360 CHAPTER 14 Agriculture and Food Resources
Solutions to Agricultural Problems
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Moving to Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture (also called alternative, or low-
input, agriculture) carefully integrates certain modern
agricultural techniques with tra-
ditional farming methods. Sus-
tainable agriculture is modeled
after natural ecosystems, with
their high biological diversity,
biodegradation of materials, and
maintenance of soil fertility. To
this end, sustainable agriculture
relies on beneficial biological
processes and environmentally
friendly chemicals that disintegrate quickly and do
not persist as residues in the environment. A sustain-
able farm consists of field crops, trees that bear fruits
and nuts, small herds of livestock, and even tracts of
forest (Figure 14.11). Such diversification protects a
sustainable farmer against unexpected changes in the
marketplace.
The breeding of disease-resistant crop plants and the
maintenance of animal health rather than the continual
use of antibiotics to prevent disease are important parts
of sustainable agriculture. Water and energy conserva-
tion are also practiced.- Define sustainable agriculture and contrast it
with industrialized agriculture. - Identify the potential benefits and problems of
genetic engineering.
F
ood production poses an environmental
quandary. The green revolution and indus-
trialized agriculture have unquestionably
met the food requirements of most of the
human population, even as that population has more
than doubled since 1960. But we pay for these food gains
with serious environmental problems, and we do not
know if industrialized agriculture is sustainable for more
than a few decades. To compound the issue, we must con-
tinue to increase food production to feed the growing
human population—but the resulting damage to the
environment may reduce our chances of continuing
those food increases into the future.
Fortunately, farming practices and techniques exist
that ensure a sustainable output at yields comparable to
those of industrialized agriculture. Farmers who practice
industrialized agriculture can adopt these alternative
agricultural methods, which cost less and are less damag-
ing to the environment. Advances are also being made in
sustainable subsistence agriculture.
sustainable
agriculture
Agricultural methods
that maintain soil
productivity and a
healthy ecological
balance while having
minimal long-term
impacts.Some goals of sustainable
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Sustainable agriculture, which is mod-
eled on natural ecosystems, protects
the soil so that it does not become
depleted.
Increase biological diversity in
crops and livestock to enhance
food security, maximize natural
processes (such as pest control
and pollination), and minimize
pesticide inputs.Enhance soil health and
minimize erosion through crop
rotation, multiple cropping,
conservation tillage, and
planting tracts of forest.Manage wetlands and water
resources carefully.Sustainable agricultureWetlandsCertified
sustainable
timberPastureCropsOrchardFocus on biological processes
(nutrient cycling, energy flow,
predator–prey relationships)
rather than single actions (effect
of application of fertilizer on
crop growth).Emphasize total agricultural
ecosystem rather than single
crop (monoculture).Improve soil fertility by adding
organic matter and managing
soil biology (for example, using
legume-based nitrogen fixation)
to minimize commercial
inorganic fertilizer inputs.