How can the environmental be educated on sustainable agriculture

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The new approaches known as agro-ecological agriculture or conservation agriculture can be achieved by mass agricultural education of the rural inhabitants, majority of whom are farmers (about 75 percent of Nigerians are farmers). Importance of Agricultural Education

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Answer

Why promote environmentally sustainable agriculture?

Promote Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture Photo: World Bank Group For agriculture to be sustainable, land and water must be used efficiently to reduce negative impact on the environment and ensure resilience to climate change.

What does sustainable agriculture mean to practitioners?

Practitioners of sustainable agriculture seek to integrate three main objectives into their work: a healthy environment, economic profitability, and social and economic equity.

What does it take to be a sustainable farmer?

And researchers in sustainable agriculture often cross disciplinary lines with their work: combining biology, economics, engineering, chemistry, community development, and many others. However, sustainable agriculture is more than a collection of practices.

What is the importance of agricultural education to a nation?

By virtue of the skills acquired through agricultural education, an individual becomes employable and will be able to create jobs thereby reducing unemployment, hence increased food production which implies food security for the nation. Recommendation A nation that cannot feed itself is insecure and dependent.

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How can sustainable agriculture help the environment?

In addition to preserving the earth’s natural resources, sustainable agriculture benefits the environment through helping maintain soil quality, reducing erosion, and preserving water.


How can we improve agriculture sustainability?

Sustainable agriculture practicesRotating crops and embracing diversity. … Planting cover crops and perennials. … Reducing or eliminating tillage. … Applying integrated pest management (IPM). … Integrating livestock and crops. … Adopting agroforestry practices. … Managing whole systems and landscapes.


What is environmental sustainability in agriculture?

The goal of sustainable agriculture is to meet society’s food and textile needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.


Why is it important to study sustainable agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture has a significant role to play in feeding the growing worldwide population and reducing the impact of climate change. Today, agriculture accounts for up to 30% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Bank.


How can we reduce the environmental impact of agriculture?

Soil conservation methods, such as contour planting or no-till farming, reduce levels of soil erosion, as these methods help to keep the soil in place during heavy rains or floods, which is an increasing concern due to climate change.


What does environmental sustainability include?

Environmental sustainability is the responsibility to conserve natural resources and protect global ecosystems to support health and wellbeing, now and in the future.


How does sustainable food management work?

Through the sustainable management of food, we can help businesses and consumers save money, provide a bridge in our communities for those who do not have enough to eat, and conserve resources for future generations. Building on the familiar concept of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” this approach shifts the view on environmental protection and more fully recognizes the impacts of the food we waste.


What is the relationship between agriculture and sustainability?

Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Agriculture contributes directly to sustainable stewardship of the land, air and water. Sustainability creates and maintains …


Why is sustainability important?

Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the food, feed, and fiber needs of our country and the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations. Sustainable agriculture is important to making sure that we have …


What is People of the Land?

People of the Land Publication: Sustaining American Indian Agriculture in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington Exit — A curriculum from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program aims to help those who work with American Indians better understand the unique challenges faced by native farmers. The materials are titled “People of the Land”.


Why is sustainable agriculture important?

Sustainable agriculture is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment.


What is the purpose of EPA?

EPA works to promote innovation and highlight the value and efficient management of food as a resource. Through the sustainable management of food, we can help businesses and consumers save money, provide a bridge in our communities for those who do not have enough to eat, and conserve resources for future generations.


Where do food scraps go?

Food Scraps Go to the Animals: Barthold Recycling and Roll-off Services — Factsheet/advertisement for a company that picks up food waste and delivers it to farms to be used as animal feed.


What is Solutions from the Land?

Solutions from the Land is working to break down these walls to create integrated solutions that address food production, economic development, and climate change while ensuring that all stakeholders have a part in environmental policy conversations. Shea believes in a collaborative approach to environmental policy and has worked with agricultural leaders across the country—including Yoder—to create environmental policy recommendations that work for farmers.


What committee does NACSAA submit recommendations to?

In 2020 alone, NACSAA has submitted two sets of recommendations to Congress: one to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis describing the importance of climate smart agriculture in policy development, and another to the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis outlining the “critical role agriculture plays in bridging gaps in policy arenas—from food security and nutrition, to energy and national security, to rural development and job creation, to environmental protection and climate mitigation.”


What is the growing climate solution?

The Senate recently introduced the bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act, which would enable farmers to get paid for sequestering carbon on their land. With such an economic incentive, farmers may be more willing to adopt sustainable farming practices and transform their livelihoods.


Why are farmers hesitant to change their practices?

Despite the proven success of sustainable agriculture techniques, many farmers are hesitant to change their practices, citing perceived financial burdens as one of the main reasons. According to a Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) study, the top reasons farmers hesitate to adopt sustainable agriculture practices is because of a lack of financial resources, economic incentives, and reliable information. In order to get farmers to try sustainable farming practices, Yoder states economic incentives are vital.


