Sustainable agriculture is farming that helps protect the environment, uses natural resources wisely, and makes sure that non-renewable resources are used in a helpful way. It can be based on understanding how natural processes support farming. There are many ways to make farming more sustainable. When creating agriculture that is part of sustainable food systems, it is important to use farming methods and business practices that can change and adapt as needed.

Farming has a large impact on the environment. It contributes to climate change (food systems cause one-third of greenhouse gases made by humans), water shortages, water pollution, poor soil quality, loss of forests, and other problems. At the same time, farming is affected by these environmental changes. Sustainable agriculture uses farming methods that are kind to the environment and allow crops or animals to be grown without harming people or nature. It includes protecting soil, water, plants and animals, and resources near or far from farms. People who live or work on farms or nearby should also be protected. Methods used in sustainable agriculture can include permaculture, agroforestry, mixed farming, growing many crops together, and rotating crops. Land sparing, which combines traditional farming with high crop yields and protects natural areas from being turned into farmland, is also a type of sustainable agriculture.

Creating sustainable food systems helps support a healthy human population. For example, one of the best ways to reduce climate change is to build sustainable food systems based on sustainable farming. Sustainable agriculture can help feed more people as the world changes and the environment faces challenges. In addition to farming practices, changing diets to include more sustainable food choices can greatly reduce harm to the environment. Many standards and certifications exist to help identify sustainable farming, such as organic certification, Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade, UTZ Certified, GlobalGAP, Bird Friendly, and the Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C).

Definition

In 1977, the USDA described "sustainable agriculture" as a combined system of growing plants and raising animals that uses methods specific to each area. Over time, this approach aims to:

• meet people's needs for food and clothing
• improve the environment and protect natural resources that farming depends on
• use nonrenewable and on-farm resources wisely, and use natural processes when possible
• keep farms financially strong
• improve the lives of farmers and society.

The idea of living in balance with the land has been common in indigenous communities for many years before the term "sustainable agriculture" was officially named.

Aims

A common agreement is that sustainable farming is the best way to feed the growing number of people on Earth. To successfully feed the world's population, farming methods must think about future costs, both for the environment and for the communities that depend on farming. If there isn't enough food for everyone, technology has been used in sustainable farming to improve how much food can be produced. The goal of these improvements is to provide enough food for more people around the world. The increasing use of sustainable agriculture is linked to concerns that Earth's ability to support life, especially in terms of growing food, may already be reached or surpassed.

There are several important ideas behind sustainable agriculture:

• Using natural and ecological processes, such as recycling nutrients, regenerating soil, and fixing nitrogen, in farming and food production.
• Using fewer non-renewable and harmful materials that damage the environment.
• Relying on farmers' knowledge to work the land effectively and help farmers become more independent and self-sufficient.
• Solving farming and natural resource challenges through teamwork and cooperation among people with different skills. These challenges include managing pests and improving irrigation.

Sustainable farming considers both short-term and long-term costs because it provides lasting benefits, such as agricultural systems that keep regenerating endlessly. It balances the need to protect natural resources with the needs of farmers who depend on farming for their living.

Sustainable farming is also called reconciliation ecology, which means creating spaces where nature and people can coexist, supporting biodiversity in human environments.

Many times, sustainable farming practices are carried out by using technology and tools that are environmentally friendly and suitable for farming.

Technological approaches

Sustainable farming methods are becoming more important for research in artificial intelligence (AI). AI helps farmers by using its skills in areas like using resources wisely, checking the health of crops, and predicting how much food will be grown. AI-controlled water systems use sensors to check soil moisture and weather conditions, then give plants the right amount of water. This technology can reduce water use by up to 30%. Mobile soil analysis tools powered by AI let farmers improve soil quality while reducing harm to the environment. These tools test soil nutrients on-site and provide results quickly. Smart systems can find weeds, pests, and plant diseases, helping farmers create better plans to grow more food. A 2023 review article said that agroecology, which studies how farming interacts with nature, could become a common way to change agriculture if it combines farming methods with local and global needs, ensures farmers earn a living, and uses technology like digital tools and precise breeding. Agrivoltaics supports farming by using land for both growing crops and solar panels that make clean energy. This method saves land, improves small climates, and helps create farming systems that are better for the environment.

