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Sustainability
Sustainable Agriculture: Growth from
ground up
October 26, 2006 • Business
World
With each passing day, a growing world population demands
more and more of the Earth's resources in the production of
food.
To meet the challenges of the future and preserve the environment
for future generations, the food industry is taking steps
to promote change from the ground up through the sustainable
agricultural initiative (SAI) platform.
SAI was created by the food industry worldwide led by Nestlé,
Danone and Unilever in hopes to guarantee food for a growing
population through efficient use of resources.
On Nov. 16, the first SAI platform Philippine Convention
will be held at the Crowne Philippine Plaza Galleria Manila
in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, to be attended by the private
sector, academe and the government.
A press material on the SAI platform stated that sustainable
agriculture has relevant social, environmental and economic
dimensions which can have an impact on our daily lives. With
proper implementation, it has the potential to improve the
quality of life of people through attainable goals which produce
profit while promoting wise stewardship of our planet's resources.
The quality and safety of food are vitally important since
they relate to the health of populations around the world
and represent important consumer concerns. The SAI platform
undertakes to improve the quality, safety and nutritional
value of agricultural products with balanced nutritional content,
ensuring the safety of agricultural products arising from
the farm and minimizing the risks of residue (e.g. pesticide
residue) in the end-product.
Since agricultural performance and profitability are closely
linked to the well being of farmers and rural communities,
the SAI platform also addresses issues that hinder farmers
delivering their inputs and exercising their skills.
Specifically, its goal will be to build attractive farming
livelihoods and vibrant, adaptive rural communities that will
empower them and increase their self-reliance.
From an environmental perspective, sustainable agriculture
has the overall objective of preserving the environmental
resources and favors the use of renewable resources. The SAI
platform addresses issues involving the optimal use of natural
resources and how best to minimize the impact of agricultural
activities on different geographical scales.
For instance, the availability of land and fertile soil is
a limited resource that should be protected by strictly guarding
against the improper use of pesticides and fertilizers which
can lead to soil pollution and loss of arable land.
Water is also a crucial input for farming, which accounts
for a significant part of all worldwide water use. Besides
agriculture, many other activities and even life itself critically
depend on a reliable water supply and adequate water quality.
According to the press material, the SAI platform even encompasses
issues related to air pollution. Agriculture, particularly
with the high use of fertilizers and pesticides, can cause
air pollution, leading to negative effects on the environment,
plant damage, and contamination of soils or water.
It also affects the quality of life of adjacent populations.
For example, land preparation, fertilization and tillage release
greenhouse gases while methane is emitted from livestock.
Farming transport activities also cause air pollution from
fossil fuels.
Energy is an essential resource in all farming systems. In
particular, agriculture uses energy from non-renewable resource.
Therefore, sustainable agriculture includes the objectives
of ensuring that energy inputs from non-renewable resources
are minimized; and that when possible, alternative energy
sources like bio-fuel is used.
Aside from these concerns, the SAI platform also tackles
issued involving biodiversity, crop health and animal welfare.
It is a massive undertaking that needs the full support of
the private sector, government and academe if it is to have
a lasting impact on our lives.
Patrick Lehaup, SAI Europe Guest Speaker, will discuss the
benefits of SAI, in addition to global trends and practices,
worldwide success stories of the platform and give advice
on how to organized a local SAI platform.
Also scheduled for the convention is an hour long presentation
of a case study involving coffee partner crops.
This will serve as a concrete of how a sustainable agriculture
program might induce more people to invest their land, money
and effort into a lucrative and financially viable endeavor.
To find out more about the SAI platform and access its database
of sustainable agricultural practices, visit www.saiplatform.org.
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