Practising sustainable Agriculture: key for long term Farm viability

With global populations soaring and natural agricultural resources quickly degrading, it has become essentially important for farming communities to embrace the concept of sustainable agriculture. Whilst there are as many definitions of sustainable agriculture as the authors who seek to define it, it is important to highlight what all of them agree upon. First and foremost, sustainable agriculture seeks to conserve and protect the natural ecosystem such that current Agricultural (today's) practises do not compromise future generations the same ability to grow their food and fibre. In other words, there is an ecological awareness which requires deliberate efforts to protect it.

Secondly, whilst the natural environment maintenance is critically important for human survival, sustainable agriculture requires a social balance in the distribution and utilisation of natural resources for agricultural practise. When resources are not socio-equitably distributed, social unrest results which disrupt the broad scale productivity of an area. Zimbabwe is a classic example during the pre-2000 era, whilst the agricultural sector was thriving to the extent that Zimbabwe became the bread basket of southern Africa, a lack of equitable distribution of land led to revolution which disrupted the who agricultural sectors productivity. Without any political bias, it is an agreeable fact that had land been equitably distributed from the onset of independence, the country would be still in a position of productive self-sufficiency.

Thirdly, sustainable agriculture requires a degree of economic viability to ensure that that it is practised over a long period of time. It must be clear that sustainable agriculture is not conservation farming although it involves conservation farming, it is not contour farming yet it may involve it. In essence, it is a system of operation and a mind-set which overlooks the present happenings and focuses on the future livelihood of humanity and the natural biosphere at large. In later weeks, we will be discussing on issues to do with soil management practises that promote sustainability, water management, and grassland and grazing ecosystem management. Issues to do with fertiliser application will be discussed and clarity will be given as to why organic fertiliser use is not necessarily an indicator of sustainable agriculture. Clarifications will be made on how granular, blend and foliar fertilisers can be used in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner...Read more