Environmental factors

Practices that can harm soil over time include tilling the soil too much (which causes erosion) and watering without proper drainage (which leads to salt buildup).

The most important factors for farming are climate, soil, nutrients, and water. Of these, water and soil conservation are the easiest for people to manage. When farmers grow crops, they take nutrients from the soil. If these nutrients are not added back, the soil loses its fertility and becomes less productive or unusable. Sustainable farming depends on restoring soil nutrients and reducing the use of non-renewable resources like natural gas or minerals.

A farm that produces food forever but harms the environment in other ways is not truly sustainable. For example, using fertilizer or manure can boost farm productivity but may pollute nearby rivers and coastal waters (a process called eutrophication). On the other hand, destroying rainforests to grow crops can reduce soil nutrients and lower crop yields. In Asia, about 12.5 acres (5.1 hectares) of land are needed for sustainable farming, including space for animal feed, cash crops, and food crops. Sometimes, small aquaculture areas are also included.

Nitrates are widely used as fertilizers in farming. However, nitrates can leak into the environment, causing pollution. Possible sources of nitrates that could be used long-term include:
1. Recycling plant and animal waste, or treated human waste.
2. Growing legumes like peanuts or alfalfa, which work with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
3. Producing nitrogen through the Haber process using hydrogen from water instead of natural gas.
4. Engineering crops (other than legumes) to fix nitrogen without bacteria.

The last option was suggested in the 1970s but is still being developed. Replacing other nutrients like phosphorus and potassium with sustainable options is more difficult.

Other sustainable methods include rotating crops over long periods, using natural flooding cycles (like the Nile River) to return nutrients to soil, using biochar, and growing plants that are adapted to poor conditions like drought or pests. Proper fertilizer use can also help grow nutrient-heavy crops more sustainably.

Phosphate is a key part of fertilizer and is the second most important nutrient for plants after nitrogen. It helps with plant growth, root strength, seed development, and disease resistance. Phosphate is found in soil in both organic and inorganic forms, making up about 0.05% of soil. Most phosphate in farmland comes from chemical fertilizers, which are made from rock phosphate. Rock phosphate is not renewable and is being used up quickly, with supplies expected to run out in a few hundred years.

Potassium is a major nutrient for plant growth and is often added through fertilizers. It helps improve crop quality, water retention, and disease resistance. Potassium chloride (KCl) is the most common source of potassium in farming, but it adds too much chloride to soil, harming soil health and organisms. Sustainable alternatives include using fertilizers without chloride.

Soil degradation is a serious global issue. About a quarter of Earth’s land is damaged by human activity. Soil erosion from farming is 10 to 100 times faster than new soil forms. Half of Earth’s land is dry and vulnerable to degradation. In southern Africa, over a billion tons of soil are lost yearly to erosion, which could cut crop yields in half within 30 to 50 years. A study of two wheat farms showed that the one using sustainable practices had better soil quality, more organic matter, and higher profits despite slightly lower yields. Poor soil management threatens food production. Intensive farming reduces soil carbon, harms ecosystems, and worsens climate change. Changing farming practices can help store carbon in soil.

Soil management methods include no-till farming, windbreaks to stop erosion, adding organic matter to soil, reducing salt buildup, and preventing water runoff.

As the world’s population grows, more food is needed, increasing pressure on land. Planning land use carefully, such as in Wadi Ziqlab (a dry area in the Middle East), can help balance farming and sustainability.

