Sustainable Intensive Agriculture : High Technology and Environmental Benefits

Agriculture faces three challenges in the coming decades. Agriculture faces an agronomic challenge in producing the food, fiber, and fuel for an increasing population. Agriculture faces an environmental challenge in producing this food, fiber, and fuel with a reduced footprint so as to conserve wilderness, biodiversity, and fresh water. Agriculture faces an economic challenge so that those engaged in agriculture, particularly small famers and rural residents in developing nations, have opportunities (income and education especially) that allows them to have satisfying lives. In this article, the author sketches a way forward for agriculture through sustainable intensive agriculture. In this article, the author emphasizes technological innovation as an essential element of meeting the three challenges and in attaining sustainable intensive agriculture