GC: n
CT:Critics of sustainable agriculture claim, among other things, that its methods result in lower crop yields and higher land use. They add that a wholesale commitment to its practices will mean inevitable food shortages for a world population expected to exceed 8 billion by the year 2030. There’s recent evidence, though, suggesting that over time, sustainably farmed lands can be as productive as conventional industrial farms.
S: NG – http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/sustainable-agriculture/ (last access: 7 December 2016)
N: 1. sustainable (adj): 1610s, “bearable,” from sustain + -able. Attested from 1845 in the sense “defensible;” from 1965 with the meaning “capable of being continued at a certain level.” Sustainable growth is recorded from 1965. Related: Sustainably.
agriculture (n): Mid-15c., “tillage, cultivation of large areas of land to provide food,” from Late Latin agricultura “cultivation of the land,” a contraction of agri cultura “cultivation of land,” from agri, genitive of ager “a field” + cultura “cultivation”. In Old English, the idea could be expressed by eorðtilþ.
2. Sustainable agriculture is the efficient production of safe, high quality agricultural products, in a way that protects and improves the natural environment, the social and economic conditions of farmers, their employees and local communities, and safeguards the health and welfare of all farmed species.
3. The term sustainable agriculture means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term:
- satisfy human food and fiber needs
- enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends
- make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls
- sustain the economic viability of farm operations
- enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.
4. The development objective of the Sustainable Agriculture Transformation Project for Vietnam is to improve farming practices and value chains in the targeted project areas, and promote institutional strengthening of relevant public agencies to effectively support implementation of the agricultural restructuring plan. The project comprises of four components.
– The first component, institutional strengthening to support agricultural transformation will support three activities:
- (a) capacity development for ministry of agriculture and rural development (MARD).
- (b) capacity development for the provincial level.
- (c) capacity strengthening for value chain partners.
– The second component, supporting sustainable rice-based systems will support some 30 key rice producing districts in eight Mekong Delta (MKD) provinces in a cluster approach. It will consist of three activities:
- (a) supporting a large-scale program on improved agronomic practices and management.
- (b) supporting private sector investments in upgrading rice processing technology and facilities for high value and quality rice.
- (c) improving public services delivery.
– The third component, supporting sustainable coffee production and rejuvenation will support the transformation of a substantial portion of Vietnam’s coffee sector to sustainable practices. This component has three activities:
- (a) supporting an intensive coffee program on improved farm agronomic and management practices.
- (b) supporting sustainable coffee rejuvenation and replanting.
- (c) improving public services delivery.
– The fourth component, project management, monitoring and evaluation will support:
- (a) project management.
- (b) monitoring and evaluation.
S: 1. OED – http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=sustainable+agriculture (last access: 7 December 2016). 2. SAI – http://www.saiplatform.org/sustainable-agriculture/definition (last access: 7 December 2016). 3. NAL – https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/sustainable-agriculture-information-access-tools(last access: 7 December 2016). 4. WB – http://projects.worldbank.org/P145055?lang=en (last access: 7 December 2016).
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CR: ecology, environment, green economy, natural environment, sustainable development.
