Sustainability (Switzerland), cilt.16, sa.8, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Sustainable agriculture seeks to balance human nutritional needs with the preservation of environmental quality and the economic viability of agricultural systems. Principles of resource conservation, economic resilience, social equity, and competitiveness underpin this approach. Despite its potential to address crucial issues like food security, energy sustainability, and environmental stewardship, sustainable agriculture faces challenges. These include the scalability of its practices, potential economic constraints in the short term, and the need for significant shifts in policy and consumer behavior. A more explicit definition could encapsulate sustainable agriculture as integrating innovative practices that are environmentally benign, economically feasible, and socially equitable. This encompasses practices that reduce water scarcity, combat soil degradation, and address climate change impacts—crucial steps toward a robust and future-proof agricultural system. By acknowledging these challenges and specifying issues like water scarcity, soil health, and climate change, this abstract presents a balanced view of sustainable agriculture’s role in a sustainable future, highlighting its necessity and the urgent need for integrated efforts to overcome its implementation barriers.