10 Things You Need to Know about Sustainable Agriculture

1. It is different from organic Organic is a certificate that the USDA can give to a farm, while sustainability is more a philosophy that extends beyond the food. Certified Organic farms are not required to act sustainably or ethically while most agree that sustainability is producing with protective action. Often times a sustainable farm has that belief extend into other realms, such as the way that they run their office or transport their products (Chait). 2. Contrary to popular belief, it can feed the world The most popular dig at sustainable agriculture is that it is not feasible to feed the world. But this is just an opinion and not a fact, and supporters of sustainable agriculture are hoping to change that opinion. Many experts have come out saying that small, sustainable farms (the two adjectives go hand in hand) have the potential to increase food security around the world, because it decentralizes the agriculture business and uses resources in a much more ethical and intelligent way (Gould). 3. Sustainable Agriculture saves water Sustainable farms avoid the careless use of water (a trait of conventional large farms) like the plague, because they see the value in preserving our resources for the future. Some sustainable practices regarding water are using reclaimed water, using drought-resistant crops, and smaller volume irrigation (Gould). 4. Sustainable Agriculture saves energy The majority of farms and processing plants rely on non-renewable sources of energy such as petroleum. Sustainable farms often try to use partially renewable energy sources to run because they understand that they cannot count on petroleum forever. For many farmers, they cannot switch fully to alternative energy sources because of the cost of these technologies (Gould). 5. Your food will taste better Of course sustainable food tastes better, because by definition sustainable food comes from healthy soil. And healthy soil contains a whole community of organisms and is chock-full of nutrients in a way the traditional industrial farm soil is not. It is this complexity of nutrients and compounds that plants incorporate from healthy soil that makes them taste bright and full of life. We can taste the difference in our mouths and feel the difference with our bodies after we eat them. - Aaron French, Chef at Sunnyside Café and author of the forthcoming The Bay Area Homegrown Cookbook (Voyageur Press, 2011) 6. You will be healthier Sustainably grown produce will not have the additives and chemicals that are often coating and permeating the produce the majority of the population consumes. These crops will also not have the added nutrients that many modified crops have to have because they are grown in denatured soil. On top of this, naturally and sustainably grown crops are shown to reduce cholesterol and colon function as well as decrease risk for some cancers (Food & Personal Health). 7. It can be affordable Sustainable farming is often not viewed as affordable because of the high costs in comparison to the over processed foods. Having organizations that support sustainable farms and policy that follows that will make it a more affordable option for more people (Carolyn, Effland, Conklin. 7). 8. It is on all levels (international, national, local) You can invest in sustainable agriculture on all levels in policy, financial support, and practice. On each level the involvement and agricultural practices will look different but it is all interconnected (Carolyn, Effland, Conklin. 7). 9. It is everyones responsibility Everyone can play a part in the solution to food security around the world and ensuring that agriculture is a feasible option for future generations (Gould). 10. It will be necessary Climate change and population increase are issues that are facing the agriculture business today. It is predicted that by 2050, we will have to increase food production by 70% in order to provide the population with 3,000 calories and this becomes increasingly more difficult to fathom as we continue to damage our environment. Our agricultural practices need to be redirected to be more sustainable (Gould)

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