Research on the Sustainable Development of Agriculture

**

1. National Engineering Research Center of Semi-arid Agriculture, Shijiazhuang 050000, China; 2. Institute of Millet Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050035, China; 3. Cereal Crops Research Laboratory of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050035, China; 4. National Foxtail Millet Improvement Center, Shijiazhuang 050035, China

Abstract Based on the background of sustainable development of agriculture, its concepts and characteristics were analyzed, and the present situation of research on the sustainable development of agriculture at home and abroad was studied. Furthermore, some measures to promote the sustainable development of agriculture in China were proposed.

Key words Modern agriculture, Sustainable development

1 Introduction

The concept of agricultural sustainability was gradually developed and formed in the 1980s. It originated in developed countries and its background is as follows. Firstly, the world’s agricultural modernization flourished in the 20th century. In the 1950s and 1960s, developed countries applied science and technology to agriculture on a large scale. Especially after fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, agricultural films and agricultural machinery was widely applied in agriculture, agricultural productivity increased dramatically. In the 1980s, a "relative surplus" of agricultural products appeared in the world, of course, there was a surplus of agricultural products in some developed countries. Therefore, due to having developed agriculture, these countries paid more attention to environmental protection and improvement of people’s quality of life instead of increasing agricultural production. Secondly, while the world economy is developing rapidly, the world’s agricultural development faces serious challenges from multiple crises of population, resources, environment, economy and society. In today’s world, due to economic growth and population explosion, predatory resource development and utilization have brought about a reduction in forest area, water and soil loss, land desertification, a sharp decline in available arable land, environmental degradation, and depletion of energy resources, which affects the sustainable development of agriculture. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has pointed out that the entire global environment is deteriorating from drinking water and air to the sea and forests; the Antarctic ozone hole is expanding at an annual rate of one US land area, which not only poses a hazard to human health, but also directly affects the survival of plants; there is 20 billion tons of surface soil loss every year in the world; forest area is reducing at a annual rate of 4.6 million ha[1].

The sustainable development of agriculture is an agricultural development theory that is more suitable for human survival and development, and it is proposed when this modern industrial agriculture develops to a higher level, agricultural resources are over-utilized, agricultural environment and agro-ecology are severely damaged, and the relationship between human beings and the natural environment and agricultural ecology becomes more and more acute. In 1972, for a series of serious problems such as population explosion, food and energy shortages, resource depletion, environmental pollution, and ecological deterioration, experts from 17 international research institutes proposed a report on world trendsTheLimitsofGrowthafter two years of research. In 1972, the United Nations convened the Human Environment Conference and adopted theDeclarationofUnitedNationsConferenceonHumanEnvironment. The concept of sustainable development of agriculture was first proposed in theResearchandEducationLawofSustainableAgricultureadopted by the California State Legislature in 1985. Since then, agricultural sustainability has received widespread attention from governments and scholars around the world. In July 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development and other organizations gathered in Oslo, Norway, and proposed the "Global Policy for Sustainable Agriculture in 2000". In 1988, the first "Continuous Agricultural System Conference" was held in Ohio, USA, and the "International Agricultural Sustainability Association" was established (the China Center of the association was established in Beijing Agricultural University in October 1994). In 1988, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations developed the documentSustainableAgriculturalProduction:RequirementsforInternationalAgriculturalResearch. In November 1989, the 25th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations adopted No. 3/39 document on sustainable development activities of agriculture. In 1990, a sustainable agriculture conference was held in India, and the International Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture was established.

In April 1991, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations held an international conference on "agriculture and the environment" in the Netherlands and published the famousDambosDeclarationandActionPlanforSustainableAgricultureandRuralDevelopment. In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The representatives of 183 countries and 70 international organizations attended the meeting, and 102 heads of state attended the meeting. At the meeting, theRioDeclarationonEnvironmentandDevelopmentandAgenda21were adopted and signed. It can be said that this meeting is a milestone for humanity to transform its traditional development model from unsustainable development to sustainable development. Since this conference, the principle of sustainable development has been universally accepted by the world and has begun to be widely promoted on a global scale[2].

