Most present day farming is converting the 'capital' (fertility) into the 'income' (yields). It cannot go on indefinately.

Sustainable farming is more than just the efficient use of resources. Sustainable farming considers social and environmental impacts as well as economic concerns. Sustainable farming relies more on labour and encourages the development of skills, including those that help protect the environment.

Sustainable farming faces a massive environmental challenge. The main environmental impacts of present day farming go beyond local pollution and global resource use. There is a massive contribution to global warming - and not just because of cows producing methane. Less carbon is returned to earth, as more is transformed to methane (landfill) and carbon dioxide (incineration) - both Greenhouse Gases. This disturbs the Carbon Cycle. The result is that soil (especially the top crucial 5cm) is becoming depleted of the key element of all life - carbon. (Play the Carbon Cycle Game)

At present:

• The use of energy for the transport and handling of food is estimated to account for 16-21% of the UK's total energy bill.
• Between 1945 and 1986, the amount of carbon released from the land tripled; UK soils contain about twice as much carbon as the atmosphere
• Agriculture in UK contributes about 12% of the greenhouse effect fertilised land contributes about half of the UK's nitrous oxide emissions
• About 250 pesticide active ingredients can be used (about 250 active ingredients were taken off the market in summer 2003) in conventional farming and over 500 additives in processing - compared to 7 and 30 respectively in organic food.

Companies are starting to change their ways and demonstrate moving towards 'sustainablity' e.g. The Co-op farm (the largest in the UK) have established a policy "Green and Pleasant Land" that looks to develop a precautionary approach to using pesticides.

For the latest on 'What is Sustainable Farming?'
Visit 'Food Navigator' at http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/news.asp?id=7943

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