The Benefits Of Sustainable Agriculture For Farmers

For tens of years farmers have maintained the agriculture industry through industrial agriculture, producing the greater part of our produce via this system that utilizes huge amounts of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and other materials which heavily pollute our environment. More and more, we have started to see that this system of farming is not sustainable as it degrades our natural resources.

Due to this, there is an increasing demand for more sustainable methods of farming, which studies have showed can prove to be just as profitable as conventional factory farming. These methods can maximize farmers’ productivity while minimizing the overall backlash on the environment that industrial farming tends to create. These are just some benefits of sustainable agriculture for farmers. There are so many more – some of which are detailed below. Now, more than ever, sustainable agriculture is the way forward for farmers.

So, what are some of the benefits of sustainable agriculture?

More biodiversity in soil

You may have heard before that healthy soil can be damaged by the continued use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Soil, as farmers all know, is the foundation of our agricultural systems and we could not grow and harvest produce without it. It stands to use to ensure that our soil is healthy. Proper, nutrient-rich soil may be able to improve your yearly yield and can also promote much hardier crops thanks to its properties. Of course, there are many ways to improve upon soil quality. Rather than using chemicals or other means to enrich soil, you might reuse your composed plant matter, animal manure, or leftover crop residue to feed your soil after a harvest.

Reduces certain production costs

Standard agriculture practices require the usage of fossil fuels and switching over to sustainable agriculture reduces or eliminates the need altogether. Consider the costs of certain machinery, transportation, and more. Overall, this can help you save on your farming costs.

Sustaining the agri-food system long-term

The keyword of sustainable agriculture here is “sustainable.” By favouring sustainability over tradition, we create room for future sustainability and the long-term healthy of the agri-food system. With new climate events and pest breakouts facing agriculture suppliers around the world, there becomes an increased anxiety for the reliability of sustained output. With sustainable agriculture, these fears and anxieties lessen, and trust is built between consumers and producers.

Promotes equality for workers

In the case of switching over to more sustainable agriculture practices, workers would be offered more competitive salaries as well as benefits. Conventional factory farming involves far less humane and workable environments, which means that by switching to sustainable agriculture you would be promoting equality for your workers and overall increasing quality of life for them.

Environmental benefits

This might go without saying, but sustainable agriculture is far more beneficial for the environment as it reduces the necessity of non-renewable energy sources and thereby benefits the environment. As the population increases, the need for produce increases to feed the additional people. There are many ways to manage this: eating less impactful diets, reducing our food waste, and of course switching to sustainable agriculture practices. It is difficult to comprehend the necessity for these practices when we live in a world where food seems to be in abundance. Sustainable agriculture can be the way forward.

Sustainable agriculture practices also include crop rotation, which can decrease the chance of pest outbreaks and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides which can increase pollution.

You can save on your insurance.

You read that right – you might be able to cut some costs when it comes to your insurance by switching over to sustainable agriculture practices. Since sustainable agriculture aims to reduce pollution levels by offering more practical, environmentally-friendly solutions and methods for harvesting and growing crops, you may not need to worry about pollution liability, crop spoilage, and more. You might also be looking to retire some older machinery after switching to sustainable agriculture if they no longer serve a use, meaning that they no longer require coverage. Trustmark Insurance, a local provider of farm insurance in Regina says, “Farming is a difficult enough line of work without you needing to worry about insurance as well.” 

In conclusion

Sustainability, in agriculture and in our day-to-day lives politically, ecologically and economically, is the way forward to ensuring that we can create a way of life that is maintainable for the foreseeable future. While it might seem difficult to shift away from operations that we have grown used to or even been passed down by previous generations, sustainable agriculture has so many benefits in the long run. Even now, sustainable alternatives to conventional farming practices are gaining ground – and all to better the future of the agriculture industry to ensure a more maintainable and profitable world.