In the 20th century, poor people often could not use sustainable farming methods due to difficult life conditions. Today, land degradation in developing countries may be linked to poverty among small farmers who are forced to use harmful practices.

Changing large areas of land to farming causes environmental and health problems, such as increasing zoonotic diseases (like the Coronavirus) by reducing natural barriers between humans and animals and harming biodiversity.

Social factors

Sustainable agriculture tries to fix many problems with one big solution. The goal of these practices is to reduce harm to the environment caused by farming while increasing the amount of crops and food produced. Many different strategies are used to help small farming communities grow economically. Two common but different ideas are letting the market decide what is grown and treating food as a basic human right. Neither of these ideas has worked perfectly. A good way to help reduce poverty in farming areas is through sustainable economic growth. This means including the poorest farmers in development plans by making sure small farming businesses stay strong.

In the early 1900s in rural America, George Washington Carver tried to help poor farmers by teaching them sustainable farming methods. He created the Jesup Wagon, a mobile school that brought lessons directly to farms. Carver taught farmers to stop growing only one type of crop, like cotton, and instead use methods such as rotating crops, adding compost to soil, and improving soil nutrients like nitrogen. His work helped shape modern farming practices in the United States.

In 2007, the United Nations reported that using sustainable agriculture could help achieve food security in Africa without needing more land or harming the environment. Studies from the early 2000s showed that when people in farming areas are not included in planning, serious problems can occur. A social scientist named Charles Kellogg said, "In the end, people who are treated unfairly pass their struggles onto the land." Sustainable agriculture means being able to keep feeding people without harming the environment over time.

There are many ways to help farmers earn more money, improve communities, and keep using sustainable methods. For example, in Uganda, genetically modified plants were once not allowed. However, because of a disease called Banana Bacterial Wilt, which could destroy most of the banana crops, the government changed its rules. They passed a new law to allow scientists to test genetically modified plants. This could help local farmers because many depend on growing their own food, and it might keep their crops stable and profitable.

Not all areas are good for farming. New technology has helped grow crops in some difficult places. For example, Nepal built greenhouses to grow food in its high mountains. Greenhouses help grow more crops and use less water because they are closed systems.

Desalination is a process that turns saltwater into freshwater, which can help areas with little water grow crops without using natural freshwater sources. While this can help farming, it is expensive and needs a lot of resources. Some parts of China are considering using desalination on a large scale, but the cost is still too high to be practical.

Women in sustainable agriculture come from many different backgrounds, such as schools and labor jobs. In the United States, the number of women who run farms tripled from 1978 to 2007. In 2007, women operated 14% of farms, compared to 5% in 1978. Much of this increase happened because more women are farming in areas where men are more common.

Growing food in the yards of homes, schools, and other places became common in the United States during World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. At one time, 40% of the vegetables in the U.S. were grown this way. This practice became popular again during the COVID-19 pandemic. This method helps grow food in a more sustainable way and makes it easier for poor people to get food.

Economic factors

Costs, such as environmental issues, that are not included in traditional accounting systems (which only consider the direct costs of production by farmers) are called externalities.

Netting studied how sustainability and intensive agriculture have changed in small-scale farming systems throughout history.

Several studies include externalities like ecosystem services, biodiversity, land degradation, and sustainable land management in economic analysis. These studies, such as The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity and the Economics of Land Degradation Initiative, aim to evaluate the economic benefits and costs of sustainable land management and agriculture practices.

Triple bottom line frameworks consider social and environmental factors in addition to financial goals. A sustainable future is possible if the growth of material use and population is reduced and if the efficiency of using materials and energy improves significantly. To achieve this, long-term and short-term goals must be balanced to improve fairness and quality of life.

According to a 2025 United Nations report, global hunger has increased for six years in a row. As funding becomes limited, one possible solution is investing in sustainable agriculture, which is four times more cost-effective than direct food aid but only receives 3% of humanitarian funding.

