Conventional vs. sustainable agriculture
Modern industrial farming causes soil erosion, chemical
runoff, air and water pollution, and the destruction of wildlife habitat. It
also creates an inequitable distribution of wealth, by concentrating ownership
of farmland and production by a few giant multinational corporations. Our
modern farming systems rely on cheap labor to keep food prices low.
In contrast, sustainable agriculture systems conserve
natural resources and encourage healthy, long-term use of the land, while
promoting economic sustainability for regional farmers, thus strengthening
diverse rural communities. Sustainable agriculture addresses fair labor
practices to give farm laborers an equitable existence; social and economic
justice are major components of a sustainable economic system.
The organic farming community has developed a specific
definition of organic farming production and processing. Yet we have not
addressed social and economic justice, transport of perishables over long
distances, or environmental packaging and fuel use. Sustainable agriculture
recognizes the importance of organic standards in growing food, while at the
same time works toward changing the “Big Picture”: recognizing agriculture as
part of our social, economic, and environmental structures.
Our goal: organic and sustainable
At VV, we believe a sustainable agriculture is possible to
create and maintain. Many cultures have established sustainable farming
practices, and created healthy economic systems that have lasted for centuries.
We want to conserve and restore natural resources and keep both the soil and
the farmers on the land. Healthy, diverse communities, both rural and urban,
can cooperate together to create an equitable food system that is both organic and
sustainable.
Learn more about sustainable agriculture
ATTRA -
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas
Alternative
Farming Systems Information Center
Ecological Farming
Association
Community Alliance with Family
Farmers (CAFF)
Farm Garden.com
Kerr Center for
Sustainable Agriculture
Michael Fields
Agricultural Institute
National IPM Network
Rodale Institute
Sustainable Agriculture
Network (SAN)
Sustainable
Farming Connection
Univ of California, Santa
Cruz--Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
University of California
Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program
UC Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education Program
Wild Farm Alliance
