Current situation
- World’s population is rapidly growing in recent years; it is estimated to reach 11 billion in 2020
- The current situation in conventional agriculture is in question (production imbalance-environmental pollution, monocultures, hybrids, mutant foods, intensive livestock farms)
Determination of sustainable agriculture
The characteristics of agriculture after World War II
- High productivity
- Degradation of soil fertility
- Degradation of water quality
- Reduction of family farm holding of the fields
- Increase in production costs due to the use of many preparations e.g. pesticides
- Degradation of the role of the rural community, partnerships, and cooperatives
Sustainability aims to optimize the use of natural resources as a requirement to reduce external inputs and this can be achieved with:
- Preservation of soil health
- Ensuring the operation of agricultural species and animals
- Minimization of chemical natural applications and erosion
- Balance in plant nutrition
- Limitation in contamination
- Preservation of a large number of local varieties and species
- Conservation of wild fauna and flora