Mebratu (1998) writes that the definition of sustainable development given by the Brundtland Commission (that sustainable development “meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (WCED 1987 pp.23)) based on need satisfaction provides the basis for the establishment’s thinking on sustainability. The Brundtland Report adopted the stance that continuing economic growth and environmental protection are compatible and the only viable possibility (Leist and Holland, 2000).  The UK government adopts this sustainable development focused, anthropocentric approach to urban regeneration.  They believe that sustainable development must “ensure a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come” (DETR, 1999). They have set four objectives aiming to ensure sustainable development.  However, the three environmental objectives are vague whilst the fourth is more directive in committing to the maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth.  This suggests that the UK government has adopted a ‘weak’ or ‘light-green’ interpretation of sustainability allowing the long-term viability of economic growth to be balanced against the environmental objectives.

However, there are perspectives in the conservation strand of thought that would not be characterised as seeing sustainability as compatible with long term viability of current economically focused interpretations of urban regeneration.  Eco-socialism argues that the economic crisis we are facing is the result of a crisis in capitalism.  O’Connor’s (1998) second contradiction of capitalism suggests that sustainable development under capitalism is an oxymoron as development success measured in GDP terms leads to negative environmental effects such as pollution, congestion, and stress on water reserves, Shiva observes that “Nature shrinks as capital grows” (1992 pp.189).  While eco-socialism is anthropocentric and humanist and rejects the preservationist’s mystification of nature they could not be characterised as advocating the long term viability of the status-quo.  They argue that humans are not a pollutant, they are not destructive by nature but the prevailing economic system causes them to behave that way.  The answer is to reconnect with nature by re-appropriating collective control over our relationship with nature through common ownership of the means of production (Pepper 1993).

The lack of direction at national level over what is meant by sustainability and which policies could be considered sustainable mean that definitions and the strategies for implementing ‘sustainable’ urban regeneration have tended to reflect the political and philosophical position of those posing the definition and enacting the regeneration.  Robinson, however, writes that this may be a strength, that a constructive ambiguity can lead definitions to emerge from attempts to implement sustainable policies rather than defining it from the beginning.  For example, Mendes (2005) studied how food policy is used to promote social sustainability in Vancouver, Canada.  Vancouver adopted a food policy for the poor in December 2003.  However, there were concerns about the appropriateness of such a policy in a city committed to competitiveness and perhaps unable to assign resources to an activity not seen as part of mainstream urban governance.  The city had suffered a downgrade in its credit rating, and there were concerns about what kind of message was being sent out to investors.  The reason that food policy was ultimately accepted as a municipal function in Vancouver was because it was aligned with pre-existing policy directions and organizational expertise in sustainable development rather than as a tool to address social justice concerns like hunger and food insecurity.  In this sense the vagueness may mean that sustainability can come to be a bland metaphor for long term viability but can also lead to the implementation of more radical policies.

Krueger and Agyeman (2005) look beyond the “platitudes” relating to sustainability in American national politics during the George W. Bush era to show that while “at the national scale hope for sustainability seems bleak… at the local level the sustainability agenda, at least cleavages of it, may be more vigorous” (pp.410-411).  They use the term ‘actually existing sustainabilities’ (AESs) echoing Altvater’s (1993) concept of ‘actually existing socialisms’ which recognised socialisms that actually existed in the post war period rather than the myths created by readings of Marx or from Western propaganda.  Krueger and Agyeman take this idea and apply it to the concept of AESs to force us to frame sustainability in relation to actual practices rather than broad initiatives or agendas with  the intention of identifying actual practices and policy arenas that define sustainability.  Krueger and Agyeman seek to look beyond constructions of sustainability, such as the search for self reliant cities or externally dependent cities, building on the insights that various approaches provide so that they can “see” sustainability in practice, the policies enacted on the ground that contribute to sustainability.  They argue that sustainability will not be the result of a paradigm shift, but a continuation and extension of existing policy that when combined with social and environmental policies may produce sustainable outcomes.

References and Suggested Reading

Altvater, E. (1993) The Future of the Market: An Essay on the Regulation of Money and Nature. Verso, London.

DETR (1999) A Better Quality of Life- Strategy for Sustainable Development for the UK, London, HMSO.

Krueger, R. and Agyeman, J. (2005) Sustainability schizophrenia or “actually existing sustainabilities?” toward a broader understanding of the politics and promise of local sustainability in the US, Geoforum, 36, pp.410-417

Leist, A. and Holland, A. (2000) Conceptualising Sustainability, Policy Research Brief Number 5

Mebratu, D. (1998) Sustainability and sustainable development: historical and conceptual review. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 18, pp.493-520

O’Connor, J. (1998) Natural Causes: Essays in ecological Marxism. New York, Guilford Press.

Robinson, J. (2004) Squaring the circle? Some thoughts on the idea of sustainable development, Ecological Economics, 48, pp.369-384

Shiva, V. (1992) Recovering the real meaning of sustainability in Cooper, D. and Palmer, J. (eds.) The Environment in Question, London, Routledge

World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) Our Common Future, Oxford University Press, Oxford

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Sustainability Declaration FAQ — Frequently asked questions

Q: What is a sustainability declaration?

A: A sustainability declaration is a compulsory checklist that must be completed by the seller when selling a house, townhouse (class 1a buildings) or unit (class 2 building) from 1 January 2010 in Queensland.

The Queensland Sustainability declaration will inform buyers about the sustainability features of a property and increase community awareness of the value of such features.

Q: Is the sustainability declaration related to the contract of sale?

A: No. The declaration does not form part of the contract of sale.

Q: Do advertisements need to refer to the sustainability declaration?

A: Yes. Under the new legislation, from 1 January 2010 real estate agents and private sellers cannot publish an advertisement for the sale of the property unless the advertisement includes information about where a copy of the sustainability declaration can be obtained.

This requirement excludes advertisements published in newspapers and magazines, or signs that are not designed to specifically advertise the sale of a particular property (e.g. a generic ‘for sale’ sign).

Q: What are the requirements for making the sustainability declaration available?

A: During the period that the property is on the market, certain requirements exist for making the sustainability declaration available:

Advertisements (excluding newspapers, magazines and non-property specific signs) must not be published unless they declare the location the sustainability declaration can be obtained from. if requested, the sustainability declaration must be made available to a prospective buyer. Will the declaration be required at open inspections? Yes. Whenever the home that is for sale is open to the public for inspection, the seller must ensure a copy of the sustainability declaration is visibly displayed at the site or in the dwelling. The seller’s agent is not obliged to provide a copy of the sustainability declaration to every prospective purchaser in this instance if requested.

Q: Why is the Sustainability Declaration being introduced?

A: There is growing concern about the impacts of climate change and the need to improve existing housing stock. Encouraging prospective buyers to make informed choices about the sustainability performance of residential buildings is becoming increasingly important.

Properties with a greater number of sustainability features potentially have lower energy costs and use less water. They can also be more comfortable to live in and generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Homes with access features may be more liveable for occupants during their various life stages and the inclusion of safety features can reduce potential risks around the home.

The Sustainability declaration aims to increase awareness about sustainable housing features when a property is marketed for sale. It also promotes possible ongoing financial and environmental benefits that could be achieved with specific features. It is anticipated that the declaration will help promote the sustainability of a home and become a key marketing tool for real estate agents and private sellers.

Q: Where can I get a copy of the sustainability declaration?

A: For a professionally completed sustainability declaration please visit our online booking and one of our trained Sustainability assessors will contact you immediately.

