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Sustainability
Sustainability is the ability of an ecosystem to continuously support the life forms within it.
If an ecosystem is exploited for too long, the system will run out of resources. This is unsustainability. It can be observed in many areas of Australia where once productive agricultural land is no longer productive because of over-use.
A sustainable agriculture system has many elements, of which land use is only one. Other factors such as depressed markets for agricultural products or inadequate financial management will also impact on sustainability. Sustainable land use is a continuing and long term objective requiring integrated planning for permanence, productivity, profitability, efficiency and flexibility.
There are five generally accepted principles for sustainable agriculture:
- Farm productivity is sustained or enhanced over the long term.
- Adverse impacts on the natural resource base of agriculture and associated ecosystems are minimised or avoided.
- Residues resulting from the use of chemicals in agriculture are minimised.
- The net social benefit derived from agriculture is maximised.
- Farming systems are sufficiently flexible to mange risks associated with the vagaries of climate and markets.
Current sustainable land use issues
The main issues of sustainable land use in Australia currently relate to the greenhouse effect, land degradation, water quality and use, vegetation degradation, the impact of feral and native animals, biodiversity, and issues surrounding plant and animal health. All these issues can have adverse consequences for the natural resource base that agriculture depends on for its long term survival.
Modern agriculture makes various land modifications that usually have a significant impact on the environment. These include:
- clearing and burning trees and other vegetation
- water storage and channel construction for irrigation
- roadway and building construction
- boundary and subdivision fence construction
- soil cultivation
- the introduction of exotic plants and animals
- the use of chemicals for pest management
- the use of artificial plant stimulants.
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