What is being done about sustainable agriculture?

In 1988, Congress funded a program in Sustainable Agriculture, which has since been named the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. SARE involves many traditional institutions, such as the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, the State Agricultural Experiment Stations, and Cooperative Extension. It also encourages cooperation with other private and non-profit institutions and groups.

Many of the concepts included in sustainable agriculture aren't new. Crop rotations and conservation tillage are practiced on many farms. For decades, Extension specialists have helped farmers reduce purchases of off-farm inputs, such as chemicals. Pesticide use has been reduced with integrated pest management. And USU Extension encourages conservation tillage to save energy and natural resources.

Sustainable agriculture can also incorporate reduced-tillage practices and integrated pest management techniques, but it goes a step further. It considers the total environmental consequences of the management system. In other words, sustainable agriculture integrates all elements of management--pesticides, fertilizers, wastes, energy, economics, etc.