2 Concept and basic characteristics of sustainable agriculture

2.1 Concept of sustainable agricultureSustainable agriculture involves various fields of economy, science and technology, society, and the natural environment, in which many factors are intertwined and complicated to form a network structure, and has a very rich connotation. Therefore, scholars from different schools have different expressions of sustainable agriculture. So far, there is no unified meaning and definition of sustainable agriculture. In recent years, international and domestic experts and scholars have various opinions on sustainable agriculture, among which the more common ones are as follows. The sustainable development of agriculture is an organic combination of environmental importance, food sufficiency and social equity. The sustainable agricultural system, which is the result of a business strategy, helps producers select varieties and determine soil fertility measures, planting systems or farming methods, crop rotation methods and pest control strategies, with the goals of reducing cost and the pressure on the environment and guaranteeing the sustainable development of production and profitability. Sustainable agriculture is an agricultural system that meets the growing needs of humanity without destroying the resources on which agriculture depends[4]. Sustainable agriculture develops towards a greater and more useful agriculture with more efficient use of resources, and maintains a balance with the environment[4]. Sustainable agriculture aims to achieve a certain level of agricultural production to meet the growing demand and the trend of world population expansion without damaging the environment. Sustainable agriculture refers to the practice of improving the environment and resources on which agriculture depends, providing basic human needs for food and fiber, and improving the living standard of farmers and society. Sustainable agriculture includes five elements: increasing products and employment and increasing food to meet population growth needs, increasing agricultural productivity and the efficiency of capital, land, production inputs and resources, maintaining a good environment and nutrient cycling, maintaining resource development capability, and rationally distributing and planning agriculture and corresponding industries. Sustainable agriculture is the foundation for the conservation of natural resources, and the direction of technological and institutional reforms is adjusted to meet the needs of current generations and future generations. This sustainable development can protect land, water resources, and genetic resources of plants and animals, and can not cause environmental degradation. Meanwhile, it is technically appropriate, economically viable and acceptable to society. Sustainable agriculture is an agriculture that meets the needs of society and continues to evolve without destroying the environment. Seen from an ecological point of view, sustainable agriculture is a kind of regenerative agriculture, which is a process composed of agricultural management practices that make the environment reach a virtuous cycle.

It is not difficult to see from the above definitions that different scholars have different scientific backgrounds, so their understanding of sustainable agriculture is different, but the main basic points of different connotations are similar. First of all, sustainable agriculture is not a goal, but a strategy, a process of strategic implementation. Second, it emphasizes environmental protection for the benefit of future generations. Third, it must balance economic, social and ecological benefits. It is necessary to correctly handle the relationship between man and nature and maintain a sound resource base and environmental foundation for agriculture and rural development.

2.2 Basic characteristics of sustainable agricultureSustainable agriculture emphasizes nature and promotes harmony between people and nature. Human beings are no longer the conquerors of nature, but a member of the big family in the biosphere. It is embodied in the following three aspects.

2.2.1Fairness. Fairness is the basic goal of sustainable development. The so-called fairness is essentially the equality of opportunity choice, and mainly has two meanings. The first is fairness within a generation, namely horizontal fairness among contemporary people. In other words, it is necessary to meet the basic requirements of all people and give all people the same opportunity to meet their better life wishes. The second is intergenerational equity, which is the vertical fairness between contemporary people and future generations. Sustainable development requires people to recognize that the natural resources on which human beings depend for survival are limited, and contemporary people cannot damage the conditions for human needs to meet their needs for generations——natural resources and the environment because of their own development and needs.

2.2.2Continuity. Continuity is the ability of a system to maintain its productivity when it is disturbed. The sustainable development of agriculture requires the constant increase of long-term stable agricultural economy, so that it must meet people’s demand for agricultural products for a long time while maintaining an appropriate growth rate, and makes agricultural production persistent.

