How Can We Save Our World? Sustainable Farming

By Carol Ballard

How Can We Save Our World looks at how the idea of sustainable development is having an increasing influence on a wide range of human activities. The books examine the environmental costs and unsustainable nature of modern life, and discuss ways in which society can progress toward a more sustainable future.

Sustainable Farming describes the history of farming and explains why we need to make it more sustainable. It discusses:

€ The environmental problems created by agriculture
€ How the globalization of agriculture means that farm products are transported across the world
€ Ways to make farming more sustainable
€ How to achieve a balance between the needs of farmers, rural communities, consumers, and businesses.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
• Release date: Sep 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781398817012

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

The Need for Sustainable Farming

Farming, or agriculture, is the oldest and most important industry in the world. Nearly all our food comes from farming, as do the raw materials for many products such as clothing and shelter. As the global population grows, the amount of food we need also increases.

FACE THE FACTS

This graph shows the rate at which the human population has grown since 1950 and the expected future growth. The figures for 2010 on are projections.

Source: EarthTrends, World Resources Institute, 2006

Sustainable farming

Farming uses several important resources, such as land, water, and human energy. Sustainable farming is an approach, first suggested in the 1980s, that tries to ensure that each resource is used wisely and carefully. The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA) in the US, defines sustainable agriculture as a system that produces abundant food without depleting the earth’s resources or polluting its environment.

There are five basic concepts in sustainable farming:

Produce enough food

Sustainable farming aims to ensure that the choices of farming methods, crops, and livestock are made carefully so that there will be enough food to feed the growing global population.

Avoid environmental damage

If the environment is damaged by farming, it may be unable to support food production and other human needs in the future. It is possible to farm using methods that do not cause environmental damage, and this is a key aim of sustainable farming.

Use resources efficiently

Without the efficient use of resources, it may not be possible to produce enough food for everybody. Sustainable farming aims to maximize the use of every resource, with as little waste as possible.

Be economically viable

Farming is an industry, and like all industries, it collapses if it spends more money than it makes. For long-term success, a farm must be economically viable, and sustainable farming aims to ensure that this is the case.

Enhance rural life

Many people live in the countryside, and the way the land is managed has a direct impact on their lives. Sustainable farming aims to ensure that rural communities do not suffer from the agricultural activities around them. It also aims to provide employment and income for these communities.

This mother and her son in Uganda have been trained in sustainable-farming methods. Since they began to use this approach, the quality and yield of their crops has increased.

Why is farming not sustainable now?

Ideally, farmers who plant crops or raise livestock would take into account the key concepts of sustainable farming. However, we do not live in an ideal world, and much of global agriculture is not carried out in a sustainable manner. There are several reasons for this, including

• Ignorance: many farmers have not heard of