Sustainable Agriculture is a series of farming methods that are environmentally friendly. They are meant to meet society’s food and textile needs without damaging human or natural systems. There are many ways to increase agriculture sustainability such as devising new and more ethical farming and business practices. Environmentally-friendly farming methods include reducing agricultural runoff (water that moves over the surface of Earth due to irrigation, melted snow, etc), reducing the number of air pollutants surfacing, agroforestry (growing trees and shrubs amongst grazing land) and polyculture farming. “The goals of sustainable agriculture are to help provide enough food for everyone, bring communities out of poverty and provide an enhanced quality of life for farming families, and utilize farming methods that promote soil health and reduce reliance on fossil fuels for environmental sustainability” (Kacary, 2021). One of my favourite methods of agriculture sustainability is polyculture farming. This practice is planting and growing species in close proximity to each other as they both complement each other. This method can also prevent food scarcity and improve local food security. As opposed to monoculture (growing plants in isolation), many farmers have turned to polyculture as it can easily eliminate pests, disease and improve soil quality. The most important outcome is that it yields double as if you were to plant monoculturally. A well-known example of polyculture that has been introduced widely is “The 3 Sisters”, cultivated and harvested by Native Americans. The 3 Sisters consist of beans, corn and squash; all of these produce complement and help each other flourish – “The corn acts as the ‘centrepiece’ for the 3 sisters and is a shelter to them. The beans have a particular root system that helps benefit the other sisters. The squash has large leaves that spread on the ground to block sunlight and prevent weeds from growing” (Delle, 2013). If this practice is done with diligence and care, food security can be improved locally and prevent further food scarcity from occurring.
References:
Delle, G. (2013, July 24). Get to know your polycultures: The Three sisters. UMass Dining. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://umassdining.com/blog/sustainability/get-know-your-polycultures-three-sisters#:~:text=Three%20Sisters%20is%20a%20type,societies%20in%20traditional%20organic%20farming.&text=We%20see%20this%20reflected%20by,sisters%20that%20is%20uniquely%20beneficial.
Kacary, H. (2021, October 20). What is sustainable agriculture? ECO Canada. Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://eco.ca/blog/what-is-sustainable-agriculture/#:~:text=The%20goals%20of%20sustainable%20agriculture,fossil%20fuels%20for%20environmental%20sustainability.
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 