Webster 's dictionary defines stewardship as "the careful and responsible management of something entrusted in one 's care" (Webster, 1993). Sustainable agriculture is a method that does not deplete soil, water, air, wildlife or human community resources ("Community Alliance with," 1997). These two principles describe a type of farming that practices responsible management of the land in a way that does not deplete natural resources or the human community. We are living in a time when many environmental issues have come up due to such things as overpopulation, increased waste production, over consumption, depletion of natural resources and other activities that do not replenish the land. We must show great concern in dealing with these …show more content…
Alternatives to conventional farming methods are present and do have the ability to serve sustainably and with stewardship.
Sustainable farming strives to avoid the depletion of natural resources by opposing methods that rely heavily on petroleum products (gasoline, chemical fertilizers and pesticides) and/or exploited labor. Organic farming involves the strict adherence to three standards defined by the federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. The act includes the stipulation that farmers must be certified, continually increasing soil fertility and are prohibited from using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers ("Community Alliance with," 1997). Thus, sustainable agriculture involves a continuum, containing points where limited use of synthetic products may be acceptable to organic farming where none are used.
It can be argued that sustainable methods are very practical today, and are important in retaining healthy land that will be productive in the future. The history of agriculture shows how agriculture has developed to where we are today with traditional methods. By looking at obstacles to organic farming and the problems and solutions to traditional methods, we can see the importance of increasing sustainable efforts. Furthermore, it is important to look at the link between faith and farming and how people can apply biblical principles to farming the land
When you think of the word agriculture farming is probably the first thought that comes to mind. At its most basic element, agriculture is the way in which we produce food, the most basic human need. There is an untold amount of differing opinions on the topic of how we should grow food; smaller family farms being pitted against commercial operations, conventional agriculture against organic practices, and much of the public does not know what “side” to pick. Agriculture has developed into a highly controversial issue, with each view point claiming that it is the only correct way to farm; despite this, it is imperative that we lay aside our differences in opinion and come together if we are going to create a sustainable food system responsible for feeding 9 billion hungry mouths.
An arising food category in America is anything organic. Over the years, several local grocery stores organic section is rapidly increasing. Michael Pollan, who wrote Omnivore's Dilemma, is a New York Times bestselling author. Pollan stated, “Forty years ago there was no such category as ‘organic’ food. Today it is a $20-billion business- the fastest growing part of the food industry.” (112) With organic farming becoming more common, there are many changes being made that are resulting in significant outcomes. One of the substantial changes while using organic farming is the improved treatment and health of animals. Further knowledge and awareness of the importance on how organic farming is better for the lives of animals, as well as our health is needed. Gaining more education on animals lives with organic farming, will potentially lead organic food becoming the most popular because of its remarkable outcomes.
Since the time of when early settlers arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, farming has proven to be a reliable solution to many crises within the food industry. After all, learning how to farm from the Native Americans saved the colonies from famine during the 17th century. Fast-forward a couple centuries to the 1800s. During the 1840s, commercial farming became a new trend as farmers began seeing quicker production and a bigger profit. The inventions of irrigation and chemical fertilizers also happened during this time. Subsequently, these farming techniques have further influenced the ones today. However, the introduction of organic farming methods has created uproar within the agricultural industry due to its impressive success. Polyface farms have become the leading icon for how organic farming methods can and will be most successful in the journey towards revitalizing the United States’ food industry.
