Sustainable agriculture in the long term will require which of the following?

The focus of sustainable agriculture is to ensure that farming practices can meet current food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This involves adopting methods that preserve the environment, enhance biodiversity, and promote the health of the ecosystem.

Decreasing the use of fossil fuels and synthetic fertilizers aligns perfectly with the principles of sustainable agriculture. Fossil fuels contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, and synthetic fertilizers can lead to soil degradation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. By reducing reliance on these inputs, sustainable agriculture seeks to lower carbon footprints, improve soil health, and enhance self-sufficiency through practices like crop rotation, organic farming, and integrated pest management. These approaches can help create a more resilient agricultural system that is capable of providing food while safeguarding the environment.

In contrast, expanding current agricultural practices from developed nations to regions like Africa and Southeast Asia often neglects local contexts and may lead to unsustainable practices, ignoring local knowledge and biodiversity. Increasing meat consumption would contradict sustainability goals, as it is resource-intensive and contributes significantly to environmental pressures. Releasing more greenhouse gases directly opposes the objectives of sustainable agriculture, which aims to minimize environmental impact. Thus, declining fossil fuel and synthetic fertilizer use is a fundamental requirement for achieving sustainability in agriculture over