2.2.3Coordination. The sustainable development of agriculture requires the coordinated development of agricultural economy, agro-ecological environment and rural society. Agricultural development must follow ecological laws, improve the ecological environment, and enhance the comprehensive production capacity of agriculture.

3 Basic situation of research on sustainable development of foreign agriculture

3.1 The main direction of sustainable development of agriculture in the European Union——SARDThe European Union (EU) is one of the earliest areas for the sustainable development of agriculture. Up to now, the connotation of sustainable agriculture has become more and more extensive, and it has finally been integrated with rural development to form "sustainable agriculture and rural development" (SARD). The scope of attention extends from industrial sectors (agriculture) to communities (rural communities) and all aspects, including employment, income, education,etc. The development goal is also expanded from the single goal of increasing agricultural production and ensuring food security to diverse goals such as food safety, farmers’ income, full employment, environmental protection, and ecological security. The EU and its member states place great emphasis on the integration, relevance and indivisibility of sustainable agriculture and rural development. TheDenDoschDeclarationissued by the European Union at the International Conference on Agriculture and Environment that was held in the Netherlands in 1991 can be regarded as a sign of the integration of sustainable agriculture and rural development. This trend of sustainable development of agricultural agriculture in the EU is linked to its specific socio-economic conditions and common agricultural policies. The EU’s common agricultural policies attach great importance to the relationship between agriculture and the environment, and has specific regulations on the application of pesticides and fertilizers and treatment of idle land, and clear regulations on rural education, popularization of environmental awareness, agricultural information network construction, and rural community construction and development[3].

3.2 Sustainable development trend of agriculture of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentThe Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a developed country organization composed of 29 members. OECD officials believe that the sustainable development of agriculture is a long-term policy goal, and the main contents are ensuring that people’s food safety needs and effective fiber supply are met at the lowest cost and minimum trade distortion, ensuring resource base and environmental safety, and paying attention to the indispensable contribution to social development. The contents can be summarized as economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social sustainability.

The organization pays particular attention to the formulation and implementation of policies for the sustainable development of agriculture. It believes that the key to the policies for the sustainable development of agriculture is how to correctly and effectively supplement market information and related signals, how to effectively improve laws and institutions to effectively define property rights of agricultural environment and benefits, how to integrate social concerns into agricultural decision-making, and how to focus on natural resource consumption, biodiversity and rural landscape.

The OECD believes that agriculture is economically profitable, and of course, this sustainability varies from place to place. The economic sustainability of OECD’s agriculture is based on certain agricultural subsidies. In 2001, OECD’s subsidies for agriculture reached 311 billion USD, accounting for 1.3% of total GDP; total support for agriculture accounted for one-third of total income of farmers (farms). This support is achieved by the fact that the price of OECD’s agricultural products was 40% higher than the average price of agricultural products in the world[4].

3.3 The main direction of sustainable development of American agriculture——LISAThe sustainable development of American agriculture is more focused on the innovation, promotion and application of sustainable agricultural technology, and its sustainable agricultural technology is mainly characterized by reducing the production cost of agricultural products, thus forming a set of low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA) technology. LISA technology mainly includes the following aspects.

3.3.1Crop rotation. Rotation technology is developed to maintain soil fertility and control pests and diseases.

3.3.2Integrated prevention and control of pests and diseases. Integrated prevention and control of pests and diseases is the main means to enhance the stability of agricultural production and maintain high yield and quality. The selection of varieties and the application of natural enemies become the main means of integrated prevention and control of pests and diseases.

3.3.3Widespread application of biotechnology. Although the widespread application of biotechnology mainly referring to transgenic technology is still controversial at present, it is undoubtedly the main direction of agricultural technology development in the 21st century, and is especially suitable for the prevention and control of pests and diseases. Insect-resistant cotton is the best example.

3.3.4Water saving technology. Water-saving irrigation technology giving priority to irrigation and drip irrigation is widely used in the cultivation of wheat and other major crops.

3.3.5Application of new agricultural materials. The continuous innovation and application of degradable agricultural films and the use of various water retaining agents and nutrient solutions not only significantly improve agricultural production conditions, but also greatly reduce agricultural production cost.

