Sustainable agriculture: what are the challenges?

The economic, social, ecological, and regional challenges in sustainable agriculture

Sustainable agriculture is considered to be one of the solutions to present and future global challenges. It is said to contribute to reducing greenhouse gases and global warming. It can preserve the environment and provide a decent income to sustainable farmers. It could also help to recreate a link, weakened over the last 50 years, between different geographical areas, particularly town and country areas. It uses various techniques and systems, based on so-called sustainable production, preserving natural resources and future generations. It meets economic, ecological and social criteria. What are the challenges in this type of production?   

Sustainable production means quantity and quality 

The main challenge for any agricultural method is to meet global food demand by guaranteeing sufficient yields. This is known as food security. Agriculture must be able to feed the growing population, but not with just any agricultural practice. For agriculture to be considered sustainable, it is essential for farms to be able to produce large quantities and be profitable, while meeting quality requirements relating to ecological and social criteria. 

Large-scale production is also necessary, as there are now new uses for crops, particularly energy related. Potential food crops are becoming sources of energy. Energy sources are also of major importance for the future as a replacement for fossil fuels which are damaging to the environment.  

Sustainable agriculture, environmentally friendly 

For a system to be sustainable, it must endure over time. To endure over time, the conditions that enable it to function need to be maintained. In this respect, the balance of the system is essential. Sustainable agriculture must strive to maintain or enrich the resources it relies on: biodiversity, soil, water, and air quality, etc. It must also contribute to limiting global warming. In practical terms, sustainable agricultural practices seek to:

• Limit inputs (fertiliser, chemical products, pesticides, etc.) to avoid run-off and possible pollution.  
• Use natural products and alternative solutions for biocontrol. 
• Reduce tillage and plant cover crops to limit erosion and boost carbon-fixing in the soil. 
• Reintroduce hedges to increase biodiversity.

The social and economic factors: improving working conditions and income for farmers 

According to the UN (United Nations), the agricultural workforce produces more than 3,600 billion dollars in added value. This is a 78% increase in economic value in relation to the beginning of the 21st century. Yet the number of people working in agriculture has fallen by 16%. This percentage is even higher in developed market economies, and generational renewal is a very topical question in the sector. Farm-worker wages and harsh working conditions are at the heart of the problem. The challenge of sustainable agriculture for the future is to guarantee a decent living and working conditions for agricultural workers. Mechanisation, cutting out intermediaries, supporting government policies on establishing fair prices, and using collective organisation methods such as machinery cooperatives, etc. can contribute to providing a solution.