Sustainable Development: The Benefits Of Sustainable Agriculture

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ABSTRACT
Agriculture requires the dedication of many of our natural resources, including land, water, and energy. When the quality and quantity of our natural resources degrades as a result of unsustainable practices, it’s not only the environment that suffers–the viability of future agricultural operations is also put at risk. Sustainable agriculture is founded on the premise that our resources can be carefully managed and cultivated to make them last indefinitely.
Agriculture is perhaps the most outstanding issue and challenge for sustainability. To attain the ‘sustainable development’ goal requires urgent actions on three fronts - the ecological, the social and the economic. A growing movement has emerged during the past two decades to question …show more content…

This type of agriculture tries to find a good balance between the need for food production and the preservation of the ecological system within the environment. In addition to producing food, there are several overall goals associated with sustainable agriculture, including conserving water, reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and promoting biodiversity in crops grown and the ecosystem. Sustainable agriculture also focuses on maintaining economic stability of farms and helping farmers improve their techniques and quality of …show more content…

In terms of human health, crops grown through sustainable agriculture are better for people. Due to the lack of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, people are not being exposed to or consuming synthetic materials. This limits the risk of people becoming ill from exposure to these chemicals. In addition, the crops produced through sustainable agriculture can also be more nutritious because the overall crops are healthier and more natural.
Sustainable agriculture has also had positive impacts of the environment. One major benefit to the environment is that sustainable agriculture uses 30% less energy per unit of crop yield in comparison to industrialized agriculture. This reduced reliance on fossil fuels results in the release of less chemicals and pollution into the environment. Sustainable agriculture also benefits the environment by maintaining soil quality, reducing soil degradation and erosion, and saving water. In addition to these benefits, sustainable agriculture also increases biodiversity of the area by providing a variety of organisms with healthy and natural environments to live

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