What is Sustainable Agriculture?

Hello delegates! I hope the research process is treating you all well.
Before going into the controversies and challenges surrounding the issue of sustainable agriculture, it is important for us to find a clear definition of what sustainable agriculture is. Generally speaking, sustainable agriculture practices produce agricultural goods without damaging the resources needed for agricultural production.
For example, agriculture cannot be sustained in nutrient deficient soil. One of the oldest and most popular sustainable agriculture practices, crop rotation, helps increase soil fertility and crop yield while reducing the risk of soil erosion. Alternation between nutrient poor and nutrient rich crops has been used to maintain the integrity of crop soil ever since the agricultural revolution.
However, sustainable agriculture is about more than just protecting soil; given the environmental challenges of the anthropocene, agricultural practices that harm ecosystems, contribute to climate change, deplete natural resources, or pollute water supplies are generally not considered sustainable.
Despite the impending environmental and demographic challenges which threaten global food security, some of the world’s best scientists are working tirelessly to find solutions to combat the lack of sustainable food supplies
Here are some innovative sustainable agriculture technologies which are worth doing some research into:
  1. Crop rotation/ polycropping

  3. Natural pest management/ integrated pest management

  5. Agroforestry

  7. Hyrdoponics/ aquaponics

  9. Managed grazing

  11. Cover cropping
Of course, not all agricultural techniques work in every environment, and each of the techniques listed have their its unique drawbacks. Still, reading about different sustainable agricultural techniques will be a great starting point in understanding the problems we must address in committee.
Cheers,
Claire

(Sources: https://asi.ucdavis.edu/programs/ucsarep/about/what-is-sustainable-agriculture, http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/blog/2015/7/2/Getting-it-right-in-Addis-Sustainable-agriculture-key-to-green-growth-and-reducing-poverty.html, https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/foodagriculture)

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