Sustainability declaration FAQ — Frequently asked questions

Q: Who can complete the sustainability declaration?

A: The Sustainability declaration is a self-assessable checklist that can be completed by a property owner. However, if an owner is unable to complete the form, they can seek help from another person to complete it on their behalf as long as the owner signs it. Where an owner cannot sign the form, a person authorised under a power of attorney or other statutory power may sign the form.

Q: I need help completing the declaration. Is a guideline available?

A: A guideline to assist with completing the sustainability declaration is not currently available on the Department of Infrastructure and Planning’s website but will be shortly. we advise you contact one of Sustainability assessors to make sure you complete your declaration correctly.

Q: What could happen if the information on the declaration was false or misleading?

A: If a buyer purchased a home and the sustainability declaration was found to be false or misleading or prepared without reasonable skill and care, the seller may be liable to compensate the buyer for the loss or expense (for example, where a seller claims that ceiling insulation is installed and it is not).

Could a buyer terminate a contract if the declaration is incorrect?

A: No. The buyer would not be able to terminate a contract on the basis of information contained in the sustainability declaration as the declaration does not form part of the contract of sale.

Q: How does this affect rental properties?

A: A sustainability declaration is not required when a new lease is signed for rental properties.

However, if a rental property is being sold, a sustainability declaration will still need to be completed.

Q: What if I need to amend the declaration?

A: If the home has been upgraded during the marketing period or the seller recognises that the Sustainability declaration has been incorrectly completed, the Sustainability declaration should be amended or replaced. The seller should initial and date the change on the original form, or alternatively prepare and sign a replacement declaration.

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TOP 10 SUSTAINABILITY DECLARATION FAQ — FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1: What is a sustainability declaration?

A: A sustainability declaration is a compulsory checklist that must be completed by the seller when selling a house, townhouse (class 1a buildings) or unit (class 2 building) from 1 January 2010 in Queensland.

The Queensland Sustainability declaration will inform buyers about the sustainability features of a property and increase community awareness of the value of such features.

Q2: IS THE SUSTAINABILITY DECLARATION RELATED TO THE CONTRACT OF SALE?

A: No. The declaration does not form part of the contract of sale.

Q3: DO ADVERTISEMENTS NEED TO REFER TO THE SUSTAINABILITY DECLARATION?

A: Yes. Under the new legislation, from 1 January 2010 real estate agents and private sellers cannot publish an advertisement for the sale of the property unless the advertisement includes information about where a copy of the sustainability declaration can be obtained.

This requirement excludes advertisements published in newspapers and magazines, or signs that are not designed to specifically advertise the sale of a particular property (e.g. a generic ‘for sale’ sign).

Q4: WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR MAKING THE SUSTAINABILITY DECLARATION AVAILABLE?

A: During the period that the property is on the market, certain requirements exist for making the sustainability declaration available:

Advertisements (excluding newspapers, magazines and non-property specific signs) must not be published unless they declare the location the sustainability declaration can be obtained from. if requested, the sustainability declaration must be made available to a prospective buyer. Will the declaration be required at open inspections? Yes. Whenever the home that is for sale is open to the public for inspection, the seller must ensure a copy of the sustainability declaration is visibly displayed at the site or in the dwelling. The seller’s agent is not obliged to provide a copy of the sustainability declaration to every prospective purchaser in this instance if requested.

Q5: WHY IS THE SUSTAINABILITY DECLARATION BEING INTRODUCED?

A: There is growing concern about the impacts of climate change and the need to improve existing housing stock. Encouraging prospective buyers to make informed choices about the sustainability performance of residential buildings is becoming increasingly important.

Properties with a greater number of sustainability features potentially have lower energy costs and use less water. They can also be more comfortable to live in and generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Homes with access features may be more liveable for occupants during their various life stages and the inclusion of safety features can reduce potential risks around the home.

The Sustainability declaration aims to increase awareness about sustainable housing features when a property is marketed for sale. It also promotes possible ongoing financial and environmental benefits that could be achieved with specific features. It is anticipated that the declaration will help promote the sustainability of a home and become a key marketing tool for real estate agents and private sellers.

Q6: WHERE CAN I GET A COPY OF THE SUSTAINABILITY DECLARATION?

A: For a professionally completed sustainability declaration please visit our online booking and one of our trained Sustainability assessors will contact you immediately.

Q7: WHO CAN COMPLETE THE SUSTAINABILITY DECLARATION?

A: The Sustainability declaration is a self-assessable checklist that can be completed by a property owner. However, if an owner is unable to complete the form, they can seek help from another person to complete it on their behalf as long as the owner signs it. Where an owner cannot sign the form, a person authorised under a power of attorney or other statutory power may sign the form.

Q8: I NEED HELP COMPLETING THE DECLARATION. IS A GUIDELINE AVAILABLE?

A: A guideline to assist with completing the sustainability declaration is not currently available on the Department of Infrastructure and Planning’s website but will be shortly. we advise you contact one of Sustainability assessors to make sure you complete your declaration correctly.

Q9: WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF THE INFORMATION ON THE DECLARATION WAS FALSE OR MISLEADING?

A: If a buyer purchased a home and the sustainability declaration was found to be false or misleading or prepared without reasonable skill and care, the seller may be liable to compensate the buyer for the loss or expense (for example, where a seller claims that ceiling insulation is installed and it is not).

Q10:COULD A BUYER TERMINATE A CONTRACT IF THE DECLARATION IS INCORRECT?

A: No. The buyer would not be able to terminate a contract on the basis of information contained in the sustainability declaration as the declaration does not form part of the contract of sale.

Wait there’s more here are two more very important questions and answers!!!!

Q11: HOW DOES THIS AFFECT RENTAL PROPERTIES?

A: A sustainability declaration is not required when a new lease is signed for rental properties.

However, if a rental property is being sold, a sustainability declaration will still need to be completed.

Q12: WHAT IF I NEED TO AMEND THE DECLARATION?

A: If the home has been upgraded during the marketing period or the seller recognises that the Sustainability declaration has been incorrectly completed, the Sustainability declaration should be amended or replaced. The seller should initial and date the change on the original form, or alternatively prepare and sign a replacement declaration.

Textiles ( ‘Kapda’ in the ‘Roti, Kapda aur Makaan’ trio) forms one of our basic human needs across all cultures around the globe. Among these, only textiles are both non-perishable and easily transported. Thus, textiles have been part of a global market since the days of the Silk Road. Rapid shifts are happening in the way textiles are produced and supplied. One thing that does not seem have changed is that much of the production is based in Asia. Wherever one may go shopping for clothes, one would inevitably find goods made in China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.

The textile supply chain has evolved to meet changing price and quality demands from the global marketplace. The sophistication of buyers in tracking their suppliers has also gone up. In the last decade, buyers added a new dimension to their requirements, and began making demands regarding health, safety and labour conditions. Global manufacturing centres have increasingly had to respond not only to local requirements but also to global ones. The new dimension being rolled out in the supply chains of many sectors across the globe including textiles is the Environmental Sustainability. Environmental Sustainability takes into account the use of water, energy, and natural resources, and seeks to minimize negative impacts to the environment in the production of textile-based goods, as well as in their use by consumers. The long term goal of such initiatives would be complete sustainability.

