|
Sustainable Agriculture:
- Relies more on people than industrial farming methods to farm
- Supports family farms, independent food producers, and rural communities
- Conserves and protects soil, water, and other natural resources
- Supports local and regional food networks
- Provides opportunities for future generations
Across Canada, we have seen an increase in alternative, sustainable agricultural practices (farming methods that don't harm the Earth). There are many different forms – organic, ecological, regenerative, permanent, sustainable, biological, biodynamic and natural – but all operate on the basic principle that farmers are stewards of the land, taking care of it, and restoring it rather than exhausting it for future generations.
Farmers can practise sustainable agriculture by:
- Planting trees and shrubs to act as windbreaks to reduce soil erosion
- Preserving wetlands and stabilizing stream edges with vegetation
- Recycling organic matter to replenish the soil
- Rotating crops (good for controlling weeds, diseases and insects,
and maintaining soil fertility)
- Growing a variety of crops to promote biodiversity
- Using biological methods of pest control instead of chemical ones
- Promoting the humane treatment of animals
|
