Excessive use of synthetic-chemical inputs in modern industrial agriculture is creating unprecedented health and environmental problems. Soil erosion and loss of biodiversity due to large monocultures are a few of many severe problems faced today. As society is becoming more aware of these issues, many are seeking alternatives to the capitalist approach to food production. Sustainable pest and nutrient management systems must be established to mitigate chemical dependence and agriculture must become localized permacultures to avoid loss of biodiversity and achieve ideal agricultural sustainability.
Before we began to industrialize agriculture in the early 1900’s, the potential benefits of the industrial revolution were obvious. During that time, we were still an agrarian society. Most people were either farmers or lived in rural communities and it took most of our resources to feed and clothe ourselves. For the idea of the industrial revolution to work, we had to free the majority from their role as farmers to go to work in factories and offices. Also, we had to mitigate the cost of food and clothing so that people could afford to buy the things that these new industries were going to produce. We were faced with the task of allowing fewer farmers to provide for more people, so agriculture had to become more efficient.
While the industrialization of agriculture was beneficial in the evolution of our society, the benefits have declined and the social and environmental threats implicit in continuation of such practices are being brought to light. The technologies that have allowed us to increase our agricultural productivity are now the greatest threats to our biosphere, economy, and health. Many agriculturally dependent communities are struggling to survive. The purpose of industrialization was to allow fewer people to produce more; but it takes productive people, not just production, to sustain local communities.
Our large-scale industrial systems have degraded the environment and depleted their natural resource base. Fertilizers and pesticides have become a primary source of environmental pollution. Although industrial agriculture was designed to convert solar energy to human-useful form, we now use more non-renewable fossil energy to produce than we capture in solar energy from the sun. The successes of industrial agriculture often mask significant problems affecting natural capital, human health, and agriculture itself. It is only recently that these costs have become a public concern.
Societies growing concern has led to an overwhelming outpour of new research and data promoting sustainable agriculture. The idea of sustainability varies by definition, and so it is necessary to consider what sustainable agriculture seeks to address. While the primary goal of agriculture is to produce food and other commodities, it also inadvertently influences a wide range of other factors that must be taken into consideration such as clean water, wildlife, carbon sequestration in soils, flood protection, landscape quality, biodiversity, etc.
It is imperative that we focus on working with nature. Industrial systems attempt to coerce nature without objective knowledge of the effects implicit. The results are an illusion of progress because while we manage some symptoms, we inadvertently create more problems. Today, we have the ability to look at agriculture from a new perspective, with unprecedented technology and information. We now have the advanced capabilities to begin progressive implementation of new agricultural designs based around sustainability. It is imperative that the operating philosophy centers on sustainability rather than profit.
Sustainable agriculture is so comprehensive that it is very difficult to understand and apply objectively. Integrated farming requires the management of a complex whole rather than simply knowing how to grow individual crops. It is so comprehensive that we must learn and apply new techniques in a stepwise fashion, where solutions cannot be universally implemented due to external influences related to geographical location. It is imperative that we seek to understand the laws of nature and apply them in a way that promotes proven, long-term results for the variables present in each farm.
According to David Pimentel of Cornell University: “Integrated pest and nutrient management systems and certified organic agriculture can reduce reliance on agrichemical inputs as well as making agriculture environmentally and economically sound." Implementation of several organic technologies would likely be beneficial. A more sustainable agriculture seeks to make the best use of nature’s goods and services. It does this by integrating processes such as nitrogen fixation, soil regeneration, and nutrient cycling. The goal is to minimize the use of nonrenewable inputs that treat symptoms rather than addressing the premise of the issue.
There are several techniques that can be employed to mitigate chemical dependence in agriculture. For example, by employing off season cover crops and using more extended crop rotations we can conserve soil and water resources while also reducing insect, disease, and weed problems. This increases soil organic matter which helps to conserve water and mitigates drought effects on crops. This approach uses natural biodiversity to reduce the use of fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.
In order to achieve true sustainability, we must understand the ecosystem in which we farm and learn to implement that knowledge effectively. The foundation for pest management in agricultural systems should be an understanding of the full composite of inherent plant defenses, plant mixtures, soil, natural enemies, etc. When dealing with pests, we must first consider why the pest is a pest so that we can reveal underlying weaknesses in our agronomic practices. Chemical use is unsustainable and should be viewed as an emergency backup rather than a first line of defense.
The Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trial has compared organic and conventional grain-based farming systems since 1981. The experimental design included three cropping systems: Conventional (synthetic fertilizer and herbicide-based), organic, animal manure and legume-based, and organic, legume-based without livestock. Thanks to several decades of research comparing these systems, we have access to invaluable data that can assist in the transformation of agriculture.
Soil organic matter was significantly higher in both of the organic systems than in the conventional system. Soil carbon increased 27.9%, 15.1%, and 8.6% in the organic-animal, organic-legume, and the conventional systems, respectively. This increase in biomass also increases soil biodiversity. Micro-arthropods and earthworms are twice as abundant in organic systems than in conventional systems. These and other insects help construct holes in the soil, which allows percolation of water into the soil and prevents excessive run-off. Increased biodiversity also provides vital ecological services such as crop protection and reduction of crop disease.
An increase in soil biodiversity was not the only advantage of the organic systems. Significantly less fossil energy was expended when compared with the conventional system. This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, mitigating greenhouse gas emission. The conclusion of twenty-two years of experimental data suggests that public health and ecological integrity can be improved by implementing these practices and mitigating the use of commercial fertilizers applied.
The benefits of a total system approach would be astounding. The approach should take into consideration the impacts on our natural resources, the quality and diversity of our landscape, and conservation of energy and nonrenewable resources. Agricultural sustainability is a goal rather than a specific set of methods and technologies that can be applied universally. It must be ecologically sound, socially responsible, and economically viable. The foundation of the sustainable paradigm is built upon a balance of social, environmental, and economic considerations while developing systems with the goal of sustaining an optimal quality of human life indefinitely.
An increase in soil biodiversity was not the only advantage of the organic systems. Significantly less fossil energy was expended when compared with the conventional system. This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, mitigating greenhouse gas emission. The conclusion of twenty-two years of experimental data suggests that public health and ecological integrity can be improved by implementing these practices and mitigating the use of commercial fertilizers applied.
The benefits of a total system approach would be astounding. The approach should take into consideration the impacts on our natural resources, the quality and diversity of our landscape, and conservation of energy and nonrenewable resources. Agricultural sustainability is a goal rather than a specific set of methods and technologies that can be applied universally. It must be ecologically sound, socially responsible, and economically viable. The foundation of the sustainable paradigm is built upon a balance of social, environmental, and economic considerations while developing systems with the goal of sustaining an optimal quality of human life indefinitely.
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References:
Röling , N.G., Ed., and M.A.E., Ed. Wagemaker. Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Print.
Pretty , Jules, and Rachel Hine . Reducing Food Poverty with Sustainable Agriculture: A Summary of New Evidence. Colchester, UK: UK Department for International Development, 2001. <https://www.sx.ac.uk/ces/occasionalpapers/SAFE FINAL - Pages1-22.pdf>.
Tumlinson, J.H., W.J. Lewis, J. C. van Lenteren, and Sharad C. Phatak. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: A Total System Approach to Sustainable Pest Management. Vol. 94. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, 1997. 1224312248. <http://www.pnas.org/content/94/23/12243.full.pdf html>.
Ikerd, John. "Sustainable Agriculture: A Positive Alternative to Industrial Agriculture."
University of Missouri, 07 1996. Web. 1 Dec 2012. <http://web.missouri.edu/ikerdj/papers/Ks-hrtld.htm>.
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