Sustainability is crucial for the stability of the agricultural sector moving forwards. With increasing challenges from a growing population, climate change and societal pressures, farmers need to ensure that farming practices are efficient, productive, and importantly, sustainable. Each of these principles are critical to ensuring food supply is meeting global demand, on a long-term scale. For some, this can be achieved through a process of sustainable intensification. But what is this, and how does it relate to the agricultural sector?

THE NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION

It is estimated that by 2050 our population will have surged to 10 billion people, putting greater pressure on the agricultural sector to meet increasing food demands. Climate change, land degradation, resource exploitation, and societal changes, are further issues that will limit the productivity of the sector, forcing farmers to adapt and improve agricultural practices if they want to remain fruitful. Put simply, farmers will have to learn to do more with less at their disposal.