Sustainability in agriculture deals with the intersection of environment, economy, and equity
Annotations:
https://sarep.ucdavis.edu/sustainable-ag
Problems With Sustainability
Increasing greenhouse gas
emissions
Livestock
animals
producing
methane
Potential fed additive to
reduce methane
production by 40%
This would be extremely expensive
for farmers
Nitrous Oxide
The main issue with sustainability is that it is a wicked
problem, also known as, a problem with no solution but
one that can be managed
The lack of
sustainability in
agricultural practices
is leading to
worsening climate
change
Over using fertilizers that
cause the release of
nitrates into water
supply, along with odors
and gases into the air
A vast majority of
deforestation is
driven by
agriculture
Deforestation causes biodiversity to decrease and
weakens the overall structure of the land
"Deforestation makes these areas highly prone to floods, loss of topsoil, mudslides and general
erosion the rainforests would have otherwise mitigated."
https://cms.qut.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/549900/ISD_Lecture-2.pdf
Over irrigating
crops
A lack of
understanding
among those not in
the agriculture
industry
Not realizing creating a sustainable
operation is a LONG process
Annotations:
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/18/5120/htm
Solutions and Interventions: Increasing
Sustainability
Farmers and ranchers know it is in their best interest environmentally and
economically to push sustainable practices in their operations
These practices include: minimizing water usage,
reducing pollution levels, and boosting soil health.
Minimize water usage by providing incentives for selecting
certain crops, reduce irrigation (if possible), and managing
crops properly to control water loss
Reduce pollution levels by adding buffers to reduce waste runoff into water
supplies, managing manure, properly using fertilizers, and facilitating livestock
access to water that my impact the public
Boost soil health by reducing tillage, using cover
crops, and maintaining soil cover.
Economics are also extremely important to sustainable operations
Farmer/Rancher wellbeing
Consumers like seeing their products be produced by
farmers that promote, care about, and believe in environmentally friendly
practices
This boosts local economies
We also are seeing actions be taken further
up the ladder at large corporations
Walmart and Tyson hope to be net zero by 2040
"Achieving an overall balance between
greenhouse gas emissions produced and
greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the
atmosphere." (ClimateCouncil.org)
Nestle hopes to be carbon
neutral by 2050
"A balance between emitting carbon and
absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in
carbon sinks"
(https://www.europarl.europa.eu/)
Addressing Knowledge Gaps
We need to work on educating those who are
not in the agriculture industry
Those involved in agriculture are often made out to be the bad guys by those who do not have
enough information on the situation
In reality, we are all involved and play a part in making agriculture sustainable
Annotations:
https://sarep.ucdavis.edu/sustainable-ag
We are often out of touch with where out food
comes from and what goes into producing it
Educating people on the process of how products make it to the shelves in the
grocery store will help people appreciate and understand agriculture
Consumers are demanding more sustainable and
environmentally friendly operations when they have no
idea how that really works
Learning that the world depends on
agriculture: “It’s not optional, it’s not a
luxury, it’s an absolute necessity” -
Johnathan Foley, The Other Inconvenient Truth
Learn the difference between necessity and luxury
What Can Be Done
Additionally?
Work on improving sustainability from a local level
Purchase from local producers if possible
Buy responsibly if you cannot shop local
Start reducing water usage on luxury items/activities
An easy example being golf courses
Start composting, walking and riding bikes
Introduce even more forms of
renewable energy
Solar, wind, hydro
Work on lowering prices for fed additives that would
decrease the amount of methane produced by
livestock animals
Most importantly, recognize that this cannot be
done over night and will take lots of time and
hard work
Moving away from industrial
farming and working towards fully
sustainable operations