"Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs."
Understanding the costs and benefits associated with intensive agriculture and how to maximize profitability while minimizing environmental impact and resource use.
Agricultural Economics: Study of the principles and practices of agriculture to understand how these aspects contribute to businesses and the economy as a whole.
Farm Management: Application of economic principles to manage and operate farms efficiently.
Market Analysis: Study of supply and demand in agricultural markets and how market trends may affect the profitability of farms and agribusinesses.
Agricultural Inputs: Understanding the role of inputs such as land, labor, capital, and machinery in agricultural production and the effect of their costs on profitability.
Crop Production and Management: Techniques for maximizing crop yields in intensive agriculture, including plant breeding, fertilization, irrigation, and pest control.
Livestock Production and Management: Methods for maximizing livestock production in intensive agriculture, including animal breeding, feed management, and disease control.
Agriculture and the Environment: Understanding the environmental impacts of intensive agriculture practices and potential methods for reducing negative impacts.
Agricultural Policies: Analyzing government policies and regulations that affect agricultural production and trade.
Agricultural Marketing and Trade: Understanding global agricultural markets and the effects of trade agreements on the agricultural industry.
Agricultural Finance: Managing financing and investment for agricultural businesses, including credit, loans, and risk management.
Industrial Agriculture: Industrial agriculture is a type of intensive agriculture that uses large-scale farming methods, including mechanization and chemical inputs, to maximize yields and profits.
Biodynamic Agriculture: Biodynamic agriculture is a holistic approach to farming that emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living things. Methods include crop rotation, composting, and the use of natural fertilizers.
Hydroponic Agriculture: Hydroponic agriculture is a method of growing plants without soil, using a nutrient-rich water solution instead. This allows for year-round production and can save water compared to traditional farming methods.
Aquaponic Agriculture: Aquaponic agriculture is a combination of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). The fish waste provides a natural fertilizer for the plants, while the plants filter the water for the fish.
Precision Agriculture: Precision agriculture uses technology like GPS and drones to monitor crops and optimize inputs like water, fertilizer, and pesticides. This can help reduce waste and increase yields.
Organic Agriculture: Organic agriculture is a type of farming that avoids synthetic inputs like pesticides and fertilizers. Instead, it uses natural methods like crop rotation and composting to promote soil health and biodiversity.
Permaculture: Permaculture is a design system that seeks to create sustainable and self-sufficient ecosystems. It combines principles from agriculture, ecology, and sociology to create regenerative landscapes and communities.
Vertical Farming: Vertical farming is a method of growing crops indoors, using artificial lighting and aeroponic or hydroponic systems. This can save space and reduce transportation costs compared to traditional farming methods.
"Developing sustainable food systems contributes to the sustainability of the human population."
"Agriculture has an enormous environmental footprint, playing a significant role in causing climate change, water scarcity, water pollution, land degradation, deforestation and other processes."
"Food systems are responsible for one third of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions."
"Sustainable agriculture consists of environment friendly methods of farming that allow the production of crops or livestock without damage to human or natural systems."
"Elements of sustainable agriculture can include permaculture, agroforestry, mixed farming, multiple cropping, and crop rotation."
"Besides sustainable farming practices, dietary shifts to sustainable diets are an intertwined way to substantially reduce environmental impacts."
"Numerous sustainability standards and certification systems exist, including organic certification, Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade, UTZ Certified, GlobalGAP, Bird Friendly, and the Common Code for the Coffee Community (4C)."
"Agriculture plays a significant role in water scarcity and water pollution."
"Agriculture plays a significant role in land degradation."
"Sustainable agriculture provides a potential solution to enable agricultural systems to feed a growing population within the changing environmental conditions."
"It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem services."
"It involves preventing adverse effects to soil, water, biodiversity, surrounding or downstream resources."
"It is simultaneously causing environmental changes and being impacted by these changes."
"When developing agriculture within sustainable food systems, it is important to develop flexible business process and farming practices."
"Agriculture has an enormous environmental footprint."
"Sustainable agriculture consists of environment friendly methods of farming that allow the production of crops or livestock without damage to human or natural systems, thereby preventing deforestation."
"There are many methods to increase the sustainability of agriculture."
"Sustainable agriculture involves preventing adverse effects...to those working or living on the farm or in neighboring areas."
"Sustainable agriculture consists of environment friendly methods of farming that allow the production of crops or livestock without damage to...biodiversity."