Sustainable Agriculture Programs Research Articles

Composting as a sustainable option for managing biomass of aquatic weed Pistia: A biological hazard to aquatic system

Abstract The composting is one of the effective tools to convert organic solid wastes into an added-value product for the agronomic application. In this study, the aquatic weed Pistia sp. (water lettuce) biomass was co-composted with cow dung in 1:1 and 3:1 ratio and changes in physicochemical properties were measured during the process. One setup with 100% plant biomass was also kept to see scaling impact of cow dung on composting process. The composting was performed in rectangular plastic crates of 50 kg capacity under ambient conditions. A decrease in pH (0.21–4.57%), total organic carbon (2.42–22.5%) and, carbon to nitrogen ratio (15.59–41.13%) ratio and increase in total N (15.61–22.14%), total P (29.75–50.67%), total K (30.3–81.59%), total calcium (15.17–26.07%), zinc (26.07–42.72%), iron (16.39–24.26%) and, copper (29.18–34.18%) were recorded during the composting process. The results of the microbial enzyme (dehydrogenases, protease and phosphate) suggested the high rate of microbial activities and organic matter mineralisation during the composting process. The seed germination index and soil respiration rate suggested the non-phytotoxic and microbially stable properties of composted waste mixtures. The maximum waste mineralisation was in compost setup with 50% proportion of plant biomass. Results suggest that composting can be a cleaner option to convert aquatic weed biomass into added-value materials for sustainable agriculture programs.

Rhizobium Impacts on Seed Productivity, Quality, and Protection of Pisum sativum upon Disease Stress Caused by Didymella pinodes: Phenotypic, Proteomic, and Metabolomic Traits.

In field peas, ascochyta blight is one of the most common fungal diseases caused by Didymella pinodes. Despite the high diversity of pea cultivars, only little resistance has been developed until to date, still leading to significant losses in grain yield. Rhizobia as plant growth promoting endosymbionts are the main partners for establishment of symbiosis with pea plants. The key role of Rhizobium as an effective nitrogen source for legumes seed quality and quantity improvement is in line with sustainable agriculture and food security programs. Besides these growth promoting effects, Rhizobium symbiosis has been shown to have a priming impact on the plants immune system that enhances resistance against environmental perturbations. This is the first integrative study that investigates the effect of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viceae (Rlv) on phenotypic seed quality, quantity and fungal disease in pot grown pea (Pisum sativum) cultivars with two different resistance levels against D. pinodes through metabolomics and proteomics analyses. In addition, the pathogen effects on seed quantity components and quality are assessed at morphological and molecular level. Rhizobium inoculation decreased disease severity by significant reduction of seed infection level. Rhizobium symbiont enhanced yield through increased seed fresh and dry weights based on better seed filling. Rhizobium inoculation also induced changes in seed proteome and metabolome involved in enhanced P. sativum resistance level against D. pinodes. Besides increased redox and cell wall adjustments light is shed on the role of late embryogenesis abundant proteins and metabolites such as the seed triterpenoid Soyasapogenol. The results of this study open new insights into the significance of symbiotic Rhizobium interactions for crop yield, health and seed quality enhancement and reveal new metabolite candidates involved in pathogen resistance.

ASSESSMENT OF FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE REGARDING CHILD LABOR IN AGRICULTURE: A CASE STUDY OF COTTON GROWERS IN DISTRICT BAHAWALPUR

The work which affects the education, dignity and health of a child is known as child labor. It exists in agriculture sector of Pakistan mostly in the form of hazardous work. The main objective of the study was to investigate the degree of knowledge of cotton growers on child labor issue with special reference to Decent Work of International Labor Organization (ILO). The study was conducted in Bahawalpur district where Decent Work has been implemented by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Pakistan since 2013 as a part of its Sustainable Agriculture Program. Three categories of farmers were identified among a total of 388 selected cotton growers i.e. Farmers having high level of awareness, farmers having basic level of awareness and farmers having no awareness of child labor. Farmers were also categorized into three groups on the basis of their land holding i.e. (Category ‘a’) 1-7 acres, (b) >7-20 acres and (c) >20-50 acres. The data was analyzed through descriptive statistical method. Among category ‘a’ 7.5%, 88.7% and 3.7% of the farmers had advance, basic and no awareness, respectively. Among category ‘b’ 7.2%, 88.5% and4.2% farmers had advance, basic and no awareness, respectively. Among category ‘c’ 5.8%, 90.2% and 3.9% farmers had advance, basic and no awareness, respectively. Since there was a large proportion of those farmers who have only basic level of awareness on child labor among all the three land holding categories, therefore, there is a need to educate farmers on preventing child labor at their farms to promote sustainable cotton.