Challenges and debates

The challenges to sustainable agriculture can be understood through three main areas: social, environmental, and economic. These areas are considered the foundation of sustainability. The social area deals with how societies develop and learn. It focuses on moving away from old farming methods to new, sustainable practices that improve communities. The environmental area addresses climate change and aims to protect the environment for future generations through farming methods that reduce harm. The economic area looks for ways to practice sustainable agriculture while supporting economic growth and stability without harming people's livelihoods. All three areas must be addressed to solve the problems that stop sustainable farming from happening.

Social challenges include cultural changes, the need for teamwork, incentives, and new laws. Switching from traditional farming to sustainable methods requires changes in behavior by both farmers and consumers. Farmers must work together to make the transition easier, which can be difficult if they are focused on competition and profit. Farmers also need reasons to change their farming methods. Public policies, advertisements, and laws that encourage or require sustainable farming can help overcome these challenges.

Environmental challenges make it hard to protect natural ecosystems. Examples include the use of pesticides and the effects of climate change. Pesticides are often used to control pests that harm crops and keep food prices low. To farm sustainably, farmers can use safer, green pesticides that are better for health and the environment but cost more. Climate change is another challenge, as it affects farming through local factors like weather, land shape, and soil quality. These factors can reduce crop production, making farmers reluctant to change from traditional methods. Sustainable farming benefits, such as better soil health and more helpful microorganisms, take time to appear. In traditional farming, benefits like no weeds or pests are visible, but long-term harm to the environment is hidden. Traditional farming has also caused problems like loss of wildlife, polluted water, and damaged ecosystems.

Economic challenges include low profits, lack of financial support, and limited investment. Financial support and conditions greatly influence whether farmers adopt sustainable practices. Changing to sustainable farming requires training workers, investing in new technology, and spending money, which is expensive. Traditional farming allows farmers to grow large amounts of crops and earn more money, which is harder to do in sustainable farming that encourages smaller production.

James Howard Kunstler argues that most modern technology is harmful and that sustainable farming can only happen if traditional methods are used. While some people support small steps toward sustainability, others believe these steps are not enough. Local farming and community gardens are one way to promote sustainable agriculture. Teaching about local food and farming in schools and communities can encourage people to eat fresh, locally grown food.

Some people imagine a future where the economy uses less energy, has a smaller impact on the environment, and relies on local food systems. This future would include fewer processed foods, more home and community gardens, and shorter supply chains for food.

There is debate about what sustainability means in agriculture. Two main views exist: one that focuses on protecting nature and limiting human growth (ecocentric) and another that believes technology and industrial changes can achieve sustainability (technocentric). The ecocentric view supports organic farming and changing how people use resources. The technocentric view suggests that government-led changes or biotechnology can help meet food needs.

Sustainable agriculture can also be viewed through two ideas: multifunctional agriculture and ecosystem services. Multifunctional agriculture sees farming as doing more than just producing food, such as protecting the environment and managing resources. Ecosystem services focus on the benefits people get from nature, like pollination and soil health, which are important for farming.

Sustainable agriculture is also described as an ecosystem-based approach called agroecology.

Most agricultural experts agree that there is a responsibility to work toward sustainability. The main debate is about which system will best achieve this goal, as using unsustainable methods on a large scale can harm the environment and people.

Methods

Other farming methods include polyculture, which involves growing many different perennial crops in the same field. Each plant grows during different seasons, so they do not compete for water, nutrients, or sunlight. This method helps crops resist diseases better and reduces soil erosion and loss of nutrients. For example, legumes add nitrogen to the soil, which helps other plants grow. After legumes grow for one season, they leave nitrogen in the soil, and other plants can be planted in the same field the next season.

Sustainable ways to control weeds can help stop weeds from becoming resistant to chemicals. Rotating crops, especially when legumes are included, can add nitrogen to the soil and use resources more efficiently.

