Sustainable Agriculture

Lets talk about being sustainable. What does it mean? What can I do? As my journey begins, I need to find out the answers to these questions myself. It's one thing to say that I am a sustainable eater, but I need to be ready to answer any questions that are thrown at me as to why (and also when they ask what it is) I have become a "sustainable eater".

One of the main things that I want to make sure about my food is that it was sustainably grown--that it caused no harm to the environment. Sustainable agriculture has become a huge topic especially in today's society. What makes agriculture sustainable?

• Conservation and Preservation--basically, what ever was taken out of the earth is put back in so that land resources, such as water and soil, will be there for future generations. Also, what ever waste the farmer generated stays within the farmer's ecosystem (his or her property) and does not cause spillage and/or waste build up
• Biodiversity--this is HUGE! Sustainable agriculture really focuses on raising a variety of different plants and animals. This prevents from disease and pest outbreaks since the farmers are not raising a mono-crop. Pesticides and other chemicals are used minimally and only when needed. Most sustainable farms do not use any pesticides or chemicals
• Animal Welfare--animals are treated humanely and are well cared for. They are allowed to carry out their natural behaviors, such as grazing, rooting, and pecking and are also fed a natural diet based on their nutritional needs
• Economically viable--farmers are paid fairly and they do not depend on subsides from the government. They also support local and rural communities
• Socially just--workers are treated fairly and work in a safe and friendly environment. Wages and benefits are competitive

These are just some of the basics to what sustainable agriculture is. There are many products out there that are labeled sustainable, but there are no set regulations for this. For example, chicken may be labeled "cage free" and they are raised cage free, but could still be overcrowded in an indoor barn which is still inhuman.

Sustainable living isn't a law but a way of life.

I hope that this information was helpful and interesting. Maybe you could challenge yourself to see what types of sustainable labels there are and check some of the products out! All of the information that I presented today was taken from the website Sustainable Table--check it out! http://www.sustainabletable.org/home.php