Sustainable Agriculture: Importance, Principles, and Techniques

What is meant by sustainable agriculture? Which principles and techniques are primarily used here? In this article, you will find answers to the most important questions related to this topic, which has become an increasing focus in discussions about the future of the sector in recent years.

Table of contents

What does sustainable agriculture mean?

What are the principles of sustainable agriculture?

What is meant by promoting sustainable agriculture?

Which techniques and technologies are used in sustainable agriculture?

What types of sustainable agriculture are there?

Agriculture 4.0 and precision farming for a sustainable future

What does sustainable agriculture mean?

The term sustainable agriculture refers to resource-conserving agriculture that avoids pollutants in order not to impair the balance of the environment. It embodies almost the opposite of intensive agriculture.

As defined by the Agricultural Sustainability Institute, this translates into an approach to safeguarding the well-being of the world's people and their need for food and tissue without harming future generations.

Sustainable development is therefore a type of economy that promotes the protection of our environment and our habitat while being able to protect the human and economic resources involved in its processes.

For this reason, sustainable agriculture is an economically advantageous production model for workers, since it aims, among other things, to improve their quality of life and working conditions.

What are the principles of sustainable agriculture?

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), led by the United Nations, lists the 5 most important principles that sustainable agriculture must comply with.

Here you can find out what they are

5 principles FAO

1. Increasing productivity, employment, and value creation in food systems
2. Protection and enhancement of natural resources
3. Improving livelihoods and promoting inclusive growth
4. Improving the resilience of people, communities, and ecosystems
5. Adaptation of governance to new challenges

In this vision, farmers, shepherds, fishermen, foresters, and other rural residents make themselves heard and benefit from economic development and decent employment.

Rural women and men live in security, have control over their livelihoods, and have equal access to the resources they use efficiently.