{"id":47,"date":"2008-08-13T14:27:17","date_gmt":"2008-08-13T18:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sacdev.org\/?page_id=47"},"modified":"2021-03-15T11:40:49","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T15:40:49","slug":"what-is-sustainable-ag","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/about-us\/what-is-sustainable-ag\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Sustainable Ag?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Sustainable agriculture&#8221; as legally defined in U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103 means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long term:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Satisfy human food and fiber needs.<\/li>\n<li>Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends.<\/li>\n<li>Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.<\/li>\n<li>Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.<\/li>\n<li>Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">The basic goals of sustainable agriculture are environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity (sometimes referred to as the \u201cthree legs\u201d of the sustainability stool). \u00a0The University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program has a <a href=\"https:\/\/asi.ucdavis.edu\/programs\/ucsarep\/about\/what-is-sustainable-agriculture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">helpful explanation of some of the common themes woven throughout various definitions of sustainable agriculture on their website<\/a>. \u00a0The following is an excerpt:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. \u00a0Therefore, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Stewardship of human resources includes consideration of social responsibilities such as working and living conditions of laborers, the needs of rural communities, and consumer health and safety both in the present and the future. \u00a0Stewardship of land and natural resources involves maintaining or enhancing this vital resource base for the long term.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">A systems perspective is essential to understanding sustainability. \u00a0The system is envisioned in its broadest sense, from the individual farm, to the local ecosystem, and to communities affected by this farming system both locally and globally. \u00a0An emphasis on the system allows a larger and more thorough view of the consequences of farming practices on both human communities and the environment. \u00a0A systems approach gives us the tools to explore the interconnections between farming and other aspects of our environment.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">A systems approach also implies interdisciplinary efforts in research and education. \u00a0This requires not only the input of researchers from various disciplines, but also farmers, farmworkers, consumers, policymakers, and others.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Making the transition to sustainable agriculture is a process. \u00a0For farmers, the transition to sustainable agriculture normally requires a series of small, realistic steps. \u00a0Family economics and personal goals influence how fast or how far participants can go in the transition. \u00a0It is important to realize that each small decision can make a difference and contribute to advancing the entire system further on the &#8220;sustainable agriculture continuum.&#8221; \u00a0The key to moving forward is the will to take the next step.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Finally, it is important to point out that reaching toward the goal of sustainable agriculture is the responsibility of all participants in the system, including farmers, laborers, policymakers, researchers, retailers, and consumers. \u00a0Each group has its own part to play, its own unique contribution to make to strengthen the sustainable agriculture community.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The following organizations\u2019 websites also have definitions and background information about sustainable agriculture:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ucsusa.org\/food_and_agriculture\/solutions\/advance-sustainable-agriculture\/healthy-farm-vision.html#.VCR6mStdURl\">Union of Concerned Scientists<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.attra.org\/attra-pub\/sustagintro.html#what%20\">ATTRA \u2013 National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sare.org\/resources\/what-is-sustainable-agriculture\/\">SARE &#8211; Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Sustainable agriculture&#8221; as legally defined in U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":27,"menu_order":12,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-47","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry","6":"clb-missing-post-thumbnail"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is Sustainable Ag? - National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sustainableagriculture.net\/about-us\/what-is-sustainable-ag\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is Sustainable Ag? - National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&#8220;Sustainable agriculture&#8221; as legally defined in U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103 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. 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