Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable agriculture, what does it mean for Georgia? It 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 both farmers and the public. Sustainable agriculture systems rely on building healthy soils and crops, enhancing biodiversity, and minimizing the use of non-renewable resources.

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 reducing 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 nutrient 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. The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is dedicated to helping farmers and consumers find the reliable information they need to pursue these systems.