When most people think of sustainable
agriculture they think of agriculture that is less harmful to the environment - while you can’t have sustainable agriculture that isn’t environmentally
sustainable, there can certainly be much more to it. Sustainable
agriculture is agriculture that is practiced in a way that doesn’t impact
future generations’ ability to grow food.
In order for this to happen, practices used must be sustainable in all
of three categories: Environmental,
Social, and Economic.
Environmental Sustainability
Agriculture is heavily reliant on the
environment in order to be productive - a healthy environment will produce more food
as well as maintaining reserves of wildlife and native plant species.
There are endless opportunities for
improving environmental sustainability in agriculture. Innovation continues to improve upon
unsustainable methods, replacing them with newer, sounder practices – or, in
some cases, leading us to old methods that can be adapted for modern
agriculture.
Here are a few ways that agricultural
facilities can improve their environmental sustainability:
Soil
amendments and cover crops: Healthy soil doesn’t
require as many chemical inputs. Adding
organic matter to soil, such as compost or manure, adds nutrients and roughage
without the chemicals. As well, certain
cover crops can add nutrients to the soil, such as nitrogen-fixing clover.
Wildlife
habitat: Preserving sensitive habitats (such as
fish-bearing streams) and breaking up cultivated areas with wildlife reserves
can help to minimize farming’s effects on wildlife populations. Protecting habitat can be as simple as
setting up a fence to keep cattle out of a stream. Hedgerows can provide
valuable bird habitat.
Non-renewable
energy inputs: Sometimes it’s unavoidable to use
non-renewable energy sources or other non-farm inputs, but whenever possible,
farming should be a closed energy loop.
Everything used on the farm should be from the farm. For example, manure from dairy cows can be used
to fertilize the corn that the same animals will be eating.
Integrated
Pest Management (IPM): Integrated pest management is a different way of looking at
controlling agricultural pests. Instead
of using a pesticide, farmers seek out other, often inventive, ways of dealing
with pests. The best known IPM strategy
is the use of ladybugs to control aphids.
Native ladybug species are purchased and released into fields, where
they prey upon plant-destroying aphids.
No pesticides are necessary.
In British
Columbia, farmers can create an Environmental
Farm Plan with the help of the BC Agricultural Council and the BC
Agricultural Research and Development Corporation. Farmers that complete the program can even be
eligible for funding to help implement the plan on their farms.
Social Sustainability
Social sustainability refers to how easily
a farmer coexists with their neighbours and other stakeholders in the
area. Simple consideration of neighbours
and socially sustainable farming practices will help to ensure the farmer will
be able to stay farming.
Light
pollution: Greenhouse facilities and other
practices can produce a lot of light, and can keep neighbours up at night. Usually, the solution is as simple as blinds
for the interior of the greenhouse.
Noise
pollution: Certain agricultural practices can be
very noisy, such as propane sound cannons for bird control in blueberry fields. Using sound-free methods is best when it’s
possible.
Visual
Pollution: A tidy farm enterprise is more pleasant
for everyone involved! Sometimes this
means keeping the farm property clear, and sometimes it means keeping shellfish
aquaculture floats out of sightlines from the ritzy hotel.
Cultural
Sensitivity: When agricultural endeavors are near to or on top of land that may
be culturally sensitive, extra care should be taken. For example, in certain areas Canadian First
Nations People may forage for certain plants on Crown land. Cattle should be excluded from grazing in
areas where culturally sensitive plants are growing at prime foraging times.
Animal
ethics: Animal welfare is becoming a priority for
many people. Farmers who wish to ensure
their animals are treated in an ethical way can now enroll in programs such as
the BCSPCA
Certified Program.
Economic Sustainability
Farmers must make money to keep farming
-it’s as simple as that. Any business
that doesn’t make money is one that won’t last long. Sometimes sustainability is a balancing act
between social or environmental sustainability and economic
sustainability. In order to maintain
high standards in other categories of sustainability,
Secondary
sources of income: A secondary source of income
will give farmers the padding they need in order to make the right decisions
for environmental and social sustainability on their farm. The income source could be another job,
renting out portions of the property, agritourism, anything!
Labour
costs: Unfortunately, labour costs for a lot of
sustainable practices are higher than their unsustainable counterparts. Farmers can help to offset these costs by
using Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms,
or WWOOFers. WWOOFers travel from all
over the world to work on organic farms in return for room and board while they
are working. It’s a great opportunity to
see new countries and meet new people.
Marketing
costs: Marketing
costs can seem daunting, especially for a small enterprise. Forming a farm co-operative and sharing costs
can help the small farmer get ahead. A
farm co-operative could even help share other costs, if all the farms in it
work together!
Organics and Sustainability
Just because a food is labeled “Organic”
doesn’t mean it’s sustainable. Organic
crops can still be produced in an unsustainable manner, or shipped in from
unsustainable distances. Here are a few
things you can do to help make sure your produce is as sustainable as possible:
Buy
local and seasonal.
Produce that is grown in your area requires lower inputs to get to the
store/farmers’ market/restaurant, and by buying seasonal produce you’re more
likely to get produce that’s local.
Know
your certifying bodies. Each piece of organic produce is certified,
and each certifying body has different regulations about what makes the produce
organic. By having a general idea which
bodies have regulations to ensure sustainable and ethical practices, you can
make educated decisions while shopping.
In British Columbia,
check out the Certified Organic
Association of BC.
Meet
your farmer. The best way to educate your self is to talk to the farmer! Buy farm-gate produce or shop at farmers’
markets whenever it’s possible. Ask the
farmer how they grow their crops. The
farmers that are passionate about sustainable practices will enthusiastically
share their knowledge.
Sources: EPA, Hobby
Farms, Hume
Seeds, Friday
Design,Ban The Cannons, NRCS,
Agritourism, Farmers
Market, Local Farming, Market
Vegetables, Agroecology: Ecological Processes
in Sustainable Agriculture.
Stephen R. Gliessman, Eric Engles, Robin Krieger, Ann Arbor Press, 2000
