2013/02/01 by Ryanne Pilgeram · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Agriculture #Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development #Ecology #Economic Justice #Economics #Environmental ethics #Food security #Food systems #Geography #Law #Organic Food and Agriculture #Political economy #Political science #Politics #Popularity #Power (physics) #Sustainability #Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Network #Sustainable agriculture #Sustainable development #Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
paper · doi:10.1111/soc4.12015
openalex publication_date 2013/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Abstract Despite the increasing popularity of sustainably produced foods, a concrete definition of sustainable agriculture has been elusive. Even the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) article, “What is Sustainable Agriculture?” starts with the idea that “Some terms defy definition. ‘Sustainable agriculture’ has become one of them” (Gold 2011). This essay explores (1) the history of sustainable agriculture as a concept in the United States, (2) the political and economic forces that have impacted and stifled the process of defining sustainable agriculture, and (3) the implications for social justice that come with creating a specific definition of sustainable agriculture. Recognizing that the ability to define a varied set of agricultural practices as “sustainable” (or not) is an important source of political, economic, or social power, this essay explains how such processes might impact the future of food systems in the United States.