Sustainable animal farming includes managing grazing areas by dividing them into smaller sections called paddocks. Moving animals between paddocks often helps protect the land and allows it to recover.

In sustainable agriculture, combining different farming methods is becoming more common. For example, in Egypt, growing wheat and fish together has increased productivity and reduced the need for outside resources. This method is similar to other systems, like growing rice and fish together, and shows how combining farming activities can make farming more sustainable.

Increasing food production is a goal of intensification. Sustainable intensification uses farming methods that boost production while protecting the environment. This is done without needing more land or harming natural habitats. The United Nations has made sustainable intensification a priority. Unlike older methods, sustainable intensification focuses on environmental benefits. By 2018, 163 million farms in 100 countries used sustainable intensification, covering 453 million hectares of land. This is about 29% of all farms worldwide. With growing populations and less land available for farming, sustainable methods are needed to keep crops productive and protect soil and ecosystems. Some studies show that using plants that attract helpful insects can reduce pesticide use by 70% while increasing crop yields by 5%.

Vertical farming is a method that allows crops to be grown year-round, away from pests, with controlled water and nutrients. This also reduces the cost of transporting food.

Water use can be improved by growing drought-resistant crops and using methods that reduce water loss from plants and soil. Drought-resistant crops are genetically modified to survive with less water. This helps save water and reduce the need for irrigation. While many crops have not shown major benefits, some, like rice, have been successfully modified to resist drought.

Adding compost made from kitchen and yard waste to soil helps improve soil quality by using local resources. Avoiding tilling the soil before planting and leaving plant remains after harvesting reduces water loss from the soil and prevents erosion.

Leaving crop residue on the soil surface can lower water evaporation, reduce soil temperature, and protect the soil from wind.

To make rock phosphate more useful for plants, adding microbes called phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) to the soil can help release phosphorus that plants can use. These microbes increase plant growth by improving height, biomass, and grain yield.

Mycorrhizae, which are fungi that form partnerships with plants, help plants absorb more phosphorus from the soil. These fungi can also release chemicals that make phosphorus available to plants even when it is locked in the soil by other minerals.

Soil steaming is a method that uses heat to kill pests and improve soil health instead of using chemicals. Solarizing is a similar method that uses sunlight to increase soil temperature and kill harmful organisms.

Some plants, like those in the Brassicaceae family, can be used as biofumigants. When crushed and buried under plastic, they release chemicals that kill pests.

Moving farms to better locations can reduce the environmental impact of farming. This allows ecosystems in old farming areas to recover.

Sustainable farming also includes crop rotation, which helps prevent soil erosion by protecting the top layer of soil from wind and water. Rotating crops can reduce pests, control weeds, and improve soil health. This reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides. Growing a variety of crops can increase yields by 10–15% compared to growing only one type of crop. Perennial crops, which live for many years, reduce the need for tilling and help prevent erosion. Some research is exploring replacing annual crops like wheat with perennial plants like Thinopyrum intermedium. Avoiding chemicals is a key goal of sustainability, which is why crop rotation is a central practice in sustainable farming.

Landscape management strategies

Sustainable agriculture involves more than just practices on individual farms. It also includes considering how farming affects the entire landscape. This larger view helps balance protecting nature with enough food production. Two main strategies for managing land have been widely discussed: land sparing and land sharing. Scientists have debated these methods for over ten years, but no clear agreement has been reached about which is better for protecting wildlife and ensuring food supply and farmers' livelihoods. Studies show that land sparing is often preferred for protecting tropical forest wildlife (67% of studies), while land sharing is more often seen as helpful for food security and farmers in developing countries (58% of studies). A newer idea, called land blending, has recently been suggested as a middle ground between the two strategies. Its effectiveness depends on the specific landscape where it is used.

Land sparing separates areas used for farming from areas set aside to protect natural habitats. This strategy focuses on increasing food production on farmland, especially through methods that grow more food on the same land. This helps protect important wildlife areas from being turned into farmland. This approach has been the main strategy in developed countries for more than 150 years.