Comparison between wavelet transform and moving average as filter method of MODIS imagery to recognize paddy cropping pattern in West Java

Information on the area and spatial distribution of paddy field are needed to support sustainable agricultural and food security program. Mapping or distribution of cropping pattern paddy field is important to obtain sustainability paddy field area. It can be done by direct observation and remote sensing method. This paper discusses remote sensing for paddy field monitoring based on MODIS time series data. In time series MODIS data, difficult to direct classified of data, because of temporal noise. Therefore wavelet transform and moving average are needed as filter methods. The Objective of this study is to recognize paddy cropping pattern with wavelet transform and moving average in West Java using MODIS imagery (MOD13Q1) from 2001 to 2015 then compared between both of methods. The result showed the spatial distribution almost have the same cropping pattern. The accuracy of wavelet transform (75.5%) is higher than moving average (70.5%). Both methods showed that the majority of the cropping pattern in West Java have pattern paddy-fallow-paddy-fallow with various time planting. The difference of the planting schedule was occurs caused by the availability of irrigation water.

Environmentally induced, occupational diseases with emphasis on chronic kidney disease of multifactorial origin affecting tropical countries.

BackgroundEnvironmentally induced, occupational diseases are increasing worldwide, especially in rural agricultural communities. Poverty-associated malnutrition, environmental hazards and pollution, and lack of access to clean water, safe sanitation, and modern healthcare facilities are often associated with these chronic illnesses.MethodThe authors systematically reviewed occupational public health issues that have been related to the environment. General interpretations of results were included as per the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Pertinent publications from research databases were reviewed on (A) the risk–benefits, (B) the prevalence of risk factors for various diseases, (C) the benefits of not ignoring the risk factors (i.e., broader evidence), and (D) the risks, effects, and outcomes of different types of interventions. The authors used chronic kidney disease of multifactorial origin (CKDmfo) as an example to explore the theme. Emphasis was given to the regions with emerging economies and developing countries located in the vicinity of the equator.FindingsGeographical, socio-economic and aetiological similarities exist for many chronic non-communicable diseases that are affecting tropical countries around the equator. The authors identified manufacturing, mining, and agriculture as the biggest polluters of the environment. In addition, deforestation and associated soil erosion, overuse of agrochemicals, and irresponsible factory discharge (e.g., chemicals and paint, from rubber and textile factories, etc.), all contribute to pollution. To decrease the escalating incidences of environmentally induced diseases, governments should work proactively to protect the environment, especially watersheds, and take steps to minimise harmful occupational exposures and strictly enforce environmental regulations.ConclusionCreating public awareness of environmental issues and their relationship to public health is essential. This includes regular monitoring and periodic publication of the quality of water, air and soil; preventing deforestation and man-made soil erosion, increasing forest and ground cover, preventing occupational injuries, judicious and safe use of agrochemicals, sustainable agriculture and development programs, and implementing legislation to protect and conserve water heriage and the environment. These actions are essential both for a healthier environment and for the health of the people who live in that environment. Such measures would also decrease public health threats from such, including global-warming-related erratic environmental changes and the occurrence and the spread of non-communicable diseases, such as CKDmfo.

Ethnography of a sustainable agriculture program: a case study of a social movement’s inception and growth on a university campus

This ethnography documents how the message of sustainability was interpreted and communicated through a sustainable agricultural (SAG) program at an American higher education institution. The ethnography documents the evolution of the program as the program tackled obstacles and accomplished its goals during the initial phases of the program’s development. A cultural communication framework is established in order to analyze the agitative, oppositional, intracommunal, and ritual communication utilized by the program’s members. The ethnography argues that the strategies and tactics employed by the SAG program alongside its curriculum and instruction are similar to the choices made by oppositional social movements. Findings reveal that when chosen and implemented intelligently, these strategies are as useful for a social movement within established academic institutions as they are for groups outside of them. The ethnography also highlights the importance of ritual communication as part of both education and social movement interactions.