Progressive brands and retailers have been exploring sustainability initiatives since the middle half of the last decade: testing initiatives first internally and now considering roll-out through their global supply chains. Sustainability is about doing ‘more with less’, which means finding savings and creating business value in addition to having a positive impact on the environment. The following aspects therefore become relevant: energy efficiency, carbon / greenhouse gas emissions, water and chemical footprint as well as logistics.

For suppliers in textile industry, it is essential to understand

What are some of the progressive brands and retailers doing and planning for their supply chain?
How does one begin to measure sustainability and compete in this changing market?

A number of initiatives have already been started to engage in to improve raw materials in the supply chain, such as the Better Cotton Initiative and the Organic Exchange. Some initiatives are related to buyers coming together to form a unified voice, including the Outdoor Industry Association, and working groups assembled by the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR).

The current work being done to increase the sustainability of the global textile supply chain is still in its early stages or being applied regionally, in the next 24-36 months these initiatives will become mainstream globally.

Textile production is resource intensive

Textile Production is a vital global industry employing hundreds of millions of people, and it is also very resource intensive: consuming copious amounts of energy, water and other raw materials. According to research done by the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), an average of 8,500 litres of water is needed to grow one kilogram of cotton, equivalent to one pair of jeans. Due to the hundreds of harmful chemicals routinely used in washing and dying fabric, the textile industry is also the #1 industrial polluter of fresh water on the planet.

In developing countries where large global production centres are based, the textile sector forms a large part of their carbon inventory. As a case in point, in India the textile sector consumes 10% of the country’s energy and has increasing carbon intensity compared to other sectors.

 

Sustainability in supply chain is integral for the sector

Because of impacts such as these, over the last few years some progressive brands and retailers in North America and Europe have embarked on integrating sustainability into their supply chain. While there is the societal imperative, the greater opportunity lies in sustainability through more efficient resource utilization which in turn has a positive financial impact for every part of the supply chain. Virtually all the production and manufacturing of textiles occurs in developing countries and hence activities being planned in the developed world are having a ripple effect in bringing about resource conservation elsewhere.

 

Why think of sustainability

From the standpoint of many North American and European firms that have a large textile product range, almost all the environmental impact from manufacturing occurs offshore. Some of these companies are at the forefront of working towards sustainability for a number of

Sustainability generates business value by unlocking opportunities to save on critical resources.
Firms with sustainability practices get rewarded by capital market shareholders and stakeholders.
Understanding supply chain risks is important in the face of impending climate legislations. Developing countries too are looking at legislations on water usage and carbon. All these give rise to supply chain risks depending on sourcing regions. To proactively manage these impacts and risks, it is essential to build idea of supply chains.
Attracting new consumers with new products and carbon/sustainability labelling is an opportunity that will increase in value with consumers getting more knowledgeable and savvy.

What does this mean for textile manufacturers?

As the market for sustainable textiles grows, many more firms will begin demanding sustainability from their manufacturers the same way they demand fair prices, fast delivery and high quality. Currently, this means having a sustainable supply chain is a competitive advantage for textile manufacturers.

While most suppliers selling to the brands and retailers are engaged only in cut & sew, it is only a matter of time before the entire supply chain is held accountable. Many brands will soon start shifting focus beyond that and downstream to manufacturing. Already firms like Levi Strauss & Co. and Walmart have started collecting data from the rest of the supply chain.

In order to build best-practices and quantify savings, different approaches are being taken. For instance, Marks & Spencer is creating entire ‘eco factories’ where it is able to demonstrate energy savings to the tune of 40% over comparable factories. Nike on the other hand is working with a set of strategic partner factories that are part of its MLS (Manufacturing Leadership), to establish benchmarks.

The signaling for manufacturers is quite clear: become aware and get started on this new path!

Measuring and communicating

Due to regional and fragmented nature of consumer demand – there are a number of standards and methodologies coming up in the marketplace. Most of the standards are still in the adoption phase, the underlying data requirements for most of them are quite similar.

One of the more established and used standard is the Carbon Label by Carbon Trust. The UK has been amongst the most progressive markets in defining a formal carbon footprint that can be used by consumers. The Carbon Label Company set up by the Carbon Trust in 2007 provides information for both consumers as well as businesses on how to use the Carbon Label.

The Carbon Footprint is developed on basis of the PAS 2050 guideline. Tesco, Continental Clothing, Levi Strauss & Co. are amongst those that have been testing some products with the Carbon Label.

Snapshots of sustainability activities of firms

The following table summarizes some of the leading brands, their activities and scope

Brand

Standard

Target

Parameters

Adidas

ISO14001

Internal tool

Embedding environmental sustainability across the business
Effectively managing business risks and social compliance in the supply chain
Extending engagement internally and externally

Carbon

Energy

Waste

Sustainable materials

 

Carrefour

GRI

GHG Protocol

Oeko-Tex Certification

Reducing energy consumption per m2 by 20% by 2020 against 2004 as baseline

Carbon

Energy

Logistics

GAP

GRI

GHG Protocol

Environmental footprint assessment and setting quantifiable environmental goals
New supply chain waste management

Carbon

Energy

Waste

Sustainable materials

IKEA

Own tool

Reducing CO2 emissions and increasing share of renewable energy

Carbon

Energy

Waste

Sustainable materials

Walmart

Sustainability Index

GOTS Certification

Reducing 20 million tonnes CO2 eq from supply chain by 2015

Carbon

Energy

Waste

Sustainable materials

Logistics

Levi Strauss

GHG Protocol

Global Effluent guidelines for wastewater

In the process of collecting data on its scope 1 and scope 2 emissions. Targets will be set thereafter

Carbon

Energy

Waste

Sustainable materials

Logistics

 

 

Peeping into the future

Going forward, as sustainability becomes mainstream focus across the entire supply chain, the following events are widely believe to happen

By the end of 2011 all major textile brands and retailers will have announced initiatives that plan for working with a more sustainable supply chain. Some of the firms are already implementing measures within their own facilities and soon they will look to their supply chain which is where the majority of the environmental footprint exists. The sustainability efforts will move beyond the early adopters and into the mainstream between 2012 and 2015.
Textile brands will make supplier choices based on which suppliers are able to report and demonstrate sustainability measures.
Brands and retailers may struggle initially in mapping out their supply chain but issues will be overcome soon. Some of the low-hanging opportunities from a retailer standpoint will be logistics and sourcing. We will see increasing activities on this front.
From a supply perspective, vertically integrated firms are likely to be early adopters of sustainability reporting because they have easy visibility throughout their supply chain. They will also likely use this as a market advantage.
There may be issues raised around non-tariff barriers by some textile exporting nations at the WTO. Market mechanics will have to be developed to address these concerns. Just like no one questions the need for quality products any longer, no one will question the need for sustainable products.
The buzz around organic cotton will continue to increase. But as soon as it is public knowledge that organic cotton is going to remain a very small percentage of the overall raw material for the textile sector, we expect to see the emphasis shift toward other sustainable materials. There also will be a greater emphasis on reducing toxics and chemicals.

 

 

 

About Us

EcoLogic Consultancy came into existence with the purpose of “To help our clients in understanding, establishing sound Environment Management Systems, and pursuing sustainable business solutions through our various services to abate direct and indirect impact on ecological balance.”

We have demonstrated expertise in the areas of carbon accounting and management, energy management systems, voluntary/compliance carbon markets, environment management and sustainability and carbon branding.

