Sustainable agriculture has made great advances in terms of benefitting farmers, the environment and consumers, but to survive the Anthropocene era, agriculture must develop new sustainability characteristics.

These are the words of Chris Wille, Chief of Agriculture with the Rainforest Alliance in an article on Triple Pundit. He outlines 11 traits required for agriculture to succeed in an age dominated by humans.

In addition to being more productive and more efficient, agriculture must be more diverse. “Farms should mimic the diversity of nature, with a variety of crops integrated into conserved natural habitats. We need a diversity of farm sizes and management systems — from commercially managed monocultures to agroforestry and gardens,” writes Wille.

Also required is the restoration of ecosystems to support agriculture in preference to converting forested lands for food production.

Agriculture makes a high contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and as such, soils need to be enriched, more trees planted and erosion controlled.

Resilience is also needed so that farms can survive changes in weather, outbreaks of disease, changing markets and governments.

Read the full story: 11 Steps to Sustainable Agriculture in the Anthropocene Age