Technology Promoting Sustainability into the Future of Agriculture

Technology has been an integral part of agricultural success in the past and will also make its way to the future by promoting sustainability in agricultural practices.

Fremont, CA: There has been a lot of debate and discussion around the idea that farming as a global activity is depleting resources faster than they can be replenished. There have been several examples of human-caused imbalance in the form of pollutant runoff, soil erosion, wildlife population declines and changes, and the general altering of "natural" flora and fauna.

The economics of scarcity applies to food. Unlike the artificial worth of scarce things such as gold, an adequate supply of food is important to population survival and skill diversification, making agriculture a first-level goal. We may now quit the "Hunter / Gatherer" paradigm and devote all of our resources to food production on an ever-increasing scale, thanks to modern technology. The concept of "scientific agriculture" stems from articles by Liebig in 1840 and Johnston in 1842, which theorized about the importance of chemistry in agriculture. 1865 brought with it Mendelian genetics and the notions of inheritance, which in turn helped to spur the development of modern agriculture. Many scientific institutes in Europe and North America were eagerly expanding their use of biological and chemical sciences in agriculture, resulting in numerous innovations. Since these early technological advancements have lowered the number of people directly involved in food production/processing, society has been able to address social concerns that aren't directly related to "survival," but rather raise the standard of living for everyone.

Biotechnology and chemical technology have played, will play, and will play an important role in the future development of agriculture, but indiscriminate or inappropriate use of these technologies can cause serious harm to the ecosystem and jeopardize the long-term viability of agricultural enterprises. The preservation of nonrenewable resources is consequently the core concern of sustainability.

In agriculture, sustainability is defined as the ability of an agroecosystem to maintain production over time predictably. Stability under a given set of environmental and economic circumstances, which can only be controlled on a site-specific basis, is a crucial idea of sustainability. In order to be sustainable, an approach to agriculture must reject the use of biological and chemical technologies and advocate a completely natural ecosystem. As an alternative, preserving nonrenewable resources within the scope of an agricultural firm is a sustainable perspective on sustainability that is not only feasible but also promotes excellent business practices and environmental management.

Agriculture's long-term viability and productivity will be highly influenced by the pace of technological advancement and the level of innovation in future technologies (Hutchins and Gehring, 1993). Genetically modified crops (GM crops) that provide greater nutritional efficiency (more calories per yield or more yield) and the manipulation of natural pest control agents (natural pesticides) are examples of technology in the broadest sense of the term. Farm management techniques that focus on whole-farm productivity over time, rather than annual production per hectare, are also examples of technology.