What Is Sustainable Agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture practices

Through decades of science and practice, the following farming practices have proven effective in achieving sustainability, especially when used in combination:

Rotating crops and embracing diversity. Planting a variety of crops can have many benefits, including healthier soil and improved pest control. Crop diversity practices include intercropping (growing a mix of crops in the same area) and complex multiyear crop rotations.

Planting cover crops and perennials. Cover crops such as clover, rye, or hairy vetch are planted during off-season times when soils might otherwise be left bare, while perennial crops keep soil covered and maintain living roots in the ground year-round. These crops protect and build soil health by preventing erosion, replenishing soil nutrients, and keeping weeds in check, reducing the need for fertilizers and herbicides.

Reducing or eliminating tillage. Traditional plowing (tillage) prepares fields for planting and prevents weed problems but can cause soil loss. No-till or reduced-till methods, which involve inserting seeds directly into undisturbed soil, can reduce erosion and improve soil health.

Applying integrated pest management (IPM). A range of methods, including mechanical and biological controls, can be applied systematically to keep pest populations under control while minimizing use of chemical pesticides.

Integrating livestock and crops. Industrial agriculture tends to keep plant and animal production separate, with animals living far from the areas where their feed is produced, and crops growing far away from abundant manure fertilizers. A growing body of evidence shows that a smart integration of crop and animal production can make farms more efficient and profitable.

Adopting agroforestry practices. By mixing trees or shrubs into their operations, farmers can provide shade and shelter that protect plants, animals, and water resources, while also potentially offering additional income from fruit or nut crops.

Managing whole systems and landscapes. Sustainable farms treat uncultivated or less intensively cultivated areas as integral to the farm. For example, natural vegetation alongside streams, or strips of prairie plants within or around crop fields, can help control erosion, reduce nutrient runoff, and support bees and other pollinators and biodiversity in general.

What many of these practices have in common is their focus on soil. Keeping farm soils protected and teeming with living organisms can solve many of the problems associated with industrial agriculture. Healthy, living soil promotes healthy crops, holds water like a sponge, prevents pollution, and helps ensure that farmers and their communities can thrive.

Another key theme connecting many of these practices is diversification. When it comes to agriculture, the most sustainable and productive systems are more diverse and complex—like nature itself.