Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
agricultural sustainability is a complex concept that involves meeting broadly agreed-on
societal goals into the future. Achieving these goals will require systems that are ade-
quately productive; that use resources efficiently and protect or enhance the resource base;
and importantly, that demonstrate robustness in the face of fluctuating conditions and
unpredictable shocks (NRC, 2010).
Overarching sustainability goals revolve around the need to satisfy human food
and fiber needs (in terms of amount and accessibility), while protecting or enhancing the
resource base and surrounding environments and providing viable livelihoods and a
good quality of life for farming communities (NRC, 2010). More specific goals are embed-
ded within each of these general ones, and the relative importance given to each will vary
depending on the system in question and the social context within which the system is
embedded. For example, it can be argued that questions regarding the sustainability of
contemporary agricultural systems in the United States and other developed countries
have arisen in large part due to concerns about negative impacts of agricultural inputs
on the environment, whereas primary questions of sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa
revolve around the ability to produce sufficient and accessible food to alleviate hunger and
poverty and regenerate degraded soils. Thus, while there is ultimately a need to balance
each of the goals for long-term sustainability, in the more immediate term one goal may be
given higher priority than another depending on the specific context.
The question of who decides the specific goals and priorities is critical since many par-
ties have vested interests in agricultural sustainability and yet likely vary in the relative
weight they place on different goals. As scientists, we cannot answer the question of what
the goals and priorities should be; this is fundamentally a “social choice” that needs to
be arrived at through negotiation and political process (NRC, 2010). In the case of Africa,
this point is reflected in calls for African countries themselves to take the lead in devel-
opment efforts to improve food production and sustainability (Interacademy Council,
2004; African Union Report, 2008; Flora, 2010) and for farmer voices to be heard in setting
research agendas (African Farmers Organization, 2009).
What scientists can and must do is to inform this process of negotiation and decision
making by providing answers to the “what is” and “what if” questions; that is, given
what is known about the status quo, what are the likely outcomes and effects of choos-
ing certain specific interventions over others? Investigations by agricultural researchers
of the impacts of legumes, manure application, and fertilizers on crop yields, soil nutri-
ents, and microbial communities address reasonable topics. However, to answer what-if
types of questions most effectively, attention must be given to the socioeconomic and
cultural context of systems being targeted and the needs and desires of the farm house-
holds in the region. These contextual factors will also determine sustainability outcomes
and impacts of the different systems being tested. Further, consideration of context will
increase the likelihood that any technologies or knowledge developed will be appropri-
ate and meet the needs of farmers, be feasible given their circumstances, and thus be
more likely to be adopted and adapted by farmers. Accomplishing this requires integra-
tion of different disciplinary approaches and a close connection with and participation
of key stakeholders.
At a practical level, we suggest that the sustainability of existing or proposed agricultural
systems is determined by their ability to meet immediate livelihood needs, provide rea-
sonable stability in performance from year to year, and over the longer term to maintain or
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