Sustainable Agriculture

One way environmental sustainability is being applied is through sustainable agriculture. This is define as the use of farming techniques that protect the environment. Sustainable agriculture has grown out of concerns over the industrialization of agriculture that began in the 20th century.

Although industrial agriculture has the ability to produce abundant amounts of food at affordable prices, the method of farming can be detrimental to the environment. Industrial agricultural methods are heavily reliant on chemical fertilizers and pesticides and put high demands on soil and water resources. Also, industrial crops are often monocrops, which involve growing a single crop year after year.

These methods can lead to water pollution when chemicals run off into waterways, deplete the water resources due to overuse, and soil erosion and poor soil quality due to aggressive planting. With sustainable agriculture, farmers minimize water use and lower the dependence on chemical pesticides and fertilizers. They also minimize tillage of the soil and rotate crop planting each year to ensure higher soil quality.