3.3.6Biological coverage technology. Covering the unused farmland with leguminous plant straw can fix nitrogen and increase soil fertility, and reduce soil exposure, water and soil loss, and blowing sand[5].

3.4 Current situation of sustainable development of agriculture in JapanIn addressing the problems faced by agricultural modernization, Japan places special emphasis on the development path of "environmental conservation agriculture" based on rational use of resources and effective protection of the environment. Since 1992, the "environmental conservation agriculture" model has been implemented and promoted. The basic meaning is that based on returning organic matter to fields and rational crop rotation, through the restricted use of synthetic chemicals and the vigorous opening and application of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides, the sustainable use of resources and effective protection of the environment should be tightly combined with the improvement of agricultural productivity to achieve the sustainable development of agriculture. In addition, Japan has also introduced a "natural agriculture" model. The basic idea is that crop cultivation does not use fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals, but relies on organic fertilizers for normal agricultural production[3].

3.5 Current situation of sustainable development of agriculture in IndiaIn the 1960s, the implementation of the "green revolution" achieved the effect of increasing agricultural production, and the situation of food shortage was significantly alleviated. In the early 1980s, India had basically achieved low levels of food autonomy. At the same time, the application of a large number of chemical fertilizers and pesticides brought about very serious ecological and environmental problems, which attracted great attention from all walks of life in India. In 1986, the "Environmental Protection Law" was issued. In 1992, the Ministry of Rural Development of India presented a report on the present situation of sustainable agriculture. The basic idea is that ecology, economy, society and culture must be organically integrated with the environment to develop a management system with low cost, high energy efficiency and good environment. It can adapt to local characteristics and achieve good development. In recent years, India has adopted a variety of specific measures in the sustainable development of agriculture. At present, it tries to implement a model of "reasonable use of resources, protection of ecological balance, and seeking survival and development", and has achieved remarkable results[6].

3.6 Sustainable agriculture in Israel——water saving and high efficiencyIn Israel, the most prominent feature of sustainable agriculture is mainly enhancing agricultural resilience, such as developing water-saving agriculture and facility agriculture to resist the damage of drought and desert to agriculture, and improving crop varieties to enhance their physiological resistance. In agriculture, Israel exports a large number of vegetables, fruits, flowers,etc., and imports grain and other agricultural products with low comparative benefit.

In view of its own characteristics, Israel mainly develops water-saving agricultural technology, improved seed technology, and facility agriculture technology, and solves water shortage and poor agricultural conditions. In Israel, the coverage rate of improved varieties is high, and the update is fast. Water-saving agricultural technology involves the whole process of irrigation, including water-delivery and water-saving technology, irrigation water-saving technology, wastewater reuse technology, and brackish water irrigation technology[7].

3.7 Sustainable agriculture in Mexico and BrazilThe trend of sustainable agriculture has also caused a reaction in Mexico. On the one hand, agricultural colleges and scientific research departments have studied the development ideas and strategies of this new agriculture. On the other hand, government officials have also emphasized the idea of sustainable development. Mexico is working hard to strengthen protection of resources and the environment to create a good ecological environment for the sustainable development of agriculture, accelerate the pace of rural reform, promote the comprehensive development of rural economy, and improve the living standards of farmers to create the necessary social environment for the sustainable development of agriculture, strengthen research on agricultural science and technology, explore new models of agriculture development based on science and technology, and control population growth to reduce pressure on natural resources.

In Brazil, the current agricultural development strategy has led to uncoordinated development of food production and export crops in agriculture, and the growth rate of export crops is much higher than the growth rate of food crops. When the annual growth rate of population is 20%, food is still dependent on imports, and meeting the country’s food needs is the focus of sustainable agricultural development in Brazil[8].

