Sustainability
You will:
 Define and describe sustainable agriculture.
 Evaluate the need for sustainable agriculture
arising from the increased pressure on agricultural
land as a consequence of inappropriate farming
methods and growing populations.
Identify the changes that would occur with the
implementation of sustainable agricultural practices.
• Define sustainable industrialization and describe
the changes that would result from implementing
policies on resource reduction, pollution controls and
the use of appropriate technology.
What does it mean?

Spend 2 minutes with your partner
formulating a definition for ‘sustainable
development’
The experts
Nagle says
 Sustainable development:
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Improvement in basic living standards without
compromising the needs of future generations
Codrington says

Sustainable development

Development which meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs
How does it relate to our topic?

Agriculture?

With your partner try to come up with 4 ways
that sustainable development and agriculture
and linked
Sustainable Agriculture


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Manage farmland
Preserve soil quality
Renewal / Replacement of nutrient at
same rate as are used in production
New issues:

GM crops & HYV’s
Other areas to consider

Fishing & Aquaculture

Forestry
Sustainable Agriculture

To think about what is sustainable lets
start on the flip side:
1.
Today you are going to examine areas of
Agriculture that have issues with
sustainability


2.
Desertification due to overgrazing / poor farming
techniques in the Sahel region of Africa
Poor management of intensive cotton production
in the former USSR surrounding the Aral Sea
For each of these examples


Use internet / NWW / GAIA / Planet Geog
Draw up a list of factors that make these areas
unsustainable for future agricultural production
Sustainable Industry

A term that emerged in the early 1990’s



Japanese group reforesting a tropical forest to help create
sustainable industries for the local populace. (Dietrich, Bill. "Our
Troubled Earth – Japan." The Seattle Times. November 13, 1990.
Page F-2.)
Soon after, a study entitled “Jobs in a Sustainable Economy” by
Michael Renner of the Worldwatch Institute was published, using
the term sustainable industries. (1991)
Report concluded,

"Contrary to the rhetoric that blames environmental restrictions
for layoffs, the movement toward an environmentally sustainable
global economy will create far more jobs than it eliminates. The
chief reason: non-polluting, environmentally sustainable industries
tend to be intrinsically more labour intensive and less resource
intensive than traditional processes."
So what is it?

Similar to agriculture

Whilst not preventing development ensuring
that environmental issues and future
stakeholders are considered in planning where
and how Industry will development
How do we verify it?

Difficulties

Globalisation

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Environmental regulation

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Brands / TNC’s locating in different countries with
different laws and legal systems
Different countries have massive variation in the
level / type of pollution/damage that Industries
can create
Remember Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard felt that TNC’s located in LEDC’s to
“get out of” MEDC regulations
Task

How can we hold industry to account?


Discuss with your partner who should be held
responsible for regulation of Industry?
Are there any world bodies that perform this
role at present?
Reality

Who is our “global policeman” for
environmental issues

Possibilities
UNDP?
 WWF?
 International Court of Justice (The Hague)


Do they have any real power??
Verification

Interest Groups

WWF
“By working with government, community groups,
businesses and industry WWF aims to find
workable solutions to Australia's most pressing
environmental challenges.”
 “WWF works to highlight the threats to the
environment from poor natural resource
management and ensure that environmental
considerations are integrated into decision making
processes for the benefit of all Australians.”

Self Regulation

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Many businesses sign up to “industry
standards”
Publication of environmental information
(remember the TNC’s you looked at for
globalisation) What do they do??
Verification

Oasis “trademark”

“first organic standard for the US beauty and
personal care market, bringing clarity to
consumer confusion around organic product
claims - with a certification seal that will
become the internationally accepted seal
representing verified Organic standards for
personal care. The only "industry consensus"
standard with the support of 30 founding
members.”
Accountability
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Pressure Groups

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Amnesty
WWF
Greenpeace
Report problems
Name and Shame Organisations
Work in a consulting role with
organisations
Results

Draw yourself a mind map of what is likely
to be achieved by


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Reduced use of natural resources (particularly
finite ones)
Reduced pollution
Thinking about your TNC try to annotate
your diagram with the measures they are
implementing to be more sustainable.
Links
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http://www.oasisseal.org/
http://www.wwf.org.au/ourwork/industry/
http://www.icjcij.org/homepage/index.php?lang=en
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/