What is Sustainable Agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture means the practice of growing food, fiber, feed and fuel in systems that meet the needs of both the present and future generations. Sustainable agriculture emphasizes production and marketing practices that are profitable, environmentally sound, and that improve the quality of life for farmers, farm workers and the community. Sustainable agriculture systems rely on building healthy soils and crops, enhancing biodiversity, and minimizing the use of non-renewable resources.

What Types of Farming Practices are Used in Sustainable Agriculture?

Many farmers are working to develop or modify their operations so that they move towards their vision of a more sustainable system. For some farmers it means using cover crops, crop rotations, and reduced tillage to build healthy soils and reduce input costs. For others, it means changing farming practices to use more biological pest controls. Other farmers use management intensive grazing systems to maximize the use of the forage by the animals and to increase the reuse of the nutrients redeposited by them. For yet others, it means developing new marketing strategies, selling directly to the consumer and capturing more profit. All of these efforts can be part of a sustainable agriculture system.

How Can I Find More Information on Sustainable Agriculture Practices?

This website brings together information on sustainable agriculture that is pertinent to Georgia and the Southeastern United States. Information on particular topics can be found by clicking on the tabs at the top of the page. Your county Extension agent is also a good source for information regarding sustainable agriculture practices, click here to find your county Extension office.

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is dedicated to helping farmers, consumers, and agriculture professionals find the reliable information they need to pursue these systems. We partner with our sister institution, Fort Valley State University, as well as Southern SARE to provide these resources. Other partners can be found in our partners link under the About tab.

If you are looking for additional information on sustainable agriculture, please see our Resources page to find other publications and useful tools.