Sustainable Agriculture
Proponents of sustainable agriculture endorse farming practices striving towards a healthy, well-fed, well-provided farms, communities, countries, world -- all this to continue many generations into our future. A wide variety of sustainable farming practices have been reported to be practical, but certainly sustainable practices are easier said than done.
The first step towards sustainable farming is for farmers and farming communities to embrace stewardship of every environment, resource, and person impacted by farming practices towards achieving long-term well-being for each.
Non-sustainable practices include:
The first step towards sustainable farming is for farmers and farming communities to embrace stewardship of every environment, resource, and person impacted by farming practices towards achieving long-term well-being for each.
Non-sustainable practices include:
- monoculture
- massive deforestation
- heavy use of irrigation
- groundwater contamination
- heavy use of fertilizers
- heavy use of pesticides
- heavy use of mechanized equipment
- soil degradation
- effluent dischares
- biomass burning
- loss of sensitive flora or fauna
- loss of species diversity
- loss of crop diversity
- questionable long-term economic prospects
Relative Sustainability Index (SRI) - Meat
The Relative Sustainability Index (SRI) permits one to compare food choices on a basis of which are more acceptable. Thus a high SRI food such as mutton or farmed fish is far preferable than a low SRI food such as wild fish. Clearly harvest of wild fish is by far the least sustainable type of meat.
I should add that this chart just gives a general idea for each category. Certainly there are highly sustainable individual farms showing good sustainability.
Apr2018 Update: Markers added to 3 lines to assist in visual identification of which lines correspond to which crops. Harvest of wild fish remains least sustainable of these meats. Interesting to note that the model indicates farmed fish to have a declining sustainability over time.
Sep9/19: Chart updated; typo in header corrected & forecast extended to year 2200.
I should add that this chart just gives a general idea for each category. Certainly there are highly sustainable individual farms showing good sustainability.
Apr2018 Update: Markers added to 3 lines to assist in visual identification of which lines correspond to which crops. Harvest of wild fish remains least sustainable of these meats. Interesting to note that the model indicates farmed fish to have a declining sustainability over time.
Sep9/19: Chart updated; typo in header corrected & forecast extended to year 2200.
RELATIVE SUSTAINABILITY INDEX (SRI) -- FOOD CROPS
This chart shows the relative sustainability index for 8 major food crops. Of the 8 crops, pulses are the most sustainable. Sugarcane and palm oil are the least sustainable.
Apr2018 Update: Markers added to markers to assist in visual identification of which lines correspond to which crops. Pulses remain by far the most sustainable of these crops. Sugarcane, palm oil and cocoa the least sustainable.
Sep8/19: chart updated to 2018 & forecast extended to 2200.
Apr2018 Update: Markers added to markers to assist in visual identification of which lines correspond to which crops. Pulses remain by far the most sustainable of these crops. Sugarcane, palm oil and cocoa the least sustainable.
Sep8/19: chart updated to 2018 & forecast extended to 2200.
RELATIVE SUSTAINABILITY INDEX (SRI) -- Non-Food Crops
This chart compares compare several non-food crops by estimated their Relative Sustainability Indices (SRIs). I found it a real advantage that SRI calculation permitted comparison of crops having result publlshed in quite different production units.
Note that Floriculture is much more sustainable than the other 3 crops, and conversely natural rubber much less sustainable.
Sep2019 Update: Forecast extended to 2200. It appears very large scale floriculture may show decreased sustainability.
Note that Floriculture is much more sustainable than the other 3 crops, and conversely natural rubber much less sustainable.
Sep2019 Update: Forecast extended to 2200. It appears very large scale floriculture may show decreased sustainability.