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You are here: Home / Sustainability in Agriculture / Definitions and History of Sustainable Agriculture 
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Sustainability in Agriculture

Farm and fields
The USDA has defined sustainable agriculture - but underlying the definition are diverse and sometimes controversial views of sustainability. Explore a variety of approaches and practices, current and past, to appreciate where agriculture is going in the future.
AFSIC Highlights
Sustainable Agriculture: Definitions and Terms
USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
Read about the issues, controversies and progress in defining "sustainable agriculture;" review practices and systems associated with sustainability; and find articles and authors.
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Tracing the Evolution of Organic / Sustainable Agriculture
USDA. NAL. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.
Discover the philosophical and scientific roots of sustainable, regenerative agriculture through readings dating from the 1500s.
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Information from Other Sources
Defining and Implementing Sustainable Agriculture
Kansas State University.
An overview of sustainable agriculture, this publication compares various definitions and dispels some myths. Issues related to implementing sustainable agriculture are discussed.
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What is Sustainable Agriculture?
National Center for Appropriate Technology. ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
Publications and Web sites from ATTRA including Applying the Principles of Sustainable Farming and Introduction to Permaculture: Concepts and Resources.
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On Defining Sustainable Agriculture
North Carolina Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.
"Among those working in sustainable agriculture, there seems to be a growing consensus that we need to spend less time trying to define sustainable agriculture and more time working to achieve it…" Agricultural economist, Dr. John Ikerd, writes and lectures extensively on sustainable agriculture topics.
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Alternative Agriculture
National Research Council. Board on Agriculture; National Academy Press.
Findings and recommendation from the National Research Council's Committee on the "Role of Alternative Farming Methods in Modern Production Agriculture." (Open Book format)
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Legal Definition of Sustainable Agriculture
USDA. Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.
This definition is a central element of the legislation of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program of CSREES.
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The Early Years of the LISA, SARE, and ACE Programs: Reflections of the Founding Director
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). Western Region.
This account by J. Patrick Madden of the early years of the national sustainable agriculture research and education programs was prepared initially in 1995, under a contract between the SARE Program and the World Sustainable Agriculture Association.
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The Sustainable Agriculture Draft Standard
Leonardo Academy, Inc.
Formal proceedings to establish the first national standard for sustainable agriculture were launched in October 2007. This draft standard for trial use is presented by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Scientific Certification Systems (SCS).
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Principles of Agroecology and Sustainability
University of California, Santa Cruz. Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Agroecology Research Group.
Access on-line publications that focus on definitions and applications of agroecology and sustainability.
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Agroecology: Principles and Strategies for Designing Sustainable Farming Systems
University of California, Berkeley. Agroecology in Action.
Understanding the ecology of agricultural systems is essential to developing new management options more in tune with the objectives of a truly sustainable agriculture.
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Research Report: Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems: Agroecosystems
World Resources Institute (WRI).
Joint study by the International Food Policy Research Institute and WRI analyzing qualitative and quantitative indicators of the condition of the world's agroecosystems.
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Last Modified: Sep 30, 2008  
Sustainability in Agriculture
  Definitions and History of Sustainable Agriculture
  Environmental Laws and Policy
  Economic and Social Issues
  Food Security and Food Quality
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