Sources of Information in Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices as Perceived by Farmers in Sindh Province of Pakistan

Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy in terms of providing food and employment and foreign exchange earnings. It contributes 21.9 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP). The importance of sustainable agriculture practices for the farmers to a large extent depends upon the effective sources of information. It is believed that farmers do not often make visit to the research stations, however, they obtained required knowledge from different sources like mass media, fertilizer agency, fellow farmers, radio, television, extension personnel and contact farmers. It is imperative to communicate sustainable agriculture practices to the farmers through various sources of information. This study used a descriptive research methodology the universe of study consisted of six districts of Sindh province comprising Larkana, Naushehro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Badin. A sample of 180 farmers was randomly selected for the study. A well structured interview schedule was used to collect information from the small farmers on their personal and socio-economic characteristics and sources of information. The study found that about 36.11% of the respondents were youth having age group (26-35 years), while 66.67% of the respondents were married, however a large percentage (44.44%) maintained a range of small farmers having land 13-25 acres of land and 66.67% of the respondents having their primary education. In addition 66.67% of the respondents having farming experience between 6 to 10 years. The results of the study showed that the most frequently used sources of information about Sustainable Agriculture were Television Broadcast, Neighboring Farmer, Fertilizer and Herbicide Dealer and Seed Dealer, while slightly over half the farmers reported using information about Sustainable Agriculture from Public Extension Agent, Private Extension Agent, Research Workers, Farm Magazine and Publications, Local Newspapers, Relatives and Extension Materials. On the basis of the results and conclusion drawn from the study it is recommended that Government should establish farmers radio and television station for dissemination of the agricultural programs for sustainable agriculture in Sindh province. Sustainable agriculture programs should be broadcast through television and radio programs. Neighbor farmers and fertilizer herbicide dealers should be educated for sustainable agriculture practices.

UCCE's connection to the community continues

rovide for cooperative agricultural extension work between the agricultural g the benefits of an act of congress approved July second, eighteen hundred entary thereto, and the United States Department of Agriculture. Research news UCCE’s connection to the community continues SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS STRATEGIC INITIATIVE Introduction UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) research — on campuses, at research and extension centers and in Cooperative Extension offices throughout the state — focuses on critical issues in California’s agriculture, natural resources, youth development and nutrition. Five strategic initia- tives in UC ANR provide collaborative opportunities for addressing these issues: Endemic and Invasive Pests and Diseases; Healthy Families and Communities; Sustainable Food Systems; Sustain- able Natural Ecosystems; and Water Quality, Quantity and Security. These initiatives look for new approaches, new resources and new partnerships within and outside UC to identify, communicate and solve these problems. The five Cooperative Extension projects highlighted in this article represent these five strategic initiatives. Linda Peterson Today, in its 100th year of service, UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) is as connected to California communities as ever. UCCE advisors provide expertise and practical, science-based solu- tions on a wide range of subjects — from family health to food production to water quality to invasive pests — and have a keen understanding of local issues because they live and work in the communities they serve. The following are just a few examples of the many ways UCCE benefits Californians now. Beginning growers and ranchers F arming as a way of life is waning in Sonoma County, as agricultural land is converted to housing and the average age of growers nears 60 years. “We need to bring new farmers into the busi- ness,” says Stephanie Larson, director of UCCE Sonoma County. To do just that, she launched a Beginning Farmer and Rancher program with a 3-year grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) beginning in 2011. The program includes hands-on experience in production and business planning (including marketing, organic certification, per- mitting and regulations, and lending) as well as mentoring by local master growers and ranchers. “Farming is challenging,” Larson says. “People can have a great idea but often fail due to the business end.” Just as importantly, participants get access to land. They can lease vacant county land, and can use a website that matches new growers and ranch- ers with private landowners who want to lease acreage. In addition, a training farm — known as an incubator farm — is in the works, which will help participants get started by, for example, providing shared equipment, mentoring, and a lower initial lease rate. “We have folks who already have land and are hoping to reinvent and save their family farms, or who are switching careers to grow local food,” says Linda Peterson, UCCE Beginning Farmer and Rancher program coordinator. About half of the 43 participants to date are minorities, women or low- income, and most are now working in the agricul- tural field. “They’ve increased production, started farms or are working on farms,” she says. Their operations include local hard cider, dry-farmed tomatoes, sheep and goat cheese, and agricultural tourism. Now, Larson and Peterson are integrating their Beginning Farmer and Rancher program into the sustainable agriculture program at Santa Rosa Junior College, which will ensure that the program continues long after the USDA grant is finished. HEALTHY FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES STRATEGIC INITIATIVE Eating Smart, Being Active Beginning Farmer and Rancher (BFR) participant Kelly Osman tags the ear of a pregnant Black Angus cow, with help from Denner Ranch owner and BFR mentor Terry Lindley (front) and ranch hand Joey Howard (back). M ost of us know the basics of a healthy lifestyle — eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, and so on — but knowing what do to and http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.edu • JANUARY–JUNE 2014 17