Land sharing, also called "wildlife-friendly agriculture," combines farming with protecting wildlife. It reduces the intensity of farming to allow more natural habitats to exist within farmland. This is seen in methods like agroforestry, where trees are grown with crops, and systems that mix farming crops with raising livestock.

Previously called a "mixed strategy," land blending is now described as a flexible approach between land sparing and land sharing. Unlike the two traditional methods, land blending combines elements of both, depending on the unique features of the landscape. This newer strategy has recently been shown to help balance protecting nature and producing food, while also helping communities adapt to changes and challenges.

Related concepts

Organic agriculture is a method of farming that avoids the use of synthetic chemicals. Some people believe it may create the most sustainable products available in the United States, but the main goal of the organic industry is not always focused on sustainability. In 2018, sales of organic products in the United States reached $52.5 billion. A survey by the USDA found that two-thirds of Americans consume organic products at least sometimes. Studies suggest that carbon dioxide emissions from land use and forestry are about 3–4 billion tons per year, which makes up about 10–12% of all human-caused carbon dioxide emissions in recent years.

Ecological farming is a concept that focuses on protecting the environment through sustainable agriculture. It includes methods like organic farming, which help restore natural processes such as preventing soil erosion, improving water absorption, storing carbon in the soil, and increasing the variety of plants and animals. Techniques used in ecological farming include no-till farming, planting multiple types of cover crops, strip cropping, building terraces, planting windbreaks, and pasture cropping.

Ecological farming uses many methods to support sustainable agriculture. One method is using a variety of plant species to reduce risks from growing only one type of crop, which can be harmed by changes in the climate. This diversity makes crops more resilient, improves food security, and increases long-term productivity. Another method is using biodigestors, which turn organic waste into usable fuel, fertilizer, and a way to manage waste. Biodigestors reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. Aquaculture integration combines fish farming with agriculture, using waste from animals and crops to feed fish instead of letting it pollute the environment. Mud from fish ponds can also be used to fertilize crops.

Organic fertilizers, such as manure from animals and plants, can improve soil health, lower costs, increase crop yields, and reduce reliance on non-renewable resources like nitrogen and phosphorus. Precision agriculture uses technology to control pests without chemicals and reduces the need for tilling. For example, a machine called a false seedbed tiller can remove weeds without disturbing the soil deeply, which limits new weeds from growing. Other methods that prevent soil erosion include contour farming, strip cropping, and terrace cultivation.

Ecological farming includes introducing helpful plants or animals to support the environment. Benefits include reducing harm to ecosystems and avoiding areas where life cannot survive. Ecological farming aims to create long-term, sustainable farming systems worldwide and encourages protecting biodiversity in food production. One idea is to use robots and advanced systems to monitor and care for soil and plants. This could make ecological farming a major user of technology.

A challenge for ecological farming is creating a food system that is both productive and sustainable. Locating farms closer to consumers can reduce the distance food travels, lowering pollution from transportation. However, ecological farming faces the same challenges as traditional farming, such as local climate, soil quality, budget, and labor. Over time, ecological farming may improve water availability and reduce the need for fertilizers.

Key principles of ecological farming include:
– Ensuring food is produced and transported in ways that protect the environment.
– Combining different species to support ecosystems and provide diverse products.
– Reducing the distance food travels, packaging, energy use, and waste.
– Creating new ecosystems that meet human needs by learning from natural systems.
– Using knowledge about soil microorganisms to improve farming practices, such as in forest gardens.

Traditional farming methods like slash-and-burn or slash-and-char have been used for thousands of years in the Amazon. Some systems combine growing multiple crops with sustainability. In Southeast Asia, rice and fish are raised together in paddies, producing more food and reducing pollution. A version in Indonesia includes rice, fish, ducks, and water plants. Ducks eat weeds, saving labor and chemicals, while their waste fertilizes the crops.

