What is Sustainable Agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture seeks to balance three long-term goals:

Developing sustainable agriculture systems means...

Looking at the farming system as a whole
-- constantly reassessing objectives and progress, then experimenting and changing practices to meet them.

Finding site-specific solutions
-- in an evolving system of management that is site- and manager-specific. Sustainable agriculture practices will be different for every farm and every community.

Preserving options
-- so that farmers and other decision makers will always be able to choose the management options most appropriate for their situations.

Staying open to new ideas
-- with farmers, researchers, educators, business people, policy makers, and community members employing a broader perspective as they consider the impacts of decisions on the natural environment, the social stability of communities, and profitability for producers, processors, and distributors.

For more information on sustainable agriculture or on transitioning to sustainable agriculture, see the following resources:

• Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture
  (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program)


• What Is Sustainable Agriculture?
  (National Center for Appropriate Technology)

Frequently Asked Questions: