Sustaining the debate

One of the latest hot topics in agriculture is the notion of “sustainable agriculture.”

I threw the term into my favorite Internet search engine earlier this week and got more than 3,000 hits in two-tenths of a second.

The lead story was about Secretary of Agriculture’s Tom Vilsack’s announcement of a 1,300-square-foot organic vegetable garden, a People’s Garden on the grounds of the department’s headquarters on the Washington Mall.

Vilsack, who came up with the idea, said a garden would communicate the agency’s mission of sustainability and in particular the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Some sustainable-agriculture advocates were originally not pleased with the appointment of Vilsack, who as governor of Iowa had close ties to conventional farmers and ranchers and had supported biotechnology and ethanol. But Vilsack has met with progressive farm groups and food policy organizations and likes to say, ‘If I had to summarize the vision I have for this department in one word, it would be ‘sustainable.’”

Another story was about a sustainable agriculture survey, that showed nearly 70 percent of the U.S. farmers and ranchers have taken steps toward implementing sustainable agricultural practices such as direct seeding, minimal use of chemicals and crop rotation.

A third story announced the United Soybean Board and soybean checkoff were “proud” to serve on the steering committee for Field to Market, the Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. Field to Market will provide farmers an on-line source to gauge the sustainability of their operations and access information on practices that can improve their efficiency and protect their local environment.

But just what is sustainable agriculture?

Last month I had the pleasure of moderating a panel discussion on sustainable agriculture as part of the Princeton Library’s Smithsonian exhibit on “Between Fences.” To define sustainable agriculture, I used the definition provided by Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill, which was that sustainable agriculture satisfies human food and fiber needs; enhances environmental quality; makes the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources; sustains the economic viability of farm operations; and enhances the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

I asked Jim Rapp, Harold Steele, Dennis Zehr and Keith Bolin some tough questions such as, “Considering the current economic environment, should environmental health issues take a back seat to profitability?” and “Did our grandparents care about sustainable agriculture, or is it a new issue?” and “Why should city residents care about sustainable agriculture?”