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Worldwatch Institute's Sustainable Agriculture Program is building the political will to address the dangerous interplay between environmental threats and global hunger. This challenge is driven by shortages of land and water, short-sighted farming techniques, rising energy prices, and climate change. Worldwatch's goal is a sustainable agricultural system that meets global food needs and protects the natural resource base while reducing rural poverty.
Today's dominant farming systems produce food in abundance, but at a steep price: depleted soils, poisoned land and waterways, heavy dependence on fossil fuels, and jeopardized livelihoods of small farmers. Dramatic food-price increases in the past two years demonstrate the vulnerability of that system.
Farming is about more than producing food. Sustainably practiced, agriculture nourishes people and supports rural livelihoods. It rebuilds soils, water supplies, and fisheries, and helps societies cope with the vagaries of climate change. Worldwatch's Sustainable Agriculture Program stresses the benefits to farmers, consumers, and ecosystems that will flow from food systems that are flexible enough to deal with a shifting climate, productive enough to meet the needs of expanding populations, and accessible enough to support diverse and equitable rural communities.
Rising global food prices at a time when more than 800 million people go hungry indicate that the need for this shift couldn't be more pressing. A major focus of the Institute over the next few years will be creating a roadmap for farmers, agribusiness, and other agricultural decision makers to guide them in this evolution. Target audiences include government policymakers, international development agencies, and private agricultural funders.
Featured Publications:
"Meat and Seafood: The Global Diet's Most Costly Ingredients" - Chapter 5 in State of the World 2008: Innovations for a Sustainable Economy
Oceans in Peril: Protecting Marine Biodiversity
Catch of the Day: Choosing Seafood for Healthier Oceans
Happier Meals: Rethinking the Global Meat Industry
More Sustainable Agriculture Resources
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