Economics of sustainable farming:

Large scale industrial farming is the most efficient economically, producing a lot of very cheap food. However, industrial farming carries high costs to the environment such as: air and water pollution, soil erosion, loss of nutrients in the soil and more. These impacts will affect the crop yield in the future. This is where sustainable farming comes in, although the initial costs and maintenance is higher when farming sustainably, the environmental benefits offset the cost. There are many different sustainable methods one can use to maximize environmental benefits and economic viability. One method of sustainable farming is crop rotation, the variation of crops grown in a given field annually. The main benefit of crop rotation is the replenishment of nutrients in the soil. Crop rotation not only benefits the soil but was proven in one study to increase yield by 28%. However, due to the nature of varying crops, the farmer is unable to grow the most profitable crop every other year on the rotation. Another method of sustainable farming is No-till farming, where the farmer does not till the field in between crops. This method has been linked with a 4% increase in corn yields after a few years. This method reduces erosion and provides nutrients to the soil. Unlike many other sustainable methods there are few economic tradeoffs associated with this method. Another method is Integrated pest management (IPM) is the introduction of certain insects into a field to kill unwanted pests. 51 different studies found a 15% decrease in the amount of bugs in the field and a net increase in production. This method is associated with a large initial cost of introducing the insects but will provided a net increase in production in the long run. There are many different method of sustainable farming other than these examples and each contains its own benefits and costs.

To learn more about the importance of nutrient rich soils, and learn about a different technique to maintain the soil, Click Here to watch> http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/multimedia/videos/gc56/180912/bettersoil/index.html

To read more about sustainable agriculture, Click Here> www.foodroutes.net/doclib/21/MakingMoneyMakingSense.pdf

Sources:

Coreselis, Kristen, Suszanne Wisniewski, and Mark Ritchie. "Sustainable Agriculture: Making Money, Making Sense." The
               Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Mar. 2001. Web. 16 Dec. 2012.
Video Source:
"IAEA Video Clips - More Food With Better Soil - Using Isotope Techniques To Improve
             Soil Quality." IAEA Video Clips - More Food With Better Soil - Using Isotope Techniques
             To Improve Soil Quality. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2012.