What is sustainable agriculture? Global food supplies are currently facing
a huge challenge. As the global population rises, so too does the need for food. With
a global population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, according to the UN, there’s
a need to increase food production by 70% in the next 30 years to ensure enough food
for everyone and avoid further food insecurity. Food insecurity is becoming more recognized
as a global issue that affects an estimated 750 million people.
In addition to this, the agricultural industry can have its own environmental impact.
Some problematic areas that are primed for improvement include greenhouse gases (GHGs)
from food waste decomposition, the effects of fertilizer and pesticide use on wildlife
and surrounding areas, the eutrophication (growth of algae in water sources leading
to the eventual die-off of all fish and plants) and monoculture agriculture (where one crop
is grown on the land at a time) which can lead to land degradation making the land unsuitable
for further farming. In this article on sustainable agriculture
as part of our sustainability series, we’re looking at what is sustainable agriculture,
the current problems with agriculture and what we can do to improve and provide some
solutions in the form of Agroecology and Agtech. What is sustainable agriculture?
As we’ve seen in our “What is Sustainability” blog, sustainability has three parts to it:
society, economy and environmental stewardship. Therefore, sustainable agriculture must address
these three areas to be truly considered sustainable. While studies show that agriculture is more
successful in raising the income of those in poverty compared to other sectors, some
argue that farmers in poverty can feel forced to mine natural resources including soil fertility
to make ends meet which has the potential to hurt their livelihoods in the future. This
is the opposite of sustainability since it prevents future generations from farming on
that land. To be considered sustainable, agriculture
needs to integrate social, environmental, and economic interests. The goals of sustainable
agriculture are; to help provide enough food for everyone, bring communities out of poverty
and provide an enhanced quality of life for farming families, and utilize farming methods
that promote soil health and reduce reliance on fossil fuels for environmental sustainability.
Why do we need sustainable agriculture? Many of the issues with the current agricultural
industry are environmental. However, if not addressed, these issues can spill over into
the economic and social domains which we’ll explore here.
Environmental issues Agriculture often places significant pressures
on natural resources and the surrounding environment. Most of these issues stem from the use of
fertilizers and pesticides which are deemed necessary to grow as much as possible in a
given space. In the long term, fertilizer can actually contribute to a reduction in
the fertility of the land, damage soils and water sources and contribute to GHG emissions.
While fertilizers and pesticides help to put nutrients needed for plant growth into the
soil and limit the pests damaging crops thereby improving efficiency in the short term, they
can cause issues in the long term. Fertilizer run-off can enter nearby water
sources in cases where an excessive amount has been used or where rain transports it
into other water sources. This pollutes the water sources and, in the most serious cases,
leads to eutrophication where fish and aquatic plants die due to the overgrowth of algae
caused by the fertilizer in the water. Pesticides too can harm wildlife – the plight of pollinators,
such as bees, is well known. In addition, the production of fertilizers
involves heavy fossil fuel use. The extraction and mining of nitrogen and phosphorus, the
main ingredients in many fertilizers, are energy-intensive processes and these processes
often rely on fossil fuel energy. Another issue with contemporary farming methods
is that they generally rely upon a few primary crops. Sustainable crop production moves away
from this monoculture method of farming which can make crops more vulnerable to disease
and pests. Crop rotation and even combining different crops in the same field can reduce
the need for fertilizer and pesticides compared to monoculture farming. Further, monoculture
farming draws on the same nutrients from the soil which can lead to nutrient depletion
in the soil which translates to a dependence on more fertilizer to grow plants. The FAO
estimates there may be as few as 60 harvests left.
Social and economic issues The World Bank states that agricultural development
is “one of the most powerful tools to end extreme poverty”, and they found that “growth
in the agricultural sector is two to four times more effective in raising incomes amongst
the poorest communities compared to other economic sectors.”
This sounds promising. However, when considering the environmental
issues discussed above, it’s clear the current methods of agriculture cannot be sustained;
causing problems for the economy, farming communities in the future and society as a
whole if we cannot produce sufficient food. There are already concerns about our ability
to produce sufficient food especially given that the global population is set to increase.
How can agriculture become more sustainable? In recent years steps have been made to move
towards more sustainable farming methods. Some of the features of sustainable agriculture
may surprise you. While they’re becoming more popular, there is still a lot to be done.
Introduce more sustainable farming methods There are many sustainable farming techniques
we can employ to make farming more sustainable. One of the big ways to achieve agricultural
sustainability is to reduce our global reliance on pesticides and fertilizers and focus on
natural processes that can be introduced to limit pest populations.
An example of one of the components of sustainable agriculture is planting hedgerows along field
edges. This encourages pest predators such as birds and other animals into the area and
keeps the number of pests in check, reducing the need for pesticides.
Crop rotation, or planting cover crops, helps to improve soil fertility as different plants
draw from, and give back, different nutrients to the soil. These farming methods are crucial
in sustainable farming systems and farmers invested in long-term sustainability “often
prioritize caring for the soil because they recognize that a healthy soil promotes healthy
crops and livestock”. This reduces the need for fertilizers and helps eliminate pests
that target specific crops thus reducing the need for pesticides too.
You may hear sustainable farming methods referred to as Agroecology. Agroecology is the name
given to farming techniques that minimize the environmental impact of farming.
One of these methods is organic farming. However, achieving certified organic status can be
a lengthy and expensive process that is simply not achievable for all farms. Agroecology,
therefore, could be the middle path as it encompasses organic farming methods without
the certification and inspection process. Embrace traditional farming techniques
Many of the above are traditional farming methods. Embracing traditional, local farming
knowledge and Traditional Ecological Knowledge passed down through generations among Indigenous
communities is key to improving the sustainability of the agriculture sector.
Given the changing and locally-specific nature of agriculture, a diverse and adaptive knowledge
base is needed and taking advice from those who know the land is vital for success.
The rise of agtech Agtech is a section of the cleantech economy
that we define as “any technological process, product or service that aims to use fewer
materials and/or energy, generate less waste, and cause less negative environmental impact
than current standards” in our Cleantech report.
Agtech refers to agricultural practices which are more efficient, safe and less environmentally
damaging than current agricultural methods. In this way, Agtech represents a move to more
sustainable agriculture by reducing the industry’s impact on the environment and making the work
safer for people. There are also economic benefits as the increased efficiency helps
save farmers money in the long run.