While most agricultural profit models focus on maximizing yields in the short term, sustainable strategies prioritize profitable returns over the long term. SARE’s "The Economics of Sustainable Agriculture" animation describes how practices such as crop rotation and reduced tillage can improve an operation's bottom line sustainably. The newest episode in SARE’s “What is Sustainable Agriculture?” series provides a short and simple introduction to ecological practices that form the foundation of thriving and resilient farm systems.
“The Economics of Sustainable Agriculture” highlights strategies producers can use to cut input costs and improve returns, such as:
- Using cover crops to reduce compaction and supply nitrogen
- Diversifying crops and livestock to add revenue streams and manage risk
- Reducing tillage to decrease fuel and labor costs
- Adopting value-added marketing and branding to increase the margin of return
“The Economics of Sustainable Agriculture” is now available for viewing and sharing at www.sare.org and on YouTube. Farmers, ranchers, educators and other agricultural professionals may download the video and/or embed it without modification into websites or other fair use educational presentations. This video series was produced through a collaboration of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and Pixeldust Studios.