Why it’s the Right Time to go for Sustainable Agriculture?

Posted by Friend of the Earth on January 2nd, 2020

The deterioration of the environment and the natural resources are limiting the amount of food produced by the farmlands. This all are motivating farmers and agriculture companies to adopt sustainable agriculture methods. Companies that are involved with farming have adopted certain sustainable activities in different parts of their operations. Traditional methods and new innovative farming practices are not only preserving the environment but also helping the local farmers economically.     

Traditional agriculture practices are good

Traditional agriculture was designed with good intentions. Methods used nowadays sought the best approach to enhance productivity but don’t take care of sustainability. We are all witnessing consequences of these methods of farming on land, resources and the environment. The land is losing its fertility, the water is getting depleted because of the excess usage and the climate is heating up year by year as a part of the greenhouse gasses are produced by the farm.

On the other hand, the chemical that is being sprayed on the crop also kills those insects which are good to the crop and results in the reduction of the overall production of crops such as wheat, rice, corn, soybeans which feed the global population. The use of natural methods to remove bugs and insects from the crop saves both money and the environment. So, traditional agriculture practices created a win-win situation for both humans and ecosystems.

We have reached the far end

The ongoing deterioration of land has reached a crisis proportion. The growing population needs food on its plate, this is possible only if we follow such methods for farming which helps us yield high-quality crops and protect the natural resources. Traditional methods are good but if we add eco-friendly innovations in it then we can improve the situation a lot. What we need today are farming practices that can yield high-quality crops, provide an acceptable livelihood to farmers and can help conserve precious natural resources. 

Consumers and companies

Consumers are the driving force of a market. Various surveys indicate that consumers are now looking up for products that have sustainable certification or labeled organic. Due to this several companies have started prioritizing sustainable agriculture methods.

Drip irrigation may sound new to you but it is a very effective technique used in certain parts of the world. It has the potential to save the water by allowing the water to drip slowly in the field either from above or below the soil. But it requires a lot of maintenance and expensive too. Now is the right time for the farming equipment manufacturers to take advantage of new tools and technologies for producing such technologies that are eco-friendly, easy to use, require less maintenance and are less expensive. 

Agriculture companies should join hands with all the stakeholders to improve their crop yielding and enhance the quality of the food they are producing. If any company or any individual follows the standards of sustainable agriculture, they can easily get certification which not only gives them recognition in the market but also let them reach their customers.

Author’s Bio: Paolo Bray from Friend of the Earth is the author of this article. Friend of the Earth is an organization that issues certification for sustainable breeding. We work to help the environment according to SAFA(Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture systems) guidelines set by FAO(United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization). To know more visit https://www.friendoftheearth.org/.