Why is it important to create environmental policy recommendations with input from agricultural stakeholders?

Overall, creating environmental policy recommendations with input from agricultural stakeholders is vitally important for the success of environmental policies. Considering that there are over 20,000 types of soil in the United States, a solution that works for one region may not work for another, so adaptive solutions are more likely to gain traction amongst rural stakeholders.


What is no till farming?

To change his economic position, Yoder researched different farming methods to save money and came across no-till farming, which is an agricultural strategy aimed at growing crops while reducing soil turnover and erosion. He began implementing no-till on parts of his soybean fields and then slowly transitioned his corn and wheat fields until, eventually, his whole farm used the method.


Why is environmental legislation rarely supported by rural Americans?

However, despite strong support for the environment, proposed federal environmental legislation is rarely supported by rural Americans because their needs are often overlooked by federal policymakers. In order to alleviate this issue and create representative environmental policy, rural leaders are calling for collaborative solutions between …


How does the Bank of Kenya help farmers?

In Kenya, the Bank has helped farmers use a wide range of techniques to improve soil on 45,000 hectares of lan d. It also works to improve links between farmers and carbon markets through programs that encourage climate smart agriculture as a way to generate additional income for livestock production, among other activities. Projects in Costa Rica, Colombia and Nicaragua have supported the use of small payments to farmers for environmentally-friendly practices, which has contributed to increased productivity, carbon sequestration, water quality and biodiversity.


What does the Bank of China do?

The Bank supports investments to better manage environmental and health problems related to raising livestock, which includes reducing methane emissions and nutrient runoff. To date, the Bank has helped improve environmental practices on livestock farms in Henan Province, China and implement better waste management systems to reduce methane emissions in Thailand and preserve soil quality in Turkey.


Why is land and water important in agriculture?

For agriculture to be sustainable, land and water must be used efficiently to reduce negative impact on the environment and ensure resilience to climate change.


What is the World Bank’s goal?

The goal is to maximize productivity, improve livelihoods and minimize negative environmental impact.


What is the goal of CSA?

The goal is to maximize productivity, improve livelihoods and minimize negative environmental impact. Put more simply, we can use natural capital without using it up. One such approach is “ Climate-Smart Agriculture ” or CSA which has huge potential to increase productivity, enhance resilience, and lower our footprint.


Which countries have supported small payments to farmers for environmentally friendly practices?

Projects in Costa Rica, Colombia and Nicaragua have supported the use of small payments to farmers for environmentally-friendly practices, which has contributed to increased productivity, carbon sequestration, water quality and biodiversity.


What are the three areas of concern for sustainable agriculture?

The strategies are grouped according to three separate though related areas of concern: Farming and Natural Resources, Plant and Animal Production Practices, and the Economic, Social and Political Context. They represent a range of potential ideas for individuals committed to interpreting the vision of sustainable agriculture within their own circumstances.


What is UC program?

The UC Programs | Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems directory is a catalog of UC’s programmatic activities in sustainable agriculture and food systems. The directory can be searched and sorted by activities and topic areas.


What is the goal of sustainable agriculture?

The goal of sustainable agriculture is to meet society’s food and textile needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Practitioners of sustainable agriculture seek to integrate three main objectives into their work: a healthy environment, economic profitability, and social and economic equity.


How do consumers contribute to the food system?

Through their purchases, they send strong messages to producers, retailers and others in the system about what they think is important. Food cost and nutritional quality have always influenced consumer choices.


What is a systems approach?

A systems approach gives us the tools to explore the interconnections between farming and other aspects of our environment. Everyone plays a role in creating a sustainable food system. A systems approach also implies interdisciplinary efforts in research and education.


What is the principal resource that has helped agriculture and society to prosper?

Water . Water is the principal resource that has helped agriculture and society to prosper, and it has been a major limiting factor when mismanaged. Water supply and use. In California, an extensive water storage and transfer system has been established which has allowed crop production to expand to very arid regions.


What happens to the natural resources of ancient Mesopotamia?

When the production of food and fiber degrades the natural resource base, the ability of future generations to produce and flourish decreases. The decline of ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean region, Pre-Columbian southwest U.S. and Central America is believed to have been strongly influenced by natural resource degradation from non-sustainable farming and forestry practices.


Biological Pest Control

Biological control involves restraining crop pests by using living organisms, regarded to be the natural enemies of the pests. Biological pest control differs from pesticides and herbicides, which make use of chemical compounds to control pests.


Reduced Soil Tillage

Tillage is the preparation of agricultural soil. It can be done manually with hoes and rakes, or automatically, with cultivators.


Sustainable Animal Husbandry

Rearing animals for meat and milk, fiber, wool, and other products is animal husbandry. It involves selective breeding, regular care, and handling to ensure the well-being of the animals. When done correctly, animal husbandry yields excellent gains for the farmer, and by extension, the economy.


