Despite several decades of research and practice, "sustainable agriculture" remains more an idea than a reality. We all depend on the world's farmers to keep us alive, yet we also expect them to minimize their ecological footprint, contribute to social well-being, and prosper financially. This triple mandate is onerous to say the least, especially as the world's population increases by another 3 billion people between now and 2050, and demand for agricultural products doubles over the next 40 years.

Key questions to be explored include: How can agriculture meet rising productivity requirements while at the same time embodying sustainability? What does "sustainable agriculture" really mean? How can we measure agricultural sustainability? How sustainable is agriculture currently? Which policies support and/or detract from sustainable agriculture? What will it take to expand sustainable agriculture to a scale commensurate with the rising human population? How do answers to these questions vary across crops and countries?

This workshop is part-one one of a two-part series (although they can be taken independently). In Sustainable Agriculture Policy IEPG 8640 A we will look at international and domestic policy regimes (including that of the U.S. and select other countries) for agriculture and assess the extent to which they support or detract from sustainable agriculture. We will explore the connections between agricultural policies and other relevant policies including natural resource management/environmental protection, trade, labor, economic development and anti-hunger. We will also spend a full day visiting farms that reflect the results and impacts of the agricultural policies we will learn about.

Students that are interested in exploring this topic further are encouraged to contact the instructor about an Independent Study that is being offered.