Submitted by olivia on Thu, 2013-09-05 15:28
- STORIES FROM MAAI MAHIU, KENYA-
It has become clear that agriculture needs to undergo a radical overhaul so it can become more sustainable. This is not just because it is important to take care of the environment, but also because sustainability is absolutely necessary for the continuation of the productivity of the agroecosystem. Threats to the environmental sustainability of agriculture threaten agriculture itself.
Greater emphasis is needed on safeguarding natural resources and agroecological practices, and on tapping into the wide range of traditional knowledge held by local communities and farmers, which can work in partnership with formal science and technology. This emphasis would stress that sustainable agriculture is biodiversity-based, including agroecology and organic farming. It is resilient, productive, beneficial to poor farmers, and will allow adaptation to climate change.
They make the best use of nature’s goods and services by integrating natural, regenerative processes e.g. nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, soil regeneration and natural enemies of pests.
It is important to minimize non-renewable inputs (pesticides and fertilizers) that damage the environment or harm human health.
Sustainable agricultural practices include:
- Crop rotations that mitigate weed, disease, and insect problems; increase available soil nitrogen and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers; and in conjunction with conservation tillage practices, reduce soil erosion.
- Integrated pest management (IPM), which reduces the need for pesticides by crop rotations, scouting, timing of planting, and biological pest controls.
- Management systems to improve plant health and crops’ abilities to resist pests and disease.
- Soil conserving tillage.
- Water conservation and water harvesting practices.
- Planting of leguminous crops and use of organic fertilizer or compost to improve soil fertility.
Despite adequate global food production, many still go hungry because increased food supply does not automatically mean increased food security. What is important is who produces the food, who has access to the technology and knowledge to produce it, and who has the purchasing power to acquire it. Sustainable agricultural approaches allow farmers to improve local food production with low-cost, readily available technologies and inputs, without causing environmental damage.
Blog By: Rocky Muuri, CTC Environmental Coordinator
