Integrated agriculture involves farming systems with environmental, economic, social, and intergenerational sustainability (1). In an integrated, sustainable agriculture system, the goal is not necessarily producing immediate outputs, but rather maintaining a system of healthful production, over time. The major components of a sustainable system include economy, environment, and community. The resources that must be managed in such a system takes all of these related components into account.
Figure 1. Examples of components within an integrated farm management system (2)
Economically, the farm operations fulfill the financial needs of the farmers and those employed by the operations. The practices in the agricultural system are executed in an environmentally sound manner, with the preservation of natural resources including soil, water, and air (1). The operations also sustainably provide access to food to individuals in the community, which allows for opportunities for cooperative relationships (1).
The following modules will review various components of integrated agriculture:
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