Food Insecurity and Climate Change

As Bauer et al. have quite rightly pointed out, children from families who experience food insecurity and who consume a diet that is often lacking in nutritional value are more likely to have poorer health outcomes.1 Food insecurity is a global problem exacerbated by population growth, a lack of available food and water, and climate change.2–5 Consideration needs to be given to the effects of climate change on food production and distribution, and the impact on food security and public health.2–4,6 Changing weather patterns with increasing temperatures, increased rainfall, and extreme weather events will further exacerbate food security as crops are damaged and destroyed.6,7 The production and distribution of food will be adversely affected resulting in reduced availability and accessibility and increased costs.2,4,6 Reduced accessibility to affordable nutritious food could result in an increase in diet-related health problems including obesity and an increased risk of chronic diseases.6 By comparison, Australia’s indigenous people experience similar food insecurities as the Rural American Indian population and are also vulnerable to the effects of climate change on their health.5–7 Many of the Australian indigenous population live in rural and remote areas and have financial insecurity and restricted access to affordable nutritious foods.6 Food is often sourced from community stores where it is usually highly processed and overpriced.6 According to Bauer et al., almost 40% of families who participated in the Bright Start study experienced food insecurity.1 Combine this with the negative effects of climate change, and the implications for health could be severe.6 Adaption to climate change is needed to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience in an effort to offset the impacts on food security and predicted negative health outcomes.6 Bauer et al. identified the need for nutrition education as a mechanism to improve food security1; perhaps climate change and its effects on health should be included as part of this education. A combination of government leadership and further research into the effects of climate change is needed to provide protection against the predicted effects of climate change on public health.2,5,6 The American Indian people may no longer use the land to grow food,1 but a return to the traditional methods of food production and the introduction of a sustainable agricultural program may be a solution to the predicted worsening of food security through climate change.2,3,6 Perhaps the principles of the Lakota tradition of Ti ole could be introduced into community farming projects.

Sustainable Agriculture Undergraduate Degree Programs: A Land-Grant University Mission

There has been considerable growth in the number undergraduate degree programs in sustainable agriculture (SA) in universities and colleges across the country in the past 25 years. As a subset of this national trend, land-grant universities (LGUs) are emerging as catalysts in innovative SA program development, in part due to the LGU tripartite mission of education, extension, and research. This mission compels LGUs to develop undergraduate degree offerings to engage student, faculty, and community stakeholders who are increasingly interested in SA. In this article, which is an outcome of a gathering of faculty, staff and students from SA programs at LGUs at a workshop prior to the 4th National Sustainable Agriculture Education Association Conference in August 2011, we discuss the justification for SA programming at LGUs, the emergence of SA major and minor degrees at 11 LGUs to date, the common successes and challenges of current SA programs, strategies for improving existing SA programming, and systematic approaches for expanding SA education impact across institutional lines. We also introduce several additional topic-based articles that resulted from workshop dialogue that appear in this issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, including civic engagement efforts in SA education through community-university partnerships, a critical documentation of the implicit inclusion of values into SA education, and efforts to internationalize SA curriculum.

Internationalizing Sustainable Agriculture Education

Integration of international learning experiences into sustainable agriculture (SA) educational programs represents a unique and effective approach to help students improve their global awareness and citizenship, intercultural communication, problem-solving skills, and career development. While there are challenges to establishing international educational activities in emerging SA programs, the benefits of providing students with a global perspective to the worlds' food systems far exceed those challenges. This paper formalizes key considerations and diverse approaches for developing student-centered international educational opportunities for sustainable agriculture that have been assembled from literature research and from the collective experiences of the authors. A holistic approach is described, beginning with developing strong international partnerships built on reciprocity and understanding the diversity of international learning opportunities and development considerations; establishing learning outcomes and assessment; and appreciating current opportunities and challenges. While many of the experiences and examples come from land-grant universities (LGUs), enhancing a global perspective to all types of SA programs at various institutions is vital for preparing future food system leaders to advance sustainable agriculture in the global community. The information in this paper is valuable for SA educators interested in developing new international educational opportunities and also may stimulate further communication about shared pedagogical strategies related to international SA education.