4 Basic situation of research on the sustainable development of agriculture in China

Sustainable agriculture is mainly proposed by scholars from developed countries, but it has been accepted by most developing countries in a short period of time and has become a global consensus. As sustainable agriculture emphasizes the concept of sustainable development, summarizes a series of advanced ideas of contemporary agriculture and puts forward the ideal goals of agricultural and rural development, these basic ideas have produced extensive and profound influences around the world. These new concepts, new ideas and new strategies have an inestimable effect on the development of China’s agriculture and become one of the inseparable organic components of China’s agricultural development strategy.

In the early 1990s, the Chinese government proposed to develop "high-yield, high-efficiency, high-quality" agriculture, and required to achieve four indicators: high yield and high quality, guarantee supply and promote income, structural optimization and production and marketing integration, high and new technology and scientific management, intensive management and sustainable development. In 1991, China carried out the construction of "experimental demonstration counties for China’s sustainable agriculture and rural development". In March 1994, the Chinese government promulgated theChina’sAgenda21——WhitePaperofChina’sPopulation,EnvironmentandDevelopmentinthe21stCentury. This agenda proposes the sustainable development strategy that promotes the coordination of economy, society, resources and ecological environment , and corresponding policies and measures from the basic national conditions of China. In January 1997, the China Sustainable Agriculture Society was established[4]. In 1998, a research project jointly initiated and funded by the FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Science and Technology was officially launched. The project was jointly undertaken by China Agricultural University and other research institutes, focuses on the research and development of advanced technology method systems and models suitable for agricultural production and management development of China and developing countries, and have made certain progress. In 1998, the Ministry of Agriculture of China formulated theAgricultureActionPlaninChina’sAgenda21, and proposed a program for implementing sustainable development strategies in agricultural sector, and has already put it into practice, such as the construction of ecological agriculture demonstration counties, the construction of dry farming and water-saving agriculture demonstration bases, and the construction of demonstration counties for strategies of sustainable development of agriculture and agricultural development by science and education[7].

Although the research and promotion of sustainable agriculture has not started in China for a long time, it has begun to make some achievements in some fields, showing strong development momentum and good prospects.

5 Development trends and priority of sustainable agriculture in China in the future

5.1 Expanded scope and subject fields continue to expandThe research field has been extended to many fields such as agriculture, resources, ecology, environment, economy, management,etc. The research objects have also developed to industries such as plantation, animal husbandry, aquaculture, forestry, and processing industries, showing strong integration and compound.

5.2 Research contents are diversified, hierarchical and crossedThe current research includes both microscopic research of different majors and disciplines, as well as macroscopic research on sustainable agricultural development; exploration and reflection of theoretical issues, as well as research on specific techniques and operation methods; research on methods and practices of sustainable agriculture, as well as international exchanges and cooperation. In general, the research on sustainable agriculture is increasingly diversified, and develops towards the integration of different levels of research.

5.3 Being closely integrated with rural comprehensive development for coordinated developmentBoth developing countries and developed countries emphasize the coordination and unification of sustainable development of agriculture and rural comprehensive development in the research and practice of sustainable development of agriculture, such as SARD and Yichen’s strategic goals for agricultural development of various countries. It is generally believed that only when the continuous improvement of farmers’ income and living standards, the effective protection and sustainable use of resources and the environment, and the continuous optimization of rural economic structure and the continuous improvement of benefits are realized can the sustainable development of agriculture be realized.

5.4 Attaching great importance to the great role of modern science and technologyScience and technology have become the most important driving force for the sustainable development of agriculture. Especially in developing countries, due to low management level and backward technology, the potential of scientific and technological progress to promote the sustainable development of agriculture is still very large. However, while developing this high and new technology, it is needed to extract and promote the essence of traditional agricultural technology in a country. It is necessary to adapt the two to each other to jointly promote the sustainable development of agriculture.

5.5 Focusing on operability and applicabilityThe sustainable development of agriculture was originally proposed as a theory, but it soon developed into a practice, and this practice is closely related to theoretical research. Because of this, the sustainable development of agriculture should have strong applicability and operability, and adopts different development models for different economic, social and resource conditions, thereby achieving the optimal allocation and biggest benefit of resources at the least cost. The key is to suit one’s methods to the situation, but not to apply it mechanically.