FRESH is a documentary by Ana Sofia Joanes, she explores the consequences of our current agricultural system and documents the work of farmers, activists, non-profit organizations and business that advocate for sustainable agricultural practices to address the problem. The film presents the farmers from Shenandoah Valley that practice traditional farming by raising and keeping their chickens, pigs, cattle and soil in traditional ways that attempt to imitate the way in which nature naturally works on nutrient and energy cycling. These practices challenge the industrial agricultural model that use a high input of resources to produce large amounts of a single crops/species in designated areas known as monocultures. Monoculture agricultures relies
To conclude, our current way of agricultural life is not sustainable. The article “What’s for supper” has made me realize that if I hope for a better future for generations to come I should support a locally sourced lifestyle. This article is an eye opener to me and proved to me the importance of supporting locally grown produce. Locally grown produce supports the environment as well as jobs for people in the community. The current system takes a toll on every species on the planet. Humans are overproducing on a massive scale and are wasting close to half of our supplies and
The Local Sustainable Food Chain creates a healthier environment because the farmers work with the land and animals in more natural ways and help the environment thrive. As shown by Polyface Farms, a prime example of Local Sustainable farming, regular farming practices had created soil that “was either no longer fertile or had washed away. (Pollan 161)” As Joel salatin, the owner of Polyface, switched types of farming, he
In order to be labeled “organic” the farmer who grew it used renewable resources and conservation of soil and water methods. Also, organic farmers do not use conventional pesticides or weed killers, which may contain synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge. According to Fisher, "Sewage sludge from municipalities' waste may contain heavy metals and toxins . . .” (1). Rather, organic farmers use sophisticated crop rotations, spread mulch and
We walked the farm seen the animals and crops that were there and learned the ways of having a traditional organic farm the benefits from it the proper ways that one type of plant can in effect have a dramatic effect in the sustainability of another and how there in ways interdependent on each other examples are that one plant has a natural repellant for insects that in effect can help the other plants that are effected by that insect to how the trees and bushes are grown in a way that actually gives the other plants shade from the sun. We learned about the organic feeding that the animals are given and the free range that they have so that the animals have no stress upon them as David says that the only time that they are under stress is when they are about to processed for slaughter. Michael Pollan discusses this in detail in the book expressing that this is in fact that sustainable farming is farming type that was common place in the 60s and now in modern times is making a comeback due to consumers being more aware of the foods and want to ensure the purity and health implications on their food
The new idea of organic food involved many farmers in agricultural practices to learn about grow better products and livestock, farmers were making conclusions and trying to learn the most possible for be part of the new success. “Their goals were to grow the most nutritious food possible, while protecting the soil for future generations,”
Today, in the United States, farmers and ranchers produce a wide variety of commodities for food, fuel, and fiber in response to markets. These farmers understand and recognize the significance of managing their soil as well as their plant productivity. America’s farmers are true professionals because crop production is a very complex business.
Farming for our food causes many issues. Growing our food is causing a major decrease in finite resources, like fertile soil and water (Clemmitt 555). Fertile soil and water are being wasted on crops that are not successfully growing. The decrease in finite resources is caused by old, non-efficient techniques, like the throw-and-grow (Clemmitt
Organic farming is becoming an increasingly popular market throughout the world. (Adam, 2004, p. 666). The aims of organic farming are, to decrease pollution, maintain soil fertility and biodiversity, be more sustainable, and have increased nutritional benefits than conventionally grown foods (Yaping et. al., 2003, p. 298). While the aim of conventional farming is to provide safe, proficient supplies of food, in abundance and at low prices (Trewavas, 2001, p.409). Since 1996, the amount of land in the UK dedicated to organic farming has risen tenfold (Adam, 2004, p. 666). As well, from 1992 to 1997, the amount of certified organic cropland in the US more than doubled (Tafel et al, 2007, p.182 ). The main difference between organic and
According to the USDA, organic foods consist of foods and products that are grown without the use of sewage sludge, harmful pesticides, and fertilizers made from synthetic ingredients. These standards and guidelines were implemented with the overall objective of improving the quality of the food supply while also preserving the environment. The Organic Foods Act (OFPA) “authorized a new USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to set national standards for the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural products. In addition, the Program oversees mandatory certification of organic production.” (Gold “Organic Production/Organic Food:”) When these standards are upheld, consumers are given the opportunity to educate themselves on the contents found in their food, which
Agriculture in the United States has changed dramatically over the centuries. Since the 1960’s large commercial farms have been leading in sales. As a direct result of their success we, as a society, have access to affordable food. However, the success of large farms has lead to many negative impacts such as increased usage of resources and decreased diversity in crop fields. This begs the question, what can be done to reduce the negative impacts of large farms. One solution growing in popularity is sustainable agriculture. The idea of sustainable agriculture is to create farms that need little to no outside help from irrigation, pesticides, or fertilizers. Sustainability can be achieved in many way through
Ever since the Agricultural Revolution, farming has always been organic. As the human population grew, conventional farming, farming with non-organic methods (using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides), became prevalent to satisfy the population’s demand for food. Recently, organic farming has attracted consumers for its health, environmental, and agricultural benefits versus conventional farming, however, there is a debate whether organic farming can produce enough food to satisfy the current population of 7 billion people and future populations on Earth. Ed Hamer and Mark Anslow argue in “10 Reasons Why Organic Can Feed the World” that organic farming can produce enough food to satisfy today’s population, while D.J. Connor argues otherwise in “Organic Agriculture Cannot Feed the World”. Even though organic farming has plenty advantages over conventional farming, we should stick to improving conventional farming because the projections for organic farming that Hamer and Anslow use are misleading.