To know more about EcoLogic, please visit http://www.ecologicconsultancy.in

To schedule a meeting and discussion with us, do reach us on

Kedar – +91-9665407848 – kedar@ecologicconsultancy.in

Indrajeet – +91-9028788430 – indrajeet@ecologicconsultancy.in

Shailesh – +91-9890887670 – shailesh@ecologicconsultancy.in

 

 

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for future generations. The term was used by the Brundtland Commission which coined what has become the most often-quoted definition of sustainable development as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Sustainable development ties together concern for the carrying capacity of natural systems with the social challenges facing humanity. As early as the 1970s “sustainability” was employed to describe an economy “in equilibrium with basic ecological support systems.” Ecologists have pointed to the “limits of growth” and presented the alternative of a “steady state economy” in order to address environmental concerns.

The field of sustainable development can be conceptually broken into three constituent parts: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and sociopolitical sustainability

Scope and definitions

The concept has included notions of weak sustainability, strong sustainability and deep ecology. Sustainable development does not focus solely on environmental issues. The United Nations 2005 World Summit Outcome Document refers to the “interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars” of sustainable development as economic development, social development, and environmental protection.

Indigenous people have argued, through various international forums such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Convention on Biological Diversity, that there are four pillars of sustainable development, the fourth being cultural. The Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (UNESCO, 2001) further elaborates the concept by stating that “…cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature”; it becomes “one of the roots of development understood not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence”. In this vision, cultural diversity is the fourth policy area of sustainable development.

Economic Sustainability: Agenda 21 clearly identified information, integration, and participation as key building blocks to help countries achieve development that recognises these interdependent pillars. It emphasises that in sustainable development everyone is a user and provider of information. It stresses the need to change from old sector-centred ways of doing business to new approaches that involve cross-sectoral co-ordination and the integration of environmental and social concerns into all development processes. Furthermore, Agenda 21 emphasises that broad public participation in decision making is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving sustainable development.

According to Hasna, sustainability is a process which tells of a development of all aspects of human life affecting sustenance. It means resolving the conflict between the various competing goals, and involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity famously known as three dimensions (triple bottom line) with is the resultant vector being technology, hence it is a continually evolving process; the ‘journey’ (the process of achieving sustainability) is of course vitally important, but only as a means of getting to the destination (the desired future state). However, the ‘destination’ of sustainability is not a fixed place in the normal sense that we understand destination. Instead, it is a set of wishful characteristics of a future system.

Green development is generally differentiated from sustainable development in that Green development prioritizes what its proponents consider to be environmental sustainability over economic and cultural considerations. Proponents of Sustainable Development argue that it provides a context in which to improve overall sustainability where cutting edge Green development is unattainable. For example, a cutting edge treatment plant with extremely high maintenance costs may not be sustainable in regions of the world with fewer financial resources. An environmentally ideal plant that is shut down due to bankruptcy is obviously less sustainable than one that is maintainable by the community, even if it is somewhat less effective from an environmental standpoint.

Some research activities start from this definition to argue that the environment is a combination of nature and culture. The Network of Excellence “Sustainable Development in a Diverse World”,]sponsored by the European Union, integrates multidisciplinary capacities and interprets cultural diversity as a key element of a new strategy for sustainable development.

Still other researchers view environmental and social challenges as opportunities for development action. This is particularly true in the concept of sustainable enterprise that frames these global needs as opportunities for private enterprise to provide innovative and entrepreneurial solutions. This view is now being taught at many business schools including the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University and the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan.

The United Nations Division for Sustainable Development lists the following areas as coming within the scope of sustainable development:]

Sustainable development is an eclectic concept, as a wide array of views fall under its umbrella. The concept has included notions of weak sustainability, strong sustainability and deep ecology. Different conceptions also reveal a strong tension between ecocentrism and anthropocentrism. The concept remains weakly defined and contains a large amount of debate as to its precise definition.

During the last ten years, different organizations have tried to measure and monitor the proximity to what they consider sustainability by implementing what has been called sustainability metrics and indices

Sustainable development is said to set limits on the developing world. While current first world countries polluted significantly during their development, the same countries encourage third world countries to reduce pollution, which sometimes impedes growth. Some consider that the implementation of sustainable development would mean a reversion to pre-modern lifestyles. Others have criticized the overuse of the term:

“[The] word sustainable has been used in too many situations today, and ecological sustainability is one of those terms that confuse a lot of people. You hear about sustainable development, sustainable growth, sustainable economies, sustainable societies, sustainable agriculture. Everything is sustainable (Temple, 1992).”[

Environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability is the process of making sure current processes of interaction with the environment are pursued with the idea of keeping the environment as pristine as naturally possible based on ideal-seeking behavior.

An “unsustainable situation” occurs when natural capital (the sum total of nature’s resources) is used up faster than it can be replenished. Sustainability requires that human activity only uses nature’s resources at a rate at which they can be replenished naturally. Inherently the concept of sustainable development is intertwined with the concept of carrying capacity. Theoretically, the long-term result of environmental degradation is the inability to sustain human life. Such degradation on a global scale could imply extinction for humanity.

Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability is the ability to maintain the qualities that are valued in the physical environment.

For example, most people want to sustain (maintain):

human life the capabilities that the natural environment has to maintain the living conditions for people and other species (eg. clean water and air, a suitable climate) the aspects of the environment that produce renewable resources such as water, timber, fish, solar energy the functioning of society, despite non-renewable resource depletion the quality of life for all people, the livability and beauty of the environment

Threats to these aspects of the environment mean that there is a risk that these things will not be maintained. For example, the large-scale extraction of non-renewable resources (such as minerals, coal and oil) or damage done to the natural environment can create threats of serious decline in quality or destruction or extinction.

Traditionally, when environmental problems arise environmental managers work out how to reduce the damage or wastage. But it is not always easy to work out exactly when and where threats will have their effects and often the impacts are hard to reverse. So increasingly environmental managers adopt strategies aimed to prevent damage being done in the first place. A full sustainability program needs to include actions to prevent threats and impacts from arising, actions to protect the environment from threats and damage, and restoration to reverse damage already done.

Sustainability issues arise wherever there is a risk of difficult or irreversible loss of the things or qualities of the environment that people value. And whenever there are such risks there is a degree of urgency to take action.

Environmental sustainability programs include actions to reduce the use of physical resources, the adoption of a ‘recycle everything/buy recycled’ approach, the use of renewable rather than depletable resources, the redesign of production processes and products to eliminate the production of toxic materials, and the protection and restoration of natural habitats and environments valued for their livability or beauty.

Conclusion

To explore the idea of environmental sustainability in more detail, the Commissioner asked Philip Sutton, Director – Strategy for Green Innovations to prepare a paper on a definition for environmental sustainability, how it fits with other common terms related to sustainability and what it means for us to be environmentally sustainable. You can download the paper below.

INTRODUCTION

 

Marketing is about selling people more. So can sustainable marketing really work?

- Marketing comprises a set of skills that generally enable companies to sell more stuff to more people to get a greater share of the market. These skills are usually portable: it doesn’t matter what’s being sold to whom in what marketplace. The social and environmental impact of the stuff that’s being marketed remains, for the vast majority of people in marketing, until recently, largely irrelevant. The idea of sustainable marketing is inevitably sort of ridiculous.

- Sustainable development comprises a set of ideas, principles, values, mindsets and practices that enable individuals and organizations to improve their quality of life in ways that simultaneously protect and enhance the Earth’s life-support systems, in other words, without destroying the planet. At the very least, it can mean consuming in more environmentally and socially responsible ways; for some, it means consuming less.

The idea of sustainable marketing is, therefore, sort of suspect. The marketplace is greener now than ever before and will become even more responsive to products and services promising environmental responsibility well into the 21st century. The reasons are many. People are worried. In the 1980’s, environmental calamities dominated the news. Almost daily, headlines trumpeted oil spills, toxic-waste dumps, and nuclear meltdowns. A hole punctured the ozone layer, a garbage barge searched in vain for a dumpsite; apples were not considered safe to eat. The issues were no longer in someone else’s backyard far-away, but in our own. The environment rose to the top of the public’s worry list.

 

 

MARKETING INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABLE MARKETING

 

Nowadays, businesses that fall short of developing effective value propositions have difficulties in taking advantage of market opportunities that are characterized by uncompromising market forces such increased competition, shortened product lifecycles and more sophisticated and variable customer demands. It is a disconcerting fact that many, if not most, businesses struggle to develop sustainable, innovative value propositions that help them sustain their market positions.

Marketing innovation and sustainable development are today’s hottest topics of our planet among intellectuals. Why not harness the creativity and innovation of one of the oldest professions there is to move forward our societies onto a much more sustainable footing? Humanity has been known to tackle far more challenging tasks, anywhere from placing a man on the moon, to persuading people to buy aloe vera toilet paper, as Steve Hilton from Good Business often illustrates. Surely, therefore, bringing together these innovators and persuaders needed to make the world more sustainable should also be possible.

Will we assist to less growth with marketing sustainability? Not really. I think if it is well done, it could mean better, smarter and much more efficient ways of buying and making stuff. What if marketing sustainability is just a pipe dream when consumers are largely ambivalent about the green credentials of the products and services they buy, and certainly find it difficult to pay ‘green premiums’? We don’t think it will be. If done properly, it will appeal to personal values and allow that twinge of “I would really like to do something”.

However, I have to notice that efforts by the odd responsible company are not nearly enough to make producer and consumer change stick. A much wider collective effort is needed if we are going to be successful at reversing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, considering most of us are not willing to sacrifice Aloe Vera toilet paper for banana leaves. If marketing can turn “lead into gold”, then it has the potential to make sustainable development a household word, a universally recognised way of adding both social and economic value. Marketing can create, influence and change target audience attitudes, beliefs and perceptions. In a nutshell, marketing works; that’s why companies do it. A more interesting question is how can it be used to reinforce sustainable development?

I have to mention that although sustainable development and marketing innovation are the 21st century most discussed topics, they are conflicting concepts. Today’s evolution about these topics is to set a challenging sustainable development benchmarks for every element of the marketing mix and build intrinsic brand value in and through sustainable development. Through engaging companies from a range of sectors that are both already active in sustainable development and have high brand awareness, as well as leading media and communications agencies open to new opportunities, we hope to build wider competencies in sustainable marketing within the profession and more broadly in businesses. 

 MARKETING INNOVATION

Much of the discussion about marketing and sustainable development focuses on developed markets; on the levels of consumption amongst the world’s richest people and the changing nature of their preferences. Companies face fierce competition for growth in developed countries whilst, in contrast, the most disadvantaged people in the world represent a market with enormous potential. And if the world’s population expands in line with current predictions, over 90% of people will be living in (what are now) developing countries within 30 years. It is no surprise, then, that marketers are increasingly interested in the opportunities amongst the world’s poor, which may involve addressing their basic needs. But is this wishful thinking, or are there compelling commercial reasons for business to pay attention to developing markets? As the term sustainable development enters the business mainstream, the responsibility for managing social and environmental issues is slowly shifting from the corporate fringe to an important business function.

The implementation of communication strategies is a marketing innovation. Not only does the company inform the general public of its efforts to reduce its environmental impact, but in addition, it listens to its clients and tries to gain acceptance of its employees. A sophisticated form of the communication strategy consists of taking part directly in the development of restrictive measures (emission standards, branch agreements, etc.). This effort seems to show a proactive approach to companies on the environmental question, but on the other hand, it could be a way to impede environmental progress by means of a lobbying policy.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a company in possession of a good (or poor) fortune must be in want of innovation. Yet, by all accounts, some 40-90% of innovations fail in the market. In this elective we examine the drivers of market adoption, taking the perspectives of both ‘objective reality’ and the ‘perceived reality’ of the players in the decision. We then offer some suggestions for bringing innovations more successfully to market.

Invention and innovation have proven to be crucial components for the development of modern societies. However, 1.3 billion people who currently live on less than a dollar a day do not enjoy the benefits that many modern inventions have brought. At the same time some key new technologies are known to have caused enormous damage to the global environment.

SUSTAINABLE MARKETING

Increasingly, business is investing in sustainable development strategies, often not fully embraced by their marketing departments.

The result of this means that mixed messages are being transmitted to shareholders and stakeholders alike. There is a real need to join sustainable development business strategy with the marketing departments that drive that strategy forward.
Because marketing influences the development of products and services, as well as the communication methods used to influence consumer behaviour, it is at the axis of one of the most challenging issues facing business today: addressing the current unsustainable levels of production and consumption in an uncertain world.

There are two key approaches to marketing and sustainability. One seeks to embed sustainable development within a company’s core marketing strategy from innovation to the market. The other aligns opportunities for marketing and advertising with the values of sustainable development, either overtly or covertly.

Why is it now that people think about sustainable marketing?

As mainstream marketing is changing and as we enter a ‘third age’ of branding, the context for brands is changing irrevocably. The first age of branding was the age of functionality, where product purpose was legitimised through trademarks. The second age was the age of aspiration, meaning brands served a self actualising purpose. The third age of branding is the age of reconnection, that is, solutions-oriented branding. Empowering consumers to make the world a better place through the products they buy.  For example, if we take the case of the refrigerators, we can say that in 1950’s, somebody could easily be convinced to buy a refrigerator just because it looked cool in his/her eyes, but in today’s uncertain world, we might ask ourselves about the impact of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that our refrigerator is emitting and demand a more environmentally friendly refrigerator.

So, if today’s successful marketing is about appealing to personal values and delivering consumer empowerment, then surely the time is right to inject sustainable development into the marketing mix to help address some of the gritty issues currently facing our planet.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Today’s fast technologies innovation and invention have made people worry about their living environment. Although they need improvements for the household equipments they are daily using, they started asking themselves about the future of the world. Based on this, we have to mention that marketing innovation is developing with consequences for humankind. In this 21st century, sustainable development remains a term which many marketers have become accustomed to hearing alongside jargon such as stakeholder engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Sustainable development is a compelling idea for many people. It is concerned with how business can contribute to some of the most significant challenges that the world faces today; from climate change and biodiversity, to working conditions and health amongst the poorest in the world. But marketing managers have struggled to translate these ideas into viable commercial propositions into marketing strategies that create competitive advantage, build trust or develop new business opportunities.

Moreover, marketers have often faced criticism for being part of the problem for pushing the consumption of unsustainable products and lifestyles.

Sustainable development is becoming a key strategic issue for companies. With growing pressure from global warming, natural resource depletion, widening social gaps, legislation, societal pressures, and the evolution of consumer expectation, the role of marketing within an organization is changing dramatically. Consumer demand for “ethical” products and services is increasing and the marketing is a lever for innovation to answer to this new demand. Social and environmental values are now elements of a brand, marketers need to tackle these issues. Sustainable development is the practice of protecting the environment while improving living standards for all, and invention and innovation is key to its success. Invention and innovation for sustainable development isn’t just about developing new technology, but includes new processes and new ways of solving old problems. Creative thinking is the rubric. Creative thinking has always been integral for improving well-being.

