Sustainability Lecture 10

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SustainabilityLecture 10

• Ag-Ge 146
• Agriculture, Environment, and Society

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Defined

• Sustainability Meeting needs without
  compromising future generations.
• Sustainable Agriculture A commitment to satisfy
  human food and fiber needs and to enhance the
  quality of life for farmers and society as a
  whole, now and into the future.

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THE BASIS OF SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS

• Agriculture is often viewed as consisting of
  three types of systems economic, ecological and
  social. Sustainable improvement in agriculture
  usually thought of in terms of farm
  profitability, environmental stewardship and
  quality of life for farm families and rural
  communities must be based on these interlocking
  aspects of agriculture.

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Integrates three main goals

• 1. Environmental health
• 2. Economic profitability
• 3. Social economic equity

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Common Themes in Sustainability

• Stewardship of natural human resources
• A systems approach
• A long term perspective preservation of the
  land for future generations
• Idea of process, continual change, modification
  (replicating nature)
• Shared responsibility among all participants in
  the system

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In class paperreact to the following

• The following is a short excerpt on Sustainable
  Agriculture from recent publications from the
  Research Branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food
  Canada entitled
• The health of our soils toward sustainable
  agriculture in Canada

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IntroductionL.J. Gregorich

• Most people know that they need clean air and
  clean water to stay healthy. Fewer people
  realize that their well-being also depends on the
  health of another component of our environment
  the soil. Soil supports the growth of most of
  our food and fibre, so its productivity is a
  major factor in the economics of Canada and other
  nations. But it also has a much broader role
  globally. Soil acts as a filter, cleaning air
  and water. It exchanges gases with the
  atmosphere and thus influences global climate.
  Soil receives organic wastes and recycles their
  nutrients back to plants it also holds and
  breaks down some toxic wastes. Because soil
  plays such a key role in world health, economies,
  and environmental stability, we must conserve it
  and use it in a sustainable manner.

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Sustainable Agriculture

• Sustainable agriculture is a way of farming that
  can be carried out for generations to come. This
  long-term approach to agriculture combines
  efficient production with the wise stewardship of
  the earths resources. It is hoped that, over
  time, sustainable agriculture will do the
  following
• Meet human needs for food and fibre
• Protect the natural resource base and prevent the
  degradation of soil and water quality
• Use nonrenewable resources efficiently
• Use natural biological cycles and controls
• Assure the economic survival of farming and the
  well-being of farmers and their families

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• The most important link between farming practices
  and sustainable agriculture is the health, or
  quality, of our agricultural soils. If soil
  becomes degraded, more resources in terms of
  time, money, energy, and chemicals will be needed
  to produce less-abundant crops of a lower
  quality, and the goals of sustainable agriculture
  will not be met. On the other hand, if soil
  degradation is reversed and soil health is
  maintained or improved by using appropriate
  farming methods, sustainable agriculture can be a
  reality.

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Examples of sustainable agricultural management
practices

• Reduce reliance on pesticides and nonrenewable
  energy sources.
• Increase reliance on internal cycling use local
  inputs.
• Conserve wild habitat to preserve biological
  stability enhance biological diversity.
• Preserve air quality reduce burning, dust,
  pesticide drift.

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Examples of sustainable agricultural management
practices continued

• Select species varieties that are resistant to
  pests diseases well suited to site
• Diversify crops and cultural practices to enhance
  the farms biological and economic stability
• Manage soil as a living resource
• Conserve soil protect it from erosion
• Manage water to improve conservation storage,
  reduce salinity and protect ground water from
  contamination

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Current challenges facing Californias farmers

• Conservation of agricultural resources
• Quality of ground surface waters
• Dependence on nonrenewable, petroleum-based
  inputs
• Health and safety of farm workers
• Rising production costs
• Dwindling water allocations
• Fewer chemical pest control options
• Low farm gate prices

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Global Issues Concerning Sustainability

• 1. Population - Dampen growth and stabilize size
• 2. Biological base - Conserve and restore soil,
  water, flora, and fauna
• 3. Energy - Minimize/phase out fossil fuels
• 4. Economic efficiency - Creation of an economy
  that function like an ecosystem (ie. reduce
  waste, maximize recycling)

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Global Issues Concerning Sustainability continued

• 5. Social norms - Compatible with natural,
  technical and flexible centralization
• 6. Culture - Individualism would be tempered
  with communitarianism
• 7. World order - Transformation of the global
  investment and world trade to support sustainable
  agriculture