Sustainable agriculture means different things to different people and groups across the food supply chain. For farmers and ranchers, sustainable agriculture means building resilience and profitability for the long-term. It includes the decisions and practices that strengthen and preserve their resources, improve operational efficiency, and leave something better for the next generation.
Sustainable agriculture can include a mix of practices and technologies—from soil health strategies and integrated pest management to precision tools and energy-saving upgrades—applied in ways that make sense for local conditions, markets, and goals.
The common thread: continuous improvement. That mindset is more important than ever as producers balance growing consumer expectations with the need to stay economically strong and keep their operations moving forward for generations to come.
Key Takeaways
To be sustainable, stewardship activities must be profitabile over the long term.
There is no-one-size fits-all approach to sustainability for farmers and ranchers.
Producers are interested in improvements with practical outcomes, including improved soil health and productivity, savings on energy and input bills, and better resource management.
What is sustainable agriculture?
Sustainable agriculture is a large and complex space. It means different things to different people, based at least in part on where they fit into food systems.
Consumers tend to focus on easy-to-understand practices. For example, they often equate sustainability with pesticide-free, or assume “locally sourced” always means better. Food manufacturers respond by simplifying sustainable agriculture practices through their marketing—cage-free, naturally grown, no genetically modified organisms (non-GMO).
For farmers and ranchers, sustainable agriculture is less about a particular practice and more about developing an integrated production system that delivers profits.
Sustainable agriculture can fit into many production systems, including conventional and organic. It can include technologies such as solar power to trim energy costs, soil health practices that support yields, integrated pest management to reduce the need for pesticides, and more.
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture defines sustainable agriculture as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term satisfy human food and fiber needs.
Sustainable agriculture is the intersection of profitability and conservation. It is the long-term success of operations and rural communities.
Why is sustainable agriculture important?
Farmers have always understood the need to be good stewards. Their livelihoods and legacies are rooted in soil fertility, the health of their animals, and the strength of their communities.
Today, the importance of stewardship has expanded beyond the farm gate, and in the process, has been redefined as sustainable agriculture. Expectations have also shifted to include:
Environmental stewardship. Sustainable agriculture and farming can reduce environmental impact by improving soil health and enhancing biodiversity, reducing greenhouse emissions, and building resilient production systems.
Economic viability. To be sustainable, practices or technologies must be profitable in the long-term. Economic viability will look different from one operation to the next. It can include reduced input costs, premium market prices, improved productivity, efficiency gains, and more.
Social and economic well-being. Many measures of sustainability include the quality of life for farmers, farm workers, rural residents, and more. This can range from conservation practices that improve the environment and health of a community to financially strong farms that drive local economic growth.
"Sustainability is for our operation to be here 5, 10, 20, 50 years in the future. To us, that means you have to have human resources who want to be there. You have to have financial resources that enable everybody to be there. Then you have to have a production system in place that gives you a net positive return."
Agriculture sustainability and food security
Agriculture is a resource-intensive industry. Increasingly, many now see it as part of the solution to ecological and environmental challenges in the world today.
Practices that strengthen soil health, optimize and protect water sources, and sequester carbon can mitigate the impact of extreme weather events, protect local biodiversity, and support a secure food system.
While sustainable agriculture practices continually evolve, much of what producers are doing today supports a resilient food system. Examples of sustainable agriculture and farming methods include:
Soil health. Cover cropping, extended or diversified crop rotations, biologicals, livestock in cropping systems, tillage practices that minimize disturbance (no-till, reduced-till, strip till), soil erosion and nutrient runoff reduction practices (buffer strips and grassed waterways, bioreactors), and nutrient management (4R practices, nitrogen stabilizers, precision application, split application)
Grazing. Adaptive stocking rate, equipment or assets related to improved grazing/land management, water sourcing, and paddock/rotational grazing.
Facility. Improvements for worker welfare and safety, animal welfare and safety, energy use/efficiency, and alternative energy sources (i.e. solar panels).
Manure. Methane digesters, roller compacted concrete, composting, cap and flare, also known as cover and flare systems, solid liquid separators.
Water. Irrigation improvements and watering systems for grazing distribution.
Precision. Equipment for cover cropping, no-till or conservation tillage, manure handling or precision planters, drills, sprayers or combine headers (flex, draper-style, etc.).
The most common sustainability practices among producers participating in our sustainability survey.
| Soil Health Management | 97% |
| Precision Equipment/Tech | 88% |
| Facility Updates | 81% |
| Grazing Management | 44% |
| Manure Management | 39% |
| Water Management | 32% |
Benefits of sustainable agriculture: Producer perspective
Producers adopt sustainable agriculture practices for practical and personal reasons, including improved soil health, reduced risk tied to weather and markets, management of input costs, operational efficiencies, commitment to biodiversity, and more.
Producers participating in the Farm Credit survey on the top reasons for adopting sustainability practices:
Ultimately, sustainable agriculture is about long-term financial viability and passing something better to the next generation. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to achieve this. Sustainable agriculture involves continual improvement, and that looks different from one operation to the next.
Some producers might use natural biological processes, such as natural pest control and integrated crop-livestock systems, to reduce their reliance on chemical pesticides and commercial fertilizers. Others adopt no-till practices to reduce equipment and labor or implement growing practices that open new markets and add value to their products.
Every change involves risk. It can require an upfront investment, a learning curve, and uncertainty about the impact on production. Weather variability, tight margins, and operational complexity can make it difficult to trial new approaches at scale. For some, the biggest barrier is not willingness—it is confidence that changes will deliver consistent results over time.
Fortunately, producers do not have to navigate a transition to more sustainable practices alone. A growing network of support—universities and extension offices, commodity groups, producer-led organizations, and more—is available to provide practical and science-backed insights.
In addition, financial and market-based tools are expanding to help offset risk and accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices. Cost-share programs, grants, and conservation funding can ease upfront expenses, while evolving marketing opportunities may reward sustainably produced commodities. Some lenders and financial partners are developing products that align with stewardship goals, helping producers invest in practices that strengthen their balance sheet and the long-term productivity of their land.
Our annual sustainability reports highlight producers who are leveraging production practices and technology to continually improve their operations.