Organic Education: The Growth of Sustainable Agriculture Programs

Sustainability: The Journal of RecordVol. 4, No. 5 In the GreenOrganic Education: The Growth of Sustainable Agriculture ProgramsTed MeroTed MeroSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:18 Oct 2011https://doi.org/10.1089/SUS.2011.9663AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 4Issue 5Oct 2011 Information©2011 by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Ted Mero.Organic Education: The Growth of Sustainable Agriculture Programs.Sustainability.Oct 2011.232-235.http://doi.org/10.1089/SUS.2011.9663Published in Volume: 4 Issue 5: October 18, 2011PDF download

Systems biology of bacterial nitrogen fixation: High-throughput technology and its integrative description with constraint-based modeling

BackgroundBacterial nitrogen fixation is the biological process by which atmospheric nitrogen is uptaken by bacteroids located in plant root nodules and converted into ammonium through the enzymatic activity of nitrogenase. In practice, this biological process serves as a natural form of fertilization and its optimization has significant implications in sustainable agricultural programs. Currently, the advent of high-throughput technology supplies with valuable data that contribute to understanding the metabolic activity during bacterial nitrogen fixation. This undertaking is not trivial, and the development of computational methods useful in accomplishing an integrative, descriptive and predictive framework is a crucial issue to decoding the principles that regulated the metabolic activity of this biological process.ResultsIn this work we present a systems biology description of the metabolic activity in bacterial nitrogen fixation. This was accomplished by an integrative analysis involving high-throughput data and constraint-based modeling to characterize the metabolic activity in Rhizobium etli bacteroids located at the root nodules of Phaseolus vulgaris (bean plant). Proteome and transcriptome technologies led us to identify 415 proteins and 689 up-regulated genes that orchestrate this biological process. Taking into account these data, we: 1) extended the metabolic reconstruction reported for R. etli; 2) simulated the metabolic activity during symbiotic nitrogen fixation; and 3) evaluated the in silico results in terms of bacteria phenotype. Notably, constraint-based modeling simulated nitrogen fixation activity in such a way that 76.83% of the enzymes and 69.48% of the genes were experimentally justified. Finally, to further assess the predictive scope of the computational model, gene deletion analysis was carried out on nine metabolic enzymes. Our model concluded that an altered metabolic activity on these enzymes induced different effects in nitrogen fixation, all of these in qualitative agreement with observations made in R. etli and other Rhizobiaceas.ConclusionsIn this work we present a genome scale study of the metabolic activity in bacterial nitrogen fixation. This approach leads us to construct a computational model that serves as a guide for 1) integrating high-throughput data, 2) describing and predicting metabolic activity, and 3) designing experiments to explore the genotype-phenotype relationship in bacterial nitrogen fixation.

Students’ Experiential Learning and Use of Student Farms in Sustainable Agriculture Education

Student farms, developed largely out of student efforts, have served as centers for the development of experiential learning and sustainable agriculture and food systems educational activities on land‐grant colleges of agriculture well before most formal sustainable agriculture and food systems programs were proposed. This study explored students’ perspectives regarding effective learning approaches in sustainable agriculture and food systems (SAFS) education, how their experiences on student farms were integrated into their formal educational programs, and their motivations for participation in student farms. Focus groups were conducted with students who worked and studied at student farms (SF) located at three geographically diverse land‐grant colleges (in the Northeast, Midwest, and Western parts of the United States). Students’ learning preference for integrating classroom and fieldwork showed strong resemblance to the experiential learning theory that knowledge is constructed when learners resolve tensions between abstract conceptualization and concrete experience, reflective observation, and experimentation. Students and SF staff and faculty formed a SAFS community of practice that emphasized horizontal knowledge co‐construction, rather than simply privileging faculty (expert) transmission of abstract theory. Students sought out the SF to gain agricultural and horticultural production, marketing, and community development competencies in organic, small‐scale agriculture. Students were motivated by the empowerment they experienced when practical learning directly aligned with, and in some instances was an extension of, their values, ideals, and deeper sense of purpose. Findings suggest student farms are fertile locations for nurturing experiential learning activities as part of land‐grant colleges of agriculture curricula.

Expression of immune-response genes in lepidopteran host is suppressed by venom from an endoparasitoid, Pteromalus puparum.

