Why do we care about sustainable agriculture?
Sustainable agriculture is growing crops and livestock in consideration of future needs. This is especially important in a time in which agriculture is taking up around 40% of the land around the world, contributing to 10% of total global greenhouse gases, and a leading cause of deforestation. Learning about how agriculture can be made sustainable may help in alleviating the pressure growing food currently has on our environment. People of all ages can learn more about sustainable agriculture to understand how food can be grown and make informed food decisions in the future.
Take a journey on sustainable agriculture around the world
We created an educational e-book with tons of information about agriculture around the world! This book, perfect for anyone in 6th grade or older, shows you where food comes from to help explain our globalized agricultural system, examples of sustainable agricultural practices that countries are taking part in, and a deep dive into indigenous practices. There are some quick activities to help your students reflect on what they’ve learned. We also encourage some hands-on participation in agriculture by going to see a local farm.
Ways to use this e-book
- Share this with your middle or high school students while teaching about food systems and history, agricultural practices, globalization, or sustainability
- Download the world maps that show where fruits, vegetables, and grains are grown. Make one of the maps your desktop wallpaper!
- Print the Food Miles activity for your students. Time for them to do some quick math on how far their food travels to get to their plate!
- Pair this tool with our Food Label Guide to further understand how food is grown and made
