Sustainable Agriculture: Protection and Nourishment
“Agriculture has gone from having the most important job in the world to having the two most important jobs in the world: preserve the planet and nourish the people.” —Dr. Vaughn Holder in “Agriculture’s Role in Saving the Planet” Alltech ONE Conference Keynote Session.
The positive potential of agriculture is infinite. Yet, agriculture is so easily demonized and blamed as the perpetrator of all the issues facing our planet today. However, agriculture is nuanced. Yes, industrial agriculture—characterized by CAFOs, chemical inputs, release of greenhouse gases, water contamination, and animal mistreatment—is not doing our planet or its citizens any favors. However, sustainable agriculture—characterized by rotational grazing, cover crops, healthy soil, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem resilience—promotes exactly what it's named for: sustainability (“Regenerative Agriculture: A New Movement on the Rise”). When agriculture is carried out sustainably, the soil can trap tons of carbon, the water systems are cleaner, the ecosystems are more biodiverse, and the animals are healthier. Sustainable agriculture holds the power to protect and regenerate our planet and its ecosystems.
Now that we’ve established how sustainable agriculture preserves the planet—how does it nourish the people? Well, most obviously is the act of physical nourishment through the growth and production of the food that feeds us. However, there are other dimensions of nourishment that sustainable agriculture fulfills, as well. One of these dimensions of nourishment is social. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is one example, where individuals can choose to support their local farms by receiving a weekly or monthly collection of farm goods. The ingredients of these CSA boxes are always fresh, seasonal, and artisanal. Participants can grow close to the farm and other CSA participants, even gathering to learn how to cook the seasonal ingredients together (Cone et al. 2000). Another element of social nourishment that sustainable agriculture creates is through farmers markets. Here, local farmers gather to share their goods, while consumers gather to support these farmers through the purchase of their goods. Consumers and farmers may even form friendly connections, thus deepening the elements of social nourishment. For these reasons, sustainable agriculture is protecting the planet and providing nourishment for the people from the ground up.