Despite the fact that people everywhere have an innate ability to be creative, rich countries are not doing enough to stimulate and harness invention and creative thinking, and poor countries tend to stifle innovation and creativity outright. This is typically due to a combination of factors: insufficient financial resources, lack of role models, education systems that don’t inspire or value creativity, and social/political environments that discourage creativity, invention and entrepreneurship. Sustainable development has different meanings and implications in different parts of the world. Julia Marton-Lefèvre, executive director of LEAD International, an organization dedicated to leadership for environment and development in a workshop on “invention and innovation for sustainable development” held in November 2003 said to understand the challenges and ramifications “not only in London and Paris and New York, but also in tiny villages in Nigeria and Indonesia and China.” Sustainable development is for all countries, not just developing ones. Based on what she said, I can mention that while rich countries need to develop alternative sources of energy and other technologies that reduce their own impact on the environment, poor countries need to develop their own innovation capacity, in order to address their own particular needs.

CHALLENGES FOR MARKETERS TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Companies create competitive advantage by understanding the shifts in society; from technological innovations such as the 3G communication system to the unwinding consequences of events such as May 12th China earthquake. These trends are the foundations of marketing strategy, and the emergence of sustainable development as a matter of public and corporate concern is one such change in the marketing environment. In recent years, hundreds of companies have developed ethical policies or mission statements. These initiatives appear to be grounded in market realities. For example, a Weber Shandwick survey of 8,000 consumers in 2001 indicates that 80% of high-education/high-income people in the USA have considered switching brands when a company was negatively portrayed in the media in respect of social responsibility issues. But today, the question for marketers is: is there really an opportunity for them to use sustainable development as a lever of brand innovation, rather than the greenwash?

Marketers rightly insist that appealing to sustainability values will not overcome a fundamental weakness in product quality, yet with excellent products there is evidence that social and environmental aspects can be used to differentiate or create a profitable niche. For them, Sustainability values can be a successful differentiator; a key part of the functional and emotional attributes of a product or service. Many of marketers argue that integrating sustainability values into a brand can contribute to market growth. As one professional has commented, “As long as performance, price and place are right, then corporate responsibility can become a differentiator, although a significant price premium is not possible.”

Nowadays, a lot of businesses have tried to differentiate specific products on the basis of their social and environmental impacts. For example, Toyota has used celebrity endorsements to promote the environmental credentials of the Prius, their hybrid fuel car; it has also approved plans to use more distinctive badging on its hybrid Highlander and Lexus models. And niche businesses (increasingly joined by mainstream retailers) supplying fair trade coffee and organic products have targeted consumer concerns regarding working conditions and chemical pollution in the food supply chain, often using eco-labels and social labels to enhance the consumer understanding of their products.

The opportunity for differentiation is perhaps more significant in the business-to-business sector. Business-to-business companies are increasingly identifying opportunities to position their products and services in the wider context of their social and environmental impact as well as their cost and functionality. As one marketer has suggested: “Corporate customers are more interested in these issues than individual customers” Another marketer has confirmed the basis of this business-to-business market: “The challenge is what do customers care about: sometimes it is just price and delivery, but functionality can include aspects of sustainability, like reducing your customers’ waste so their operations run better, helping them deal with and/or eliminate regulatory issues.”

Today’s challenge for marketers to achieve their goals by integrating marketing innovation with sustainable development is to build trust with customers, consumers and society.

Reputation – the goodwill that an organization has acquired from its past performance – is the foundation of future success, the basis on which a business will be trusted in years to come. Companies remain among the least trusted institutions in society, with some businesses particularly vulnerable to pressure group campaigns and consumer boycotts. As a result, many marketers are asking themselves how to minimize the risk of criticism from stakeholders, and whether sustainable development has a role to play in these efforts. Perhaps more positively, they are also wondering what part their companies’ ambitions and achievements on social and environmental issues can play in building and maintaining trust with consumers, customers and society as a whole.

Some marketers are also concerned that reputation and trust may not be sufficient to preserve their brands in the longer-term: current patterns of consumption are not sustainable, and so customers and consumers must be educated in order to protect or secure the resources on which business is based.

Products with sustainability attributes will only appeal if they are clearly consistent with the values and activities of the company.

Many people care about the social and environmental impacts of business. Yet people trust companies when they believe they are acting according to their values, and not just because it happens to make sense in that particular instance. Credibility comes from the confidence that a business will continue to behave ethically in the future: a business will gain little reputational benefit – and more likely harm – from helping a community if local people see the contribution as a short-term ‘bribe’ that will be withdrawn as soon as its immediate objective is achieved. Marketers have a critical role in building trust. In particular, they can help to create inspiring communications, which are honestly based on the abilities of the organisation and the resources that it can realistically devote to enhancing its social and environmental performance.

However, reputation and trust may not be sufficient to safeguard a brand. To succeed, marketers must lead the path towards more sustainable consumption.

International policy makers are paying more and more attention to some of the greatest challenges to society and the environment. For example, UK previous Prime Minister Tony Blair placed poverty in Africa and climate change at the top of the G8 agenda for 2005. These issues are critical to the long-run success of business. In short, companies cannot operate effectively in societies and economies which fail to protect and support the production and consumption of their products and services. Business needs reliable access to sources of raw material, safe working conditions for production, storage and distribution, thriving consumer markets, and safe mechanisms for the disposal of product waste. There is much that governments must do. But if consumers aren’t switching to more sustainable products, then it will also fall to business to break the current patterns of consumption. And it is often the marketer who will be best positioned to create this connection between business and consumers.

CONCLUSION

Purchasing organic or fair trade produce is now very easy, but making purchasing decisions about other products such as mobile phones on environmental, social or ethical grounds remains difficult. Innovation for sustainable development would inevitably lead to new product-service systems. Current consumer culture with its emphasis on ownership as a status symbol creates significant barriers to the acceptance of these new product service systems.

Although new products and services may be essential for future growth and profit,

companies must survive today to be around tomorrow. Short term financial objectives tend to focus companies on making incremental improvements that keep sales up, keep customers happy and satisfy city analysts rather than the more radical approaches that would promote innovation for sustainable development.

Transforming today’s companies into sustainable innovation stars is not a simple case of creating a new sustainable innovation tool. Product and service innovation is part of a much wider innovation system and is affected by conditions as wide ranging as government leadership on sustainable development and organisational structures within companies. Addressing the barriers to integrating sustainable development into product and service innovation, therefore, requires change to take place across the entire system; from the introduction of new tools into the immediate product development process to the integration of sustainable development objectives into innovation policy.

Sustainable development specialists (and those with equivalent positions or responsibilities) are no longer just responsible for the management of philanthropic initiatives, community engagement programs or environmental impact assessments.

Instead, in leading companies, these managers are expected to act as agents of change: to develop the structures, systems, ways of working and personal values that will support the organisation’s sustainable development objectives; and to encourage others in the company to act as enthusiastic agents of change.

 

 References

 

- Aggeri, F., Pezzet E. and Alii (2005), “Organiser le Développement Durable”, Paris, Vuibert

- Asselineau, A. and Pierre Piré-Lechard (2008), “Développement Durable et Entreprise Responsable : Une voie pour l’innovation de rupture ”, Communication présentée lors des 3èmes journées Neptune, 1ère université : Réalités et Prospectives du développement durable organisationnel, ERMES, IAE de Toulon, Observatoire du développement durable, Université du Sud-Toulon-Var, Toulon, 13-14 Novembre 2008

- Bridgewater, S. and Peter Doyle (1998) “Innovation in Marketing”, Business and Economics

- Buisson, J. (2006) “La Responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise”, Economie et Management, N°119, Avril.

