Agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Yet, we cannot live without it.

Livestock agriculture alone contributes between 10% to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture uses 70% to 85% of total human water consumption and drives almost 90% of deforestation.

Unsustainable agricultural practices are widespread and exacerbate this planetary damage. We must make agriculture sustainable. As populations rise, this becomes increasingly dire. 

The government and wider culture fail to adequately prioritize environmental problems like sustainable agriculture. To make a change, our culture must shift its mindset around the natural world. Additionally, the government must provide better incentives and funding for sustainable agriculture. 

Mindset Shift

Austin Green, ecologist and human-wildlife coexistence researcher at the University of Utah, said land was “lived on sustainably for tens of thousands of years.”

Today, the United States alone is responsible for 27% of global excess resource use. 

We destroy forests that stood for millennia. We disrupt ecosystems. We pursue resources endlessly and thoughtlessly.

“There’s a legacy of human-wildlife coexistence that has been completely discarded in both science and public education and engagement,” Green said.

Our culture has a knack for taking from the natural world. Failure to embrace sustainable agriculture is indicative of this take-mentality. It is time to start giving back. 

We must stop living at odds with the natural. We must start respecting nature and taking climate issues seriously. Embracing sustainable agriculture is a perfect place to start.

Utah Overgrazing

The costs of unsustainable agriculture are especially pertinent to Utahns. Livestock overgrazing is one unsustainable practice that wreaks havoc on soil, plants and ecosystems. It has already damaged millions of acres of grasslands in the West including Utah.

Overgrazing causes soil infertility and erosion, soil runoff, weed exacerbation and biodiversity loss. A study of Red Butte and Emigration canyons by the University of Utah reveals overgrazing puts plants, which are often rare, at risk of extermination. Green said overgrazing leaves “permanent … ecological consequences.”

These consequences are visible on the brown foothills by campus. Green said the hills have been almost “completely replaced by invasive grasses and weeds.” This is largely due to a history of intensive and unregulated grazing along the Wasatch Mountains.

The effects of unsustainable agricultural practices like overgrazing are unmistakable. The government and culture must prioritize sustainable agriculture and act accordingly.

Taking Steps

Unsustainable agricultural practices are the norm. Given societal costs, continuing them is entirely illogical. For sustainable living, Green said to use “Indigenous and ancestral communities” as inspiration.

Ranchers should practice rotational grazing or integrated crop-livestock agriculture. Farmers should also use sustainable agricultural practices like crop diversification.

Grazing is the most widespread cause of species endangerment. Ranchers must be especially careful on lands with rare or sensitive ecosystems.

“I tend to blame the system [for unsustainable practices],” Green said.

Farmers lack the financial support to become sustainable.

Green added there is “no incentive” or “economic feasibility” to implement sustainable grazing.

The government must provide this support.

Government Responsibility

The government must incentivize sustainable agriculture and aid farmers in making the shift. If done properly, incentives work. Further, to end overgrazing, government incentives and guidance are crucial.

The federal government’s Farm Bill helps incentivize sustainable farming and grazing practices. It is the largest single source of federal funding for conservation at $6 billion. Compared to the $52 billion they spend annually on highways, this amount is underwhelming. The government needs to invest more. 

Additionally, the bill falls short and does not adequately advance agricultural sustainability. The bill was last updated in 2018. Despite being due for a farm bill update in 2024, we are still waiting.

None of this screams ‘top priority’ for the government. The slow pacing, ineffectiveness and comparatively small funding are unacceptable. The government must start creating effective incentives for sustainable agriculture. The societal benefits would be colossal.

It Starts With You

Individuals have immense power. We must prioritize sustainable agriculture, and act accordingly. This starts with pressuring government officials to take sustainable agriculture seriously.

Meat and dairy production are especially disastrous for the planet. It is crucial to reduce demand for these products by limiting intake.

Green said Utahns can buy from local stores or ones that “source their food … sustainably.” 

Individuals should also support, and perhaps perform, research on how to best implement sustainable agriculture. 

This planet will not give resources endlessly. We must develop better agricultural practices to sustain our planet and build a successful future. It is time to get working.

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