Sustainable Farms

Farmers switch to sustainable farms systems. New agricultural paradigm is a solution of system failure of the Green Revolution that has damaged the agriculture industry in developing countries. Agriculture system will not be able to meet the needs of future generations. In order to grow, agriculture must learn to protect the environment by implementing sustainable farms.

This is the new paradigm introduced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in response to the failure of the Green Revolution were applied throughout the world since the 1960s. In a report entitled "Save and Grow" which was published last year FAO, MS Swaminathan, father of India's Green Revolution called this new approach as the Sustainable Revolution or "Evergreen Revolution".

The Green Revolution has saved about a billion people from starvation by modern agricultural governance strategy relies on the help of irrigation, seeds, machinery and chemical fertilizers. Farmers in developing countries managed to increase food production from 800 million tonnes to more than 2.2 billion tonnes between 1961 and 2000. However, this achievement has a negative impact on the environment. In many countries, the Green Revolution system drain water and eroded soil fertility. The system also triggers the spread of plant pests, damaging biodiversity, pollute the air, water and soil.

When the world's population is expected to reach 9.2 billion by 2050, the world no longer have a choice but to do more to boost agricultural intensification for food production. However, efforts such as the Green Revolution is no longer applicable. Currently, environmental degradation results legacy of the Green Revolution are still happening. Competition for water resources continues to increase along with rising oil prices and the impact of climate change is getting worse.

In order to grow, agriculture must change the paradigm of the world. According to the FAO, farmers can improve yields, maintain soil fertility, saving time and production costs by switching to a system of sustainable intensification of agricultural production (sustainable crop production intensification, SCPI).

This is a system of sustainable farms systems that implement conservation practices or rescue of natural resources (conservation agriculture), minimizing the use of farmland by switching to a more productive plants are able to maintain soil fertility. All these practices, according to FAO, proven to reduce water demand by 30% and production costs by up to 60%. The application of this system in the region of southern Africa has managed to increase wheat production to six-fold.

By adopting more efficient irrigation, farmers can produce more crops. Farmers can also reduce the need for chemical fertilizers by adopting a more targeted fertilizer that can double the nutrients are absorbed by plants. By using insecticides more wisely they can save the natural predators that help control pests.

FAO study in 57 developing countries found, by using water more efficiently, reduce pesticide use and improve soil fertility, farmers will be able to increase the average yield reached 79%. Another study concluded that a system of sustainable farms that is able to preserve ecosystem services by implementing a system of land conservation, crop diversification and natural pest control is able to produce yields equal to intensive systems that are not environmentally friendly. By creating a healthy agricultural ecosystems, according to the FAO, the world will be able to help the families of poor farmers in developing countries - which amounted to 2.5 billion people - maximize crop yields to ensure the education and health of the family.