- Commissariat général au développement durable (2009) “Stratégie nationale du développement durable 2009-2012”, Ministère français de l’écologie, de l’énergie, du développement durable et de l’aménagement du territoire

- Cravens, D. (2006) “Strategic Marketing global challenges and Opportunities”, Handbook of Business Strategy, Vol. 7, Issue. 1, pp.63-70

- Fuller, D.A. (1999) “Sustainable Marketing”, Sage Publication, London-New Delhi

- Guignard, S.and Claire Prendleloup (2008) “Le développement durable”, Agence de l’environnement et de la maitrise de l’énergie, Service Valorisation des informations et des connaissances

- Harribey, J.M. (2004) “Développement ne rime pas forcément avec croissance”, Le Monde Diplomatique, Juillet

- Hauser, J., Gerard J.Tellis and Abbie Griffin (2006), “Research on Innovation: A Review and Agenda for Marketing Science”, Marketing Science, Volume 25, Number 6, November-December 2006, pp.687-717

- Jaffro, V. and Anne-Gaël Girrard (2008), “Responsabilité Sociale et Développement Durable, comment construire un modèle d’innovation et de collaboration pour les entreprises ” www.biggerthinking.com/sustainability/innovation

- Kates, R.W., Thomas M. Parris and Anthony A. Leiserowitz (2005) “What is Sustainable Development? Goals, Indicators, Values and Practice”, Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, Vol.47-Number 3, pp.8-21

-  Lambe, P. (2003) “Marketing Innovations”, www.greenchameleon.com

- Lawrence, G. (2006) “promoting Sustainable Development: the question of Governance”, Research in Rural Sociology and Development, Vol.11, pp. 145-174

- Longhurst, J.W.S., Stephen A. Dalton and David C. Gibbs (1995) “Towards a sustainable future: Promoting Sustainable Development”, The Environmentalist, Vol.15 Number 4/ December 1995

- OECD (2001) “Sustainable Development: Critical Issues”, Policy Brief-September 2001

- Patris, C., Gerard Valenduc and Francoise Warrant (2001) “Technological Innovation fostering Sustainable Development”, Report on a Research Project at the Federal Service for scientific, technical and Cultural Affairs (SSTC), under the Levers for sustainable development programme

- Reynaud, E. (2006) “Le développement durable au cœur de  l’entreprise. Pour une approche transverse du développement durable”, Dunod

- Taylor, J. (2002) “Sustainable Development: A Dubious Solution in search of a problem”, Policy Analysis Number 449- August 26, 2002

 

PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN INDIA

 

D.AMUTHA.MA.MPHIL,                                                                                                                  ASST.PROFESSOR IN ECONOMICS

ST.MARY’S COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      TUTICORIN                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  amuthajoe@gmail.com

 

Introduction

 

                                    Agriculture sector, world over, has experienced a phenomenal growth since the mid-twentieth century. The growth, driven by Green Revolution technology, has made a significant dent on aggregate supply of food grains, ensuring food security to the growing population. The next stage of agricultural growth however, faces a serious challenge in terms of sustainability. Whereas the main problem faced by the developing countries in the south pertains to sustainability of resource use, the main challenge facing the developed economies in the north is overuse of chemical inputs. These problems have led to increasing awareness and a felt need for moving away from the input intensive agriculture perused during the Green revolution phase, to sustainable farming in different parts of the world. While the need for a paradigmatic shift in the growth strategy is well recognized, the transition from input intensive to sustainable farming however, has certain inherent difficulties. Notwithstanding these limitations, policies in both the north as well as the south have led increased emphasis on promoting sustainable agriculture.

                                          India can safely be characterized as an agricultural country despite the recent spurt in manufacturing and services and the declining share of agriculture in the national income, since majority of its workforce (~ 65%) are still engaged in agriculture and allied activities. It has been the noblest profession in India since the time immemorial and has been carried out on sustainable basis. It is only relatively recent phenomenon that large-scale forest areas, grazing lands and waste lands have been converted into croplands to support the rising population, which has caused ecological imbalance and atmospheric pollution. With no further scope for expansion of agricultural land efforts have been made to enhance the production of food grains using high-yielding variety of seeds, fertilizers and irrigation along with advanced farm equipments. However, so-called green revolution is cofined to a few crops, viz, wheat, rice and maize and has been possible only in restricted areas, i.e., Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh and certain selected districts of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu.

                                            Naturally much work is needed to lift the agriculture to a level where it is least affected by vagaries of monsoon and needs little from outside the farm, i.e., lesser dependence on chemical fertilizers and water. The limited success of green revolution has been a mixed bag in that it has given rise to new set of problems: overuse of water and fertilizers. Excessive use of water results in water logging and salinization whereas excess of fertilizers and pesticide cause pollution of water bodies contamination of ground water. India has the largest area of irrigated land (55 million hectares) of which about one-third land is already degraded and 7 million hectare have been abandoned1. In such a situation a renewable and lasting alternative, sustainable agriculture, has to emerge for successful agricultural revolution. In the present paper the need for sustainable agriculture has been emphasized. Policies for sustainable agriculture and organic farming and possible actions in India are discussed.

 

Need for sustainable agriculture

                               We can compare three broad types of farming: traditional production systems, conventional modern agriculture (such as Green Revolution technologies), and sustainable agriculture. We can compare them across three dimensions: ecological, economic and social.

 

Ecological sustainability

                                       Many traditional and most conventional farm practices are not ecologically sustainable: they overuse natural resources, reducing soil fertility, causing soil erosion, and contributing to global climatic change. Sustainable agriculture has several major advantages over both traditional and conventional practices:

Soil fertility: A continuous fall in soil fertility is a major problem in many parts of India. Sustainable agriculture improves fertility and soil structure and prevents erosion, so would be an answer to this problem.

Water: Irrigation is the biggest consumer of fresh water, and fertilizer and pesticides contaminate both surface- and groundwater. Sustainable agriculture increases the organic matter content of the topsoil, so raising its ability to retain and store water that falls as rain.

Biodiversity: Sustainable agricultural practices frequently involve mixed cropping, so increasing the diversity of crops produced and raising the diversity of insects and other animals and plants in and around fields.

Pollution: Pesticides are hazardous to human health as well as to the local ecology. Incorrect handling, storage and use of pesticides lead to health and pollution problems. Sustainable agriculture reduces or eliminates the use of hazardous chemicals; instead it controls pests with a variety of biological and agronomic measures and the use of natural substances.

Landscape: Agriculture and forestry clothe the rural landscape. Inappropriate use causes erosion, landslides and flooding, clogs irrigation channels, and reduces the ability of the land to support the local population. Impoverished rural people flock into the cities in search of jobs, forming unsightly, insanitary slums that further destroy the landscape. Rehabilitating ecologically damaged areas needs huge investments that few countries can afford. Sustainable agriculture avoids these problems by improving productivity, conserving the soil, avoiding the expansion of farming into unsuitable areas, and preserving rural jobs.

Climate: The way agriculture is practiced contributes significantly to global climatic changes. Conventional agriculture contributes to the production of greenhouse gases in various ways: by reducing the amount of carbon stored in the soil and in vegetation, through the production of methane in irrigated fields, and through energy-intensive activities such as the production of artificial fertilizers. Adopting sustainable agriculture would reduce these impacts significantly.

