ENVS 2130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Sustainable Agriculture, Soil Fertility, Water Conservation
19 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
It is impossible to talk about food sustainability until there is a general understanding of our food production system. This is why the first three units examined how our food is produced. Now we can tackle the question of sustainability. Identify the three pillars of sustainability and explain the concept of agricultural sustainability. Propose ways in which we might measure agricultural sustainability. Describe various best management practices and explain how they can improve agricultural sustainability. The term sustainable is widely used in our society to describe everything from consumer products to energy. A cynical person might say that it is just a feel good buzzword while others might think of it as an important concept, like liberty or justice. You will often see sustainability explained using these three pillars approach. The three pillars are comprised of the environment, economy and society. The argument is that, when we are considering sustainability, we must think in terms of these three fundamental pillars.
