SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

  Hi, friends today you are going to an interesting topic it is sustainable agriculture. In this you are going to about principles of sustainable agriculture and methods of sustainable agriculture. And also you can benefits of organic farming and disadvantages of organic farming.

 

 Many studies  Reveal that the global population is going to reach 9 billion by 2050. Meeting the food demands of this booming population requires 70% increase in food prodution . While morden industrial  agriculture introduced by the green revolution (i.e., conventional agriculture ) is highly productive and has achieved a balance between population growth and food production, it has also brought in many detrimental and long-term problems that have degraded the natural environment.

The challenge now is add the ecological dimension for improvement of crop productivity and to introduce agriculture practices that are economically visible and environmental friendly. The rational solution given by economists, environmentalists and social scientists is sustainable agriculture that helps in making a shift from crop- center Green revolution to frontier technollogies- centred evergreen revolution.

Sustainable agriculture is the production of food, fiber, or other plant or animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities, and animal welfare. It entails the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. It has been defined as "an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will last over the long term."

Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals --- Environmental health, Economic profitablility, and social and economical equity. 

PRINCIPAL OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

1. Building and maintaining health soil 

2. Management of water, energy and other resources

3. Reducing pollution

4. Promoting biodiversity

5. Ensuring Animal welfare

6. Stabilizing the food supply

7. Ensuring Economic viability

8. Management of post harvest produce 

METHODS OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 

Following are the methods by which the sustainable agriculture is carried out:

1. Crop Rotation: crop rotation is the method of farming where a series of different types of crops are grown on the same field systematically in sequenced seasons. This helps in breaking the reproduction cycles of pests. It also helps to maintain a healthy balance of nutrients in the soil, thus reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. It also helps in maintaining biological diversity.

2. Organic Farming:  Organic farming is a mode of Agriculture which involves cultivation of plants and rearing of animals in natural ways. It is an integrated farming system that strives for environmental sustainability, improvement of soil fertility and biological diversity by avoiding chemical pesticides and fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones. 

Benefits of organic farming

Organic farming techniques maintain soil health, prevent environment degradation And produce high quality crops. Pollution of ground water decreases. The food produced is tastier and healthier and does not contain residues of pesticides. Milk is free of antibiotics and growth hormones. Farmers in organic farm work in a healthy environment.

Disadvantages of organic farming

Organic food has some disadvantages. The yield productivity is low and the cost of crop production is high. Organic food is, therefore, about 40% more expensive than conventionally produced food. Organic farming requires more labour.