Raised field farming has been revived in areas like the Altiplano region of Bolivia and Peru. This method creates fertile soil in poor areas and is used by local communities to grow crops in hard-to-farm regions. Other traditional methods include agroforestry, rotating crops, and collecting rainwater. In Ethiopia, where droughts are common, rainwater harvesting helps store water for use during dry periods.

Native American tribes in the United States practiced sustainable farming by growing crops suited to their local environments. These methods, called permaculture, involve understanding and working with natural processes to grow food.

Standards

Certification systems are important for farmers and shoppers because these rules help ensure that food and other products are grown and made in ways that protect people and the environment. Many different standards and certification systems exist, such as organic certification, Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade, UTZ Certified, GlobalGAP, Bird Friendly, and the Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C). These rules tell farmers, companies, and traders how to grow, make, or sell products without harming people or nature. These rules are called Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS), which are private rules that require products to meet certain economic, social, or environmental goals. The rules can cover things like the quality of a product, how it is grown or made, and how it is transported. Most VSS are created and promoted by groups that are not part of the government, such as non-profit organizations or private companies. These standards are used by people at every stage of the process, from farmers to stores that sell the products. Certifications and labels are used to show that a product follows these rules. According to the ITC standards map, most products covered by these standards are agricultural goods. Today, about 500 VSS apply to key exports from many developing countries, such as coffee, tea, bananas, cocoa, palm oil, timber, cotton, and organic food. These standards are found to help reduce problems like water pollution, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and the loss of natural habitats. Because of this, they are seen as tools that can help make farming more sustainable.

The USDA creates a label for organic products that follows national rules set by farmers and businesses. To get certified, farmers must create an organic system plan that explains how their crops will be planted, grown, harvested, stored, and transported. This plan also includes how to manage and monitor the materials used near the crops, how to care for the crops, and how to avoid using non-organic products that might touch the crops. Once this plan is made, the USDA checks it and inspects the farm. If everything is approved, the product gets a USDA sticker and can be sold in the United States. To make sure farmers follow the rules and that Americans get real organic products, these inspections happen at least once each year. This is an example of how certification systems help ensure that food is grown and handled in a sustainable way.

Policy

Sustainable agriculture is a topic discussed in international policies because it can help reduce harm to the environment. In 2011, a group called the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change advised leaders to include sustainable farming in national and global policies. The group said that changing weather patterns and extreme climate events will hurt farming results, so action must be taken now to make farming systems more resilient. It also asked for more money to be spent on sustainable agriculture over the next ten years, including funding for research, improving land, offering financial help, and building better infrastructure.

At the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, 45 countries promised to spend more than 4 billion dollars to support the shift to sustainable farming. An organization named "Slow Food" worried that these funds might focus too much on technology and tree planting instead of using a farming method called "agroecology," which aims to create a system that works with nature and treats food as part of a balanced environment.

The conference also included talks about reducing carbon dioxide emissions, becoming carbon neutral, stopping deforestation, ending the use of coal, and limiting methane emissions.

In November, a report called the Climate Action Tracker said that current policies are likely to lead to a 2.7°C rise in global temperatures. The report noted that current goals are not enough to meet global needs because the use of coal and natural gas is a major reason for the slow progress. Some developing countries, like those in Africa, asked for changes to agreements that would remove the need for poorer nations to follow the same rules as wealthier countries.

In May 2020, the European Union launched a program called "From Farm to Fork" to make its farming more sustainable. The program includes goals such as:
– Making 25% of EU farming organic by 2030.
– Reducing pesticide use by 50% by 2030.
– Cutting fertilizer use by 20% by 2030.
– Reducing nutrient loss by at least 50%.
– Lowering the use of antimicrobials in farming and aquaculture by 50% by 2030.
– Creating labels for sustainable food.
– Reducing food waste by 50% by 2030.
– Investing 10 billion euros in research related to sustainable agriculture.

