Sustainable agriculture is not a fashionable fad or passing fancy. It’s vital for the agricultural industry and the world for four primary reasons.

Natural resource depletion

For starters, sustainable agriculture prevents high natural resource depletion. If present-day farmers deplete too many resources related to agriculture, future generations may not have the same ability to produce new crops or enjoy the same prosperity.

For example, California is currently struggling with droughts and other water shortages. That’s because previous California farmers did not farm sustainably regarding water table resources. Natural resource depletion also affects air quality, soil erosion and forest resources.

Environmental and climate change

Sustainable farming and agriculture are also essential because of environmental and climate change. The planet continues to heat up gradually but noticeably as time goes on. At the time of this writing, scientists are convinced that global warming, to some extent, is inevitable, which could result in widespread natural disasters, difficulty farming and other long-term effects.

However, by practicing sustainable farming and agriculture, humanity can reduce its overall resource consumption and minimize carbon emissions. This may help curb the adverse effects of climate change and help put the planet back on a path to healing.

Resource distribution and human impact

Sustainable farming systems are also crucial because of the human impact such practices can provide.

Simply put, sustainable farming concerns itself with what future humans will be able to do and enjoy more than non-sustainable farming practices.

For example, if modern-day farmers drain all of the water in crucial water tables in California and the western US, farming in that region (and around the world, for California provides much of the world’s food) will suffer, resulting in food shortages, potential starvation and other harmful effects.

Sustainable agriculture can ensure that essential resources, like foodstuffs, can reach people around the globe, helping to minimize food scarcity. By practicing sustainable agriculture, companies and individuals can minimize their human impact and carbon footprint, acting responsibly for future generations.

Ethical concerns

On top of the other factors, sustainable farming is significant because of ethical concerns. Many simply believe that consuming mindlessly and without considering the natural environment or the lives of other humans and animals is unethical at best.

Sustainable farming treats the world and its resources as precious commodities, not treasures to be temporarily exploited. When it comes to land use and water resources, sustainable farming is the only way to farm responsibly, wisely and ethically as a citizen of the planet.