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This report, “What Next for Sustainable Agriculture” by William Lockeretz, prepared for The Ford Foundation and the Rural Economic Policy Program of The Aspen Institute in December 1989, argues that while sustainable agriculture has gained recognition, the “real work” of developing realistic systems and long-range strategies is just beginning. The author emphasizes that changes towards sustainable agriculture can occur at different levels: individual techniques, whole-farm design, and the entire agricultural sector. While immediate technical developments are valuable, the report stresses the importance of an integrated farm system approach and sector-wide changes, which often take longer but are crucial for full realization of sustainable agriculture’s potential. The report critically examines the focus on reforming federal commodity programs, acknowledging their impact and the disincentives they create for sustainable practices. However, it cautions against this becoming the sole focus, as these programs are limited in scope (not covering all crops or livestock) and primarily designed for price support and surplus reduction, not fundamental structural reform. Lockeretz then delves into broader, far-reaching issues that sustainable agriculture must address:
- Rural Communities: Sustainable agriculture has the potential to boost local economies by reducing reliance on external inputs and retaining more money within the community, but this requires careful analysis and conscious policy choices.
- Role of Labor: A shift towards more labor-intensive sustainable systems could help alleviate rural depopulation, but it would require reversing long-standing trends of labor displacement by technology and reconciling the interests of individual farmers with those of the community.
- Farm Labor and Agricultural Structure: The report suggests that changes in agricultural structure, such as a halt to the trend of fewer but larger farms, could facilitate a more labor-intensive and sustainable agriculture, allowing more people to enter farming and supporting larger farm populations in rural areas.
- Agricultural Structure and Environmental Quality: The author explores the plausible link between family owner-operators and environmentally sound practices, but also highlights the complexities and the need for environmental regulations if voluntary means are insufficient. He stresses the importance of collaboration between advocates of a broader agricultural structure and environmentally sound production methods.
Finally, Lockeretz proposes a “way of looking towards a sustainable future,” suggesting that, for each region, an “ideal sustainable agricultural system” 25 years in the future should be imagined, free from current constraints and short-term political considerations. This long-range vision, while not a rigid blueprint, would provide a coherent direction for incremental, politically achievable steps, preventing a “random walk” in policy and ensuring that the full promise of sustainable agriculture is realized through a major overhaul of the agricultural system.
