Sustainable Farming Practices Increase Agriculture Production in Third World Countries

By Emily Folk

With a continually growing population, the demands for worldwide food sustainability reach new heights each day. People living in developing areas are especially vulnerable to issues like hunger and food scarcity, yet farming methods used in these third world countries don't always address these issues. In some developing areas, the environmental damage caused by the agricultural industry threatens to worsen the problem even more.

Teaching new, more sustainable farming practices in third world countries isn't easy, but it proves to be a powerful force for change. Recently, farmers in developing nations began working on increasing sustainability and production on their farms. Charities and international organizations help to educate these farmers and provide them with the resources they need to get started.

Third world countries are already experiencing the benefits of sustainability, as crop yields have risen steadily over the past few years. As more farmers are educated, people of developing nations can continue to work toward their goals of agriculture production and food security.

What Is Sustainable Farming?
Agricultural activities need to meet three standards to be considered sustainable practices. First, the method shouldn't disrupt the natural environment. Traditional farming techniques used in the developing world — like livestock farming — contribute to biodiversity loss, water degradation and deforestation, and as a result, they're not considered sustainable.

Second, sustainable agriculture needs to be economically viable. In countries that face extreme poverty, it may seem counterproductive to invest in new farming practices. However, new inventions and investments aren't always necessary. Methods like family farming are considered sustainable practices and are already used by developing nation farmers.

The third pre-condition is social responsibility. Agricultural workers in developing countries are among the most oppressed and exploited groups of people in the world. Sustainable cultivation aims to provide these workers with safer environments to reduce this issue. Sustainable farming also improves the economic opportunity of developing countries by reducing food and water scarcity and increasing the number of jobs available.

How Sustainable Farming Practices Increase Production
Sustainable farming practices include conservation tillage, reduced pesticide use, increased carbon sequestration and integrated pest control. These activities require less water than traditional farming and increase crop yields if done correctly. Studies show that sustainable agriculture could potentially increase yields up to 80% over four years. With that kind of growth, sustainable farming could enable food security in the long run.

Through farming sustainably, developing nations can feed their populations because their agricultural resources are available indefinitely. Practices like natural resource conservation, crop rotation and the elimination of pesticides promote healthy soil to help crops flourish. Third world countries can even become self-sustaining with the abundance of produce provided by sustainable agriculture.

Sustainable farming results in food security, and it also promotes water security. By its nature, sustainable agriculture conserves water through drip irrigation and other methods of crop watering. Water is an essential part of human survival, so it's crucial for farmers to use sustainability that allows them to reach their goals of water security.

Who Is Helping?
With little access to resources or education, it's often not possible for farmers in third world countries to become sustainable without help. Fortunately, many small charities and community-based organizations dedicate time to working with farmers to implement sustainable agricultural practices. Even large international organizations help to provide third world farmers with the tools and education they need for food sustainability.

Farming has been a way of life in developing countries for centuries. While traditional cultivation techniques worked for generations past, the world has never experienced the demands of such a large population. Sustainable farming practices help to meet those demands while building a better future for generations to come.

About the author: Emily is a sustainability writer and avid gardener. You can read more of her work on her site, Conservation Folks, where she writes about helping tomorrow’s planet today.