Improving the Sustainability of Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The agricultural practice is a foundation for all global development. Increasing its production and productivity may affect the land capacity in the future if not managed sustainably. Sustainable agriculture could be one way to preserve land use potential. However, several obstacles impede its implementation, such as high reliance on external inputs to boost short-term output, lack of innovative technology in developing countries, and climate change impacts. Despite these obstacles, a variety of tackling options have been proposed, like decreasing the excessive usage of artificial fertilizer and relying on locally available organic materials as sources of plant nutrients. Improving small-scale irrigation practices by managing their negative environmental effects in small-scale agriculture could also enhance sustainable agriculture. This chapter briefly overviews sustainable agriculture, its components, and the potential and obstacles to achieving overall sustainability in both developed and developing countries.