The American Agronomy Society has adopted the following definition for sustainable agriculture: "A sustainable agriculture is one that, over the long term, enhances environmental quality and the resource base on which agriculture depends; provides for basic human food and fiber needs; is economically viable; and enhances the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole." While there are many definitions of sustainable agriculture – most of them have a common foundation of three main tenets: environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity.

There has been much dialogue and debate about the concepts of sustainable agriculture, as we attempt to balance the food, fiber, and energy needs of a growing population with the desire for clean air and water, habitat for wildlife, clean and productive soils, and ecosystem health. There are many great articles and resources about sustainable agriculture – we invite you to learn more through the resources below.

What is Sustainable Agriculture?
An overview by Protected Harvest board member Cliff Ohmart

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA)
ATTRA has an extensive on-line library of resources on sustainable agriculture, including some of the articles below:

What is Sustainable Agriculture? (UC-SAREP)
Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture (SAN)
Defining and Implementing Sustainable Agriculture (K-State)
Towards a Sustainable Agriculture (Steve Diver)
Future Horizons: Recent Literature in Sustainable Agriculture (Nebraska)
Tracing the Evolution of Organic/Sustainable Agriculture (AFSIC)
Sustainable Agriculture: Definitions and Terms (AFSIC)
An Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture (EAP)
Sustainable Agriculture: Balancing Profits and Human and Natural Resources (CIAS-Wisconsin)
Principles of Agricultural Sustainability (John Gerber)
Sustainable Agriculture (PDF download) (NRCS)
Sustainable Agriculture Case Studies (PDF download) (NRCS)
Making the Transition to Sustainable Agriculture (PDF download) (NRCS)
Principles of Agroecology and Sustainability (UC-Santa Cruz)
Agroecology: Principles and Strategies for Designing Sustainable
Farming Systems (Miguel Altieri)
The Ecosystem Concept & its Application to Agricultural Systems (Dalhousie University)

Books on sustainable agriculture