What is sustainability?

Sustainability is more a philosophy or way of life than a set of rule or standards. Sustainable living involves putting back what you take out; having respect for oneself, the environment, and others; and living in a way that does not harm oneself or others.

Environmental sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to also meet their needs.

Our focus is on sustainable food, which covers environmental issues, food issues, social issues, and agricultural issues, including factory farming. So I guess the question really is – what is sustainable agriculture? It is a system of agriculture that puts back what it takes out, and leaves the earth healthy for future generations.

Not that long ago, our food was produced by millions of independent family farmers ” hard working people who grew and raised our food in a way that was healthy for the land, the people and themselves. Since World War II, though, and the introduction of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, things have changed. Monocropping, which is growing one plant like corn or soybeans on thousands of acres, has become the norm. Raising so many of the same kind of plants encouraged more and more pests, so pesticides were used to control them. Growing the same plants in the same soil and spraying the ground with pesticides will undoubtedly make the soil less healthy, which will affect the quality of the food you eat.

In the past several decades, animals have also started to be raised in industrial systems that we call factory farms. More about them tomorrow.