying the definition ofSustainable agriculture

A number of distinct definitions ofsustainable agriculture have been proposed. In this paper we criticize two such definitions, primarily for conflating sustainability with other objectives such as economic viability and ecological integrity. Finally, we propose and defend a definition which avoids our objections to the other definitions.

Ecological Sustainability in Agricultural Systems

"Sustainable agriculture" has emerged as the most agreed-upon term to synthesize a variety of concepts and perspectives associated with agricultural practices that differ from those of conventional production. Definitions of sustainable agriculture contain three equally important components: environmental quality and ecological soundness, plant and animal productivity, and socioeconomic viability. The Agroecosystem component of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program is developing a systems-level approach to the long-term monitoring of agroecosystem sustainabilily. Measurements will be made for a suite of indicators at sites selected from a probability sampling frame. Associations between indicator values over time will be used to assess agroecosystem condition and status on a regional and/or national scale. One or more measures of sustainabilily will be developed by organizing indicators and assessment endpoints into a framework based upon the three components of sustainable agriculture.

Energetics and ecosystem integrity: The defining principles of sustainable agriculture

AbstractIn this paper, we criticize recent definitions of sustainable agriculture as being overly based on short-term economic criteria, rather than long-term ecological criteria. A concise definition of sustainable agriculture is put forth, premised on the assumption that the ecological parameters of energetics and ecosystem integrity ultimately determine the long-term viability of farming systems. We share with others the view that, in designing sustainable farming systems, a broad array of social and economic factors should be taken into consideration. We believe, however, that these factors are not intrinsic to a sustainable agriculture, but rather separate, desirable goals.

Designing a sustainable regional diet

Recently, Gussow and Clancy (1) have suggested the term to describe a diet composed of foods chosen for their contribution not only to health, but also to the sustainability (the capability of maintenance into the foreseeable future) of the u. S. agricultural system. Although Gussow and Clancy did not provide specific food-selection recommendations, they showed how the Dietary Guidelines (2) can be used to teach consumers about current threats to the food-producing system. They hoped, thus, to initiate a discussion of the appropriateness of incorporating issues of agricultural sustainability into nutrition messages. Before nutritionists can add such considerations to their educational efforts, however, certain underlying assumptions must be tested. The first of these has to do with the concept of local diets. This paper is intended to explore concept. Based on a definition of sustainable agriculture as an activity that uses human and natural resources to produce food and fiber in a manner is not wasteful of such finite resources as topsoil, water, and fossil (1), Gussow and Clancy reviewed a host of U.S. agricultural problems (energy ineffiCiency, geographic concentration, pesticide resistance, and ground water depletion) and concluded consumers should, when possible, buy foods to support a regional agriculture preserves farmland and is less energy intensive. To date, however, there has been no attempt to define the term explicitly, nor to determine for any given region just what mix of locally-produced and imported foods would be most resource conserving. Haughton, attempting to devise procedures for designing an ecologically sound food gUide (3), concluded designing a sustainable diet for New