For many years we have produced majority of our food through Industrial Agriculture. Industrial Agriculture can be defined as a system dominated by large farms growing the same crops every…single…year. They use a massive amount of chemical pesticides and fertilizers that damages the soil, water, air, and climate. With the damage it has caused we have realized that this form of agriculture was not meant to last because it destroys the essential resources that the earth needs to produce these plant products.
Many farmers and scientists are starting to take new routes when it comes to agriculture and farming…..with a farming system that is more sustainable – environmentally sustainable, economically sustainable, and socially sustainable. Sustainable Agriculture maximized productivity and minimizes damage made to the environment (soil, water or air).
But what is sustainable agriculture?
Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways, which means meeting society’s present needs such as food, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The world population is continuously growing and we are expected to reach about 9 billion people by 2050….THAT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE TO FEED.
It involves:
- Building and maintaining healthy soil
- Managing water wisely
- Minimizing air, water, and climate pollution
- Promoting biodiversity
Some sustainable agriculture practices:
- Rotating Crops (Diversity): By planting a variety of different crops on the same soil can be beneficial as it adds nutrients and minerals that make it healthier and improves pest control. Some of these practices include growing a mix of crops in the same area and multiyear crop rotations
- Reducing or Eliminating Plowing: Traditional plowing prepares fields for growing plants and for the prevention of weed growth however, it does cause soil loss/erosion. By planting seeds directly into the undisturbed soil can improve soil health and reduce the soil loss
- Planting Cover Crops: A cover crop is a plant such as clovers or hairy vetch that grown mainly for the benefits of the soil rather than crop yield. Often they are planted during off-season so that they can increase the health of the soil by preventing erosions, adding in new nutrients, and reducing the growth of weeds.
Local Food Security
The 1996 World Food Summit (WFS) adopted the following Food security definition: “Food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.“ Food security is built on four pillars: availability, access, utilization and stability.
Example: Food Security Challenges in Newfoundland and Labrador
– Produce only 10% of the fresh vegetables available at major wholesalers. As a result, with Hurricane Igor (2010), many roads were blocked which prevented food shipments coming into Newfoundland mainly because they rely highly on fresh vegetables from other provinces and countries (90%)
– Most fish products are currently exported
-Many rural and remote communities do not have a population large enough to support a full local grocery store so many depend on transportation over long distances to buy healthy food which makes it difficult for those who so not have a car, elderly or those that are physically disable
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 
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