What is Sustainable Agriculture?

What is sustainable agriculture? The definition of the term is widely debated and varies dependent upon the practices of the individual you may discuss it with. This past May in St. Charles, Illinois a 58-member standards committee from the Leonardo Academy, an environmental think tank in Madison, Wisconsin met to begin forming the voluntary standards they hope to construct in regard to the term, under the guidelines of the American National Standards Institute.

Information compiled by Mary V. Gold for the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center states, “With the contradictions and questions have come a hard look at our present food production system and thoughtful evaluations of its future. If nothing else, the term “sustainable agriculture” has provided “talking points,” a sense of direction, and an urgency, that has sparked much excitement and innovative thinking in the agricultural world.”

The word “sustain,” from the Latin sustinere (sus-, from below and tenere, to hold), to keep in existence or maintain, implies long-term support or permanence. As it pertains to agriculture, sustainable describes farming systems that are “capable of maintaining their productivity and usefulness to society indefinitely. Such systems... must be resource-conserving, socially supportive, commercially competitive, and environmentally sound.” [John Ikerd, as quoted by Richard Duesterhaus in "Sustainability's Promise," Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (Jan.-Feb. 1990) 45(1): p.4. NAL Call # 56.8 J822]
Sustainable agriculture was addressed by Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill [Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (FACTA), Public Law 101-624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1603 (Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1990) NAL Call # KF1692.A31 1990]. Under that law, “the term sustainable agriculture means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term:
• satisfy human food and fiber needs
• enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends
• make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls
• sustain the economic viability of farm operations
• enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”

When I consider the ideal definition of sustainable agriculture for myself, my thoughts focus on the next generation. I have watched with disappointment over the past three decades the next generation of our nation’s farmers leave the family farm to pursue other vocations, as the small family farm was not capable of supporting more than one family. The local and organic food movement goes beyond a feel good philosophy and provides a vehicle in which the family farm can diversify and remain sustainable, offering not only potential to earn a living but also a way of life at risk of being lost to our culture.

My vocation has me investigating the definition and sustainability of agriculture as a whole. I have met families over the summer who are making a living on five to ten acres producing healthy, organic foods for their family and community. They appreciate the lifestyle they have created and are eager to share their experiences with others -- our conversations a positive reinforcement my ideals are not passe and the small family farms will not disappear and will remain a symbol of our nation’s Midwest heritage.

To learn more about sustainable agriculture visit: http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/terms/srb9902.shtml