Progress towards sustainable agriculture – Drivers of change

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 calls for global action to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture”. Meeting this challenge requires global partnerships to support more productive, nutritious and equitable food systems, while helping to conserve environmental resources and reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions responsible for global climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) offers a global vision for a more sustainable agriculture that encompasses economic, social and environmental dimensions of food and agriculture systems. This technical study examines the key factors driving changes in trends in the globally agreed upon indicators for sustainable agriculture and provides decision makers with insights into viable options for achieving this goal. To monitor the progress towards sustainable agriculture, the global community has recently established SDG target 2.4 and the associated indicator 2.4.1. Indicator 2.4.1 measures the share of the land under sustainable agriculture. It is comprised of a set of sub-indicators associated with the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, and includes land productivity, farm profitability, socio-economic resilience, soil health, water use, fertilizer and pesticide risks, biodiversity, decent employment, land tenure and food security.