Policies from 1930 to 2000

The New Deal introduced policies that helped promote sustainable farming. The Agriculture Adjustment Act of 1933 gave farmers money to control crop production, which helped them focus on growing food instead of competing in the market. The New Deal also paid farmers to leave some land unplanted to improve soil quality. A program called the Cooperative Extension Service was created to share responsibilities for farming education between the USDA, universities, and local communities.

From the 1950s to the 1990s, the government changed its approach to farming policies, which slowed progress toward sustainability. The Agricultural Act of 1954 supported farmers with price supports, but only for certain crops. The Food and Agricultural Act of 1965 added income support and kept some controls on supply but reduced price supports. The Agriculture and Consumer Protection Act of 1973 removed price supports and instead used target prices and payments for shortfalls. This policy continued to support commodity crops by lowering interest rates. The Food Security Act of 1985 kept programs that helped farmers borrow money for crops. These policies encouraged farming for profit instead of sustainability, leading to larger farms that focused on growing crops like corn, wheat, and cotton. Between 1900 and 2002, the number of farms in the U.S. dropped, while the average size of farms increased after 1950. The U.S. set new records for crop production and farming efficiency for 40 years after World War II.

In the United States, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA) helps farmers with conservation efforts and farming production. Programs like SARE and China-UK SAIN support research on sustainable farming and create frameworks for farming and climate change.

Today, policies like the Green New Deal aim to make U.S. farming more sustainable. This plan would break up large farms created in the 1950s to 1980s and give more power to local communities to manage farming. It would also invest in public projects to help farmers move away from industrial farming and learn sustainable methods. Like the New Deal, it would support cooperatives and shared resources like land, food, and training programs. These changes would help remove barriers that have made it hard for sustainable farming to grow in the U.S.

In the U.S., people like Leah Penniman have worked to promote sustainable farming. Penniman is a teacher, farmer, and co-founder of Soul Fire Farm. Soul Fire Farm uses regenerative farming methods, which were developed by George Washington Carver. Penniman wrote a book called Farming While Black, which teaches African-heritage farmers about sustainable farming techniques and their history in agriculture. Soul Fire Farm also trains people to fight racism in farming.

In 2016, the Chinese government planned to reduce meat consumption by 50% to create a more sustainable and healthy food system.

In 2019, China’s National Basic Research Program (Program 973) funded research on Science and Technology Backyard (STB) projects. These projects are in rural areas with many small farms and combine traditional farming knowledge with new technology. The goal was to improve farming while protecting the environment. The program was successful, and studies showed that mixing old and new methods increased crop production.

In India, the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) and the Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) shared information about sustainable farming practices. India is working to expand these practices through leaders, officials, and others who support farming methods that use fewer chemicals. These efforts include 16 methods, such as planting trees with crops, rotating crops, and collecting rainwater.

History

In 1907, the American writer Franklin H. King wrote about the benefits of farming methods that protect the environment in his book Farmers of Forty Centuries. He said these methods would be important for farming in the future. The term "sustainable agriculture" was first used by an Australian farmer scientist named Gordon McClymont. This term became widely known in the late 1980s. In 2002, the International Society of Horticultural Science held a meeting about sustainability in horticulture during the International Horticultural Congress in Toronto. At the next meeting in Seoul in 2006, the ideas behind sustainable agriculture were discussed again.

Concerns about whether the world could feed its growing population have existed since the early 1800s, when the English economist Thomas Malthus raised the issue. These worries have become more important in recent years. At the end of the twentieth century and the start of the twenty-first century, the topic became widely talked about in the United States because of fears about the world's population growing quickly. Farming has always been the largest industry worldwide and needs large amounts of land, water, and labor. Around the year 2000, experts questioned whether farming could keep up with the growing number of people. This discussion led to concerns about not having enough food for everyone and finding ways to solve hunger.