What does sustainability mean?

SUSTAINABILITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF AGRICULTURE,  is often defined as the ability to meet essential societal needs indefinitely without causing significant negative impacts on the environment, economy, or society. This concept is not static but dynamic, requiring continuous adaptation and evolution to remain relevant in the face of changing conditions and emerging challenges.

DEFINING AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY

Agricultural sustainability is a multifaceted concept that integrates environmental stewardship, economic viability, and social responsibility. It is about ensuring that farming practices meet the current needs for food, fibre, and biofuels while preserving the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

To define sustainable agriculture, a collective vision of the future characteristics of agriculture is necessary, though this vision is often debated globally. Despite varying perspectives, four generally accepted goals can help define sustainable agriculture:

1. SATISFY HUMAN NEEDS:

The primary goal of agriculture is to meet the needs for food, feed, fibre, and biofuels. This involves producing enough to feed the global population while also contributing to other societal needs, such as renewable energy.

2. ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY:

Agriculture must protect and enhance the natural resource base on which it depends. This includes maintaining soil health, conserving water, and protecting biodiversity. Sustainable practices are those that minimize environmental degradation and contribute to the long-term health of ecosystems.

3. SUSTAIN ECONOMIC VIABILITY:

This means farming practices should be profitable for farmers and provide them with a stable income, ensuring that agriculture can continue as a livelihood for future generations.

4. ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE:

Sustainability also involves improving the quality of life for farmers, farm workers, and society. This includes ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, access to resources, and promoting social justice and equity in the agricultural sector.

THE PROCESS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability should not be viewed as a fixed end state but rather as a continuous process. Farming systems should be evaluated based on how they move towards greater sustainability in each of the four goals. This process is inherently complex, dynamic, and political, as different groups within society place varying levels of importance on each goal.

The pursuit of sustainability requires robust systems that can adapt, evolve, and continue to function effectively under stress and fluctuating conditions. These systems must be productive, use resources efficiently, and balance the four goals both within individual farms and across the broader agricultural landscape. Achieving sustainability is not about labelling certain practices as sustainable or unsustainable; instead, it is about assessing whether specific farming choices contribute to a more sustainable system overall.

KEY METRICS AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT

Evaluating progress toward sustainability in agricultural systems requires monitoring specific metrics or indicators. These indicators are tied to sustainability goals, but there is no guarantee that all stakeholders will agree on which goals are most important, especially when trade-offs are involved. The selection and prioritization of goals, and thus the choice of indicators, should be determined through a political process involving multiple stakeholders to serve society best. Indicators must be reflective of the processes or functions they represent; sensitive enough to detect changes over time and across different farming systems; feasible to measure in terms of time, cost, and required skill; and understandable and relevant to end-users.

To advance sustainability, it is crucial to identify key metrics that measure success across the four sustainability goals. This involves ongoing monitoring, data collection, and adaptive management practices, which involve adjusting strategies based on new information and changing conditions to ensure continuous improvement and resilience in agricultural systems.

For instance, Canadian agricultural production faces the challenge of maintaining long-term adequacy in food, fibre, feed, and biofuels, especially in the face of scarce resources and climate change. To meet these challenges, there must be an acceleration of progress toward the four sustainability goals. This acceleration should be supported by research and policy development aimed at reducing trade-offs, enhancing synergies between goals, and managing risks and uncertainties.

SETTING PRIORITIES FOR AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY

Determining priorities in agricultural sustainability requires making challenging decisions about which goals to emphasize and which trade-offs are acceptable. Different farming systems may be necessary to balance these goals effectively. For example, practices that enhance environmental quality might reduce economic returns and vice versa. The key challenge is finding a balance that maximizes overall sustainability.

These decisions are deeply social and political, influenced by the values and preferences of various groups within society. Consequently, the debate over the future of agriculture is shaped by competing opinions and underlying philosophies about what sustainable agriculture should look like. It’s crucial to acknowledge that no single farming system can simultaneously meet all of society’s production, environmental, economic, and social goals. Instead, a combination of farming types and systems is likely required to address these diverse objectives effectively. The primary challenge lies in harmonizing these goals to maximize the overall sustainability of agriculture.

Sustainability in agriculture is a complex, multi-dimensional concept that requires a holistic approach. Agriculture can move toward greater sustainability by setting clear goals, identifying key metrics, and adopting adaptive management practices. This journey involves balancing environmental stewardship, economic viability, and social responsibility to create a system that meets current needs without compromising the future. Achieving sustainability is not straightforward, but with the right strategies and a collective vision, creating a sustainable agricultural system for generations to come is possible.

Ibrahim Mohammed, PhD, is Grain Farmers of Ontario’s sustainability and environment specialist. •