Mixed Farming

Mixed farming entails rearing animals and raising crops on one land. An advantage of mixed farming is that it eliminates the need for synthetic fertilizers as the dung from the animals serves as manure.


Organic Fertilization of Soil

For increased crop yield, agriculture has long since relied on soil fertilization. Natural fertilizers include animal dung, biofertilizers, and compost, which slowly allow vital nutrients into the soil and will, over time, increase the soil’s quality.


Crop Rotation and Mixed Cropping

Crop rotation is the agricultural practice of growing different types of crops on a given land, following a well-defined sequence.


Conclusion

Agriculture is causing environmental changes; at the same time, it is receiving the impact of these changes. Food is vital to human survival, and the environment is just as important. For our continued existence, we must embrace practices that produce food and, at the same time, protect our environment.


What are the environmental impacts of food security?

Despite increasing hunger globally, the demand of food has been rising rapidly and has had a significant environmental cost: degradation of agricultural land, pollution of rivers and aquifers due to agro-chemicals, increased freshwater consumption, greenhouse-gas emissions from agriculture and land-use change, loss of agro-biodiversity and other negative consequences. All of these environmental impacts severely undermine our ability to continue to feed a growing population and ultimately will jeopardize the opportunity to meet SDG 2, unless more-sustainable food-production practices are embraced globally.


Where is the FAO’s State of Food Security and Nutrition report?

Early in September, the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report was released through a joint press conference at the FAO headquarters in Rome. The analysis ( The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World FAO; 2018) is the outcome of a close collaboration between five United Nations agencies — the Food …


Has hunger increased in the world?

The report, which uses data from 2017, shows how hunger has increased worldwide for the third consecutive year, and childhood malnutrition has not improved or, even worse, in some cases has declined. Countries must take urgent action to meet SDG 2 by 2030.


Is intensification good for agriculture?

Enhanced agricultural productivity (intensification) has been a major response to the growing food demand, but intensification could be done better. In an Analysis by Pretty et al. published in our August issue, the authors underline how environmental considerations in agriculture intensification have been traditionally limited to minimizing negative impacts. Instead, with their analyses, they show that, for example, a move away from fertilizers to nitrogen-fixing legumes as part of rotations or intercropping could improve intensification without increasing environmental stress. Their point is that agriculture intensification can be sustainable if the system is adequately re-designed and if all players involved accept that no new designed system will succeed forever.


Does increasing food production affect conservation?

Increasing food production can impact conservation strategies — another issue likely to have long-term negative consequences for our ability to provide healthy levels of nutrition to all. Keesing and colleagues, in an Article in this issue, show however that a conflict between the two shouldn’t be the case.


Is sustainable agriculture possible?

Sustainable agriculture. Achieving food security is possible, if we better understand the complexity of the agricultural system and re-design practices accordingly. Early in September, the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report was released through a joint press conference at the FAO headquarters in Rome.


How can agriculture be used to achieve national development?

Agricultural Education can be used to achieve national development, because the need to be self- reliant stands as one of the urgent needs of the government . Agriculture is therefore aimed at playing a significant role in the country. The interest of the government is to increase food supply at a relatively low price. In the school system, Agricultural: Education is confronted with the following:


What is agricultural education?

Agricultural Education is the type of education that leads to acquisition of practical skills; it assists individuals in acquiring and developing skills which would be eventually transferred to job opportunity in the society. At least 75% of the total labour force is engaged in agriculture. Agriculture can be regarded as the business of production, storage, distribution and marketing of crops, animals and their products. Agricultural Education is one course that prepares individuals to earn a living, either on a regular paid job or through self- employment. One can earn a living by engaging in crop production i.e. tree crops, arable, animal production i.e. snailry, fishery, horticulture, rabbitary etc. Agriculture Education is an area an individual can venture into for self-employment and employment creation. In recent times, self-employment is becoming more popular among agriculturalist through the acquisition of sate able skills, the basic skills acquired enable the individuals to be able to support a developing modern economy and contribute to the well-being of the society. Osuala (2004) observed that graduates could not access productive employment because they are bereft of the required competencies and skills. They are without employment because they are not employable. Skills acquired in different areas of agriculture like poultry, piggery, bee keeping or apiculture, snailry or vegetable gardening.

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Sustainability Information from EPA


Sustainability Information from Other Sources

  • USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)- Since 1988, the SARE grants and education program has advanced agricultural innovation that promotes profitability, stewardship of the la…

See more on epa.gov


Sustainable Agriculture and Tribes

  • People of the Land Publication: Sustaining American Indian Agriculture in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington– A curriculum from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program aims to…

See more on epa.gov


Sustainable Management of Food

  • Sustainable Management of Foodis a systematic approach that seeks to reduce wasted food and its associated impacts over the entire life cycle, starting with the use of natural resources, manufacturing, sales, and consumption and ending with decisions on recovery or final disposal. EPA works to promote innovation and highlight the value and efficien…

See more on epa.gov

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