Farming for health and a bet ter life 281
Farming for Health and a Better Life
Sustainable farming methods not only provide food, but they also build
fertile soils, protect water, preserve valuable seeds, maintain biodiversity, and
make sure the land will be able to sustain life for future generations. Using
sustainable methods to grow food allows farmers and gardeners to grow more
in less space, with few or no chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This can result
in more and better food to eat and sell, less cost for producing food, and less
pollution of the air, water, land, and our bodies. Sustainable farming improves
people’s health because it:
• reduces the threat of drought by conserving water.
• reduces dependence on chemicals, saves money, and builds self-reliance.
Farming without chemicals prevents the health problems chemicals
cause for farmers, farm workers, and everyone who eats the food that is
produced or drinks the local water.
• decreases the amount of work needed to produce food when sustainable
methods, such as green manures, are used. This is especially important
when migration, HIV and AIDS, and other problems make it harder for
people to work the land.
Sustainable farming makes the land more productive, so fewer people are
forced to leave for the cities. Improving soil, conserving water, and
saving seeds sustains farms and farming communities.
Principles of
sustainable farming
Sustainable farming works
best when farmers learn how
to work with local conditions,
The green manure
we planted last
season really
helped the soil.
The maize
plants grew
bigger,
with larger
ears than
ever before!
And there
was less
weeding to
do because
the field
was covered
in crops all
year.
and share what they learn with other
farmers. Some general guidelines for
sustainable farming are:
• Healthy plants need healthy soil.
To use natural fertilizers
to improve soil quality,
see pages 282 to 288.
To protect soil from erosion,
see Chapter 11 and pages
289 to 293.
• Save water and protect water
sources. Methods for
conserving water are
described on pages 294 to 295.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012