Sustainable Agriculture Essay -- Research Paper Ranching Farming Paper

Sustainable land husbandry has been a radical component of human societies for centuries. It is so fundamental in fact that it is often forgotten by those capable on its products, but not directly involved in the production. As we move into the 21st century, agriculture is beginning to receive more attention from the superior general public as the implications of farming argon realized and the problem of potential drop world wide food shortage is addressed. With the future in focus, oftentimes of awkward establishment uses words like biotech, and high-tech to describe their goals for U.S. agriculture. With a few(prenominal) exceptions, traditional agriculturalists see a continuing trend of industrial agricultural practices that continue to drive production to fewer, larger, and more specialized production units which are virtually responsible for all stages of the production globally. This increased specialization is dependent on new biological technologies and information te chnologies at all levels from farms on which the food is produced to the markets where it is distributed. While these forecasts are legitimate, a growing number of agriculturalists, implicated public, and educators envision a very different future for agriculture. Such a view is represented in the writings of John E. Ikerd, an agricultural economic expert and Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri. In his paper, Sustainable land a necessary alternative to industrial agriculture, Ikerd questions whether the channelise trends of agriculture in the past hundred years can continue to be the guiding force of agriculture. He argues the while the tools of the high-tech future may be different from the tools of the industrial age, the objectives to specialize, mechan... ...l.--- Sustainable Agriculture A Positive resource to Industrial Agriculture 7 December, 1996. October 4, 2002 <http//www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/jikerd/papers/ks-hrtld.htm.--- Rethinking the Role of Agri culture in the Future of Rural Communities 25, January 2002. October 4, 2002. <http//www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/JIkerd/papers/YaleRural%20Studies.html.Pretty, Jules N. Regenerating Agriculture Policies and Practice for Sustainability and Self-reliance. Washington, D.C. Joseph Henry Press, 1995. --- Supporting Policies and Practice. Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture. ed. N. G. Roling and M.A.E. Wagemakers. Cambridge Cambridge University Press. 1998.USDA Press Release. commensurate Farming Practices to Minimize Water Pollution 17 November 2000. November 10, 2002 <http//www.pestlaw.com/x/ charge/2000/USDA-20001117A.html.