BackgroundThe relationships between parasitoids and their insect hosts have attracted attention at two levels. First, the basic biology of host-parasitoid interactions is of fundamental interest. Second, parasitoids are widely used as biological control agents in sustainable agricultural programs. Females of the gregarious endoparasitoid Pteromalus puparum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) inject venom along with eggs into their hosts. P. puparum does not inject polydnaviruses during oviposition. For this reason, P. puparum and its pupal host, the small white butterfly Pieris rapae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), comprise an excellent model system for studying the influence of an endoparasitoid venom on the biology of the pupal host. P. puparum venom suppresses the immunity of its host, although the suppressive mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we tested our hypothesis that P. puparum venom influences host gene expression in the two main immunity-conferring tissues, hemocytes and fat body.ResultsAt 1 h post-venom injection, we recorded significant decreases in transcript levels of 217 EST clones (revealing 113 genes identified in silico, including 62 unknown contigs) derived from forward subtractive libraries of host hemocytes and in transcript levels of 288 EST clones (221 genes identified in silico, including 123 unknown contigs) from libraries of host fat body. These genes are related to insect immune response, cytoskeleton, cell cycle and apoptosis, metabolism, transport, stress response and transcriptional and translational regulation. We verified the reliability of the suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) data with semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis of a set of randomly selected genes. This analysis showed that most of the selected genes were down-regulated after venom injection.ConclusionsOur findings support our hypothesis that P. puparum venom influences gene expression in host hemocytes and fat body. Specifically, the venom treatments led to reductions in expression of a large number of genes. Many of the down-regulated genes act in immunity, although others act in non-immune areas of host biology. We conclude that the actions of venom on host gene expression influence immunity as well as other aspects of host biology in ways that benefit the development and emergence of the next generation of parasitoids.

Rethinking Sustainable Agriculture in Thailand: A Governance Perspective

This paper examines the feasibility of official institutional programs for sustainable agriculture in Thailand during the last decade. In Thailand, both popular and official attention was paid to sustainable agriculture well before the Asian economic crisis occurred in 1997. However, the policy implementation of sustainable agriculture programs began only after the turn of the millennium, and the processes and outcomes have not been adequately studied from a feasibility standpoint. This paper aims to fill the gap by employing a ‘sustainable governance’ perspective for examining the programs of three main official institutions promoting sustainable agriculture in Thailand. It is concluded that the social impacts of public sustainable agricultural interventions in the past decade remain limited for the estimated 5 million small-scale farmer households in Thailand.

Sustainable Agriculture in the United States: A Critical Examination of a Contested Process

This paper investigates the political economy of the development of sustainable agriculture programs and initiatives in the United States. Sustainable agriculture emerged as part of a growing critique of the negative environmental consequences of unquestioned modern farming methods. The USDA/Sustainable Agriculture Research Education Program created in 1990 and the National Organics Program created in 2002 are the current government-sponsored programs in support of sustainable agriculture. Recently, private approaches to develop a national sustainable agriculture standard for the U.S. have emerged. The events of the cases developed in the paper reveal that because the concept of sustainability is deeply contested, agribusiness is able to exploit the ambiguity surrounding the definition of sustainable and exercise power in attempts to frame sustainable agriculture in their favor. Most recently, this contested process has focused on whether genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) will be included as part of the national sustainable agriculture standard.

DEALING WITH THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS IN LOCAL SETTINGS: NONINTENSIVE AGRICULTURE IN LESOTHO, SOUTHERN AFRICA

This article seeks to contribute to efforts toward the identification and critical analysis of sustainable community‐based initiatives that could help to ameliorate the impact of the global food crisis in developing countries. To do so, we present a discussion of a sustainable agriculture program in Lesotho, in sub‐Saharan Africa. We contextualize the discussion in the framework of both the food crisis and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, both of which are taking a major toll in Lesotho. We then present a brief discussion of some of our anthropological contributions to the work of an NGO that is implementing sustainable agriculture initiatives in periurban areas of Lesotho where households are at high risk for food insecurity.

Food Science Education Publications and Websites

Food Science Education Publications and Websites

Linking Sustainable Agriculture and Community Development: The Lowcountry Food Bank's Use of Locally Grown Foods

Food banks throughout the South have historically helped meet the nutritional needs of low income families, but are not often involved in community development efforts aimed at creating sustainable agricultural situations. In this paper we seek to critically evaluate a food bank's efforts to enhance small- scale farm operations, increase the quality and quantity of their products, and enhance distribution and use of their product to the emergency food assistance system in Lowcountry South Carolina. The discussion is organized by reviewing the results of the project according to the three primary goals of sustainable agricultural programs.