Economic sustainability

                   Agriculture cannot be sustainable unless it is economically viable over the long term. Conventional agriculture poses greater long-term economic risks than “sustainable” alternatives.

Export vs. local orientation: Governments tend to view export-oriented production systems as more important than those that supply domestic demands. This is misguided. Focusing on exports alone involves hidden costs: in transport, in assuring local food security, etc. Policies should treat domestic demand and in particular food security (either by farmers producing food for themselves, or by selling produce for cash they can use to buy food) as equally important to the visible trade balance.

Debt: The Green Revolution raised India’s grain output significantly, but a vast number of small-scale farmers ran into a debt trap: they took out loans to raise their production, and then found they could not pay the money back. About 40,000 were so desperate that they committed suicide.

Risk: Concentrating on specific commodities seems to promise high economic returns. But market production implies certain risks: markets change quickly, and international agricultural prices are dropping. Cheap foreign food may sweep into the national market, leaving Indian farmers without a market. As a World Trade Organization signatory, the Indian government is under pressure to deregulate and open its economy to the world market so cannot protect its farmers behind tariff walls.

Niche markets: Organic agriculture is one of the strongest ways to farm in an environmentally sustainable way. The demand for certified organic products is increasing quickly, opening opportunities to expand sales of such products and to explore niche markets.

Employment: Farming is the main source of employment for rural people. Trends towards specialization and mechanization may increase narrowly measured “efficiency”, but they reduce employment on the land. The welfare costs of unemployment must be taken into account when designing national agricultural support programmes. Sustainable agriculture, with its emphasis on small-scale, labour-intensive activities, helps overcome these problems.

 

Social sustainability

                                      The social sustainability of farming techniques is related to the ideas of social acceptability and justice.

Inclusiveness: Development cannot be sustainable unless it reduces poverty for the broad masses of people in India. The government must find ways to enable the rural poor to benefit from agricultural development.

Political unrest: Gaps between the “haves” and “have-nots” feed a feeling of social injustice among those who feel neglected and excluded from development opportunities, as well as from better-off sympathizers. The result is a climate favorable to political opposition and even violence.

Local acceptance: Many new technologies fail because they are based on practices or assumptions from outside. Sustainable agricultural practices usually are based on local social customs, traditions, norms and taboos, so local people are more likely to accept them and adapt them to their own needs.

Indigenous knowledge: Sustainable agricultural practices often rely on traditional knowhow and local innovation. Local people have a wealth of knowledge about their environment, crops and livestock. They keep locally adapted breeds and crop varieties. They have social structures that manage and conserve common resources, help people in need, and maintain the social fabric. Rather than ignoring or replacing this knowledge, sustainable agricultural development seeks to build on it and enrich it with appropriate information from outside.

Gender: In traditional agriculture, women traditionally bear the heaviest burdens in terms of labour. In modern conventional farming, too, men often benefit the most: they control what is grown and how the resulting income is spent. Sustainable agriculture attempts to ensure that the burdens and benefits are shared more equitably between men and women.

Food security: Traditional farming techniques often fail to produce enough food, or enough variety of food for a balanced diet. Conventional modern farming focuses on a few commodities, so people still do not have a balanced diet. Sustainable agriculture improves food security by improving the quality and nutritional value of the food, and by producing a bigger range of produce throughout the year.

Participation: Traditional society in India is raven by wealth and caste distinctions. Introducing conventional farming innovations tends to exacerbate these: the rich and higher-caste tend to benefit, while the poor and lower-caste are left out. Sustainable agricultural interventions consciously target the less well-off, and empower them so they can organize and speak with their own “voice”, so promoting dialogue and democracy.

 

Sustainable Agriculture in India

                                       The sustainable agriculture may be defined as any set of agronomic practices that are economically viable, environmentally safe, and socially acceptable. If a cropping system requires large inputs of fertilizer that leak from the system to pollute ground water, drinking supplies and distant coastal fisheries, the system may be sustainable economically as the long-term supply of fertilizer is stable and the economic cost of fertilizer is easily borne by larger grain production but it is not sustainable environmentally or socially, since it does not cover the cost of environmental damage or social costs. The organic agriculture focuses on “living soil”, on optimizing the use of biological processes and on avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers.

                                          Advocates of sustainable agriculture agree with biological focus and hope to reduce but not necessarily eliminate chemical use. In the context of sustainable agriculture another term “alternative agriculture” has been prominently used. Definition of alternative agriculture sheds much light on operational aspects of sustainable agriculture. Any food or fiber production that has

a more thorough incorporation of natural processes,
reduced use of off-farm inputs with less harm to environment and consumers,
a more productive use of biological and genetic potential of plants and animals,
a better match between cropping patterns and the physical capacity of lands and,
An improved emphasis on conservation of soil, water, energy and biological resources, is defined as alternative agriculture.

                                        The normal agricultural practices using irrigation, chemical fertilizer, pesticides and high-yielding variety of seeds is called conventional agriculture. With increasing use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides the conventional agriculture is major source of pollution of inland water bodies and coastal seas. There has been growing criticism of conventional agriculture for its side effects, the “external costs” which impact communities, the environment, and human health.

                                  As for indicators of sustainability there is no single prescription. Sustainable practices will vary by cropping system, local environment and socio-economic system. Still, experience tells us that locally sustainable systems tend to be more resource conservative than less sustainable system and tend to rely less on external inputs and more on internal ecosystem services.

 

India – Policies for Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Farming

                                      The Indian government’s policies have always emphasized food grain self-sufficiency, which has not necessarily coincided with agricultural sustainability. The growth of agricultural production and productivity, which had risen significantly during 1970s and 1980s, declined during 1990s. These slowdowns have worsened since 2000, both overall agricultural production and food grains production have shown negative growth rates in 2000-01 to 2002-03 period. Decline in the growth rates of agricultural production and productivity is a serious issue considering the questions of food security, livelihood, and environment. As such, a critical examination of the approaches for sustainable agricultural development is necessary. This examination must be framed not only by India’s ongoing need to ensure food self-sufficiency but also by the consequences of access to international markets.

 

Sustainable Agriculture – Possible Actions in India

• Improvement of existing production systems (e.g. altered crop rotations, introduction of green manuring, use of plant species adapted to specific locations)

• Improved protection of natural resources (e.g. erosion protection)

• Increase in efficiency of existing resources (e.g. irrigation, use of technology, basic and advanced training)

• Introduction of regenerative branches of business (e.g. horticulture or aquaculture)

• Introduction of a new production element in existing enterprises (such as fruit trees to stabilize terraced fields, fish-farming in rice fields)

• Optimization of post-harvest systems (e.g. storage)

• Increase the value of agricultural products through further processing (e.g. production of yoghurt from milk)

• Improvement of channels of distribution (e.g. market access, transport)

• Access to loans and other financial services

• Covering risk (e.g. through land law, support of producer groups)

 

Conclusion

                                       Under the changing agricultural scenario, the agricultural technologies needs a shift from production oriented to profit oriented sustainable farming. In this direction, the pace of adoption of resource conserving technologies (RCTs) by the Indian farmers is satisfactory to a larger extent but, under the present scenario, we are in the half way of conservation agriculture. The CA systems will leads to sustainable farming and will be the most thrust of the future farming.

                                      The conditions for development of sustainable agriculture are becoming more and more favorable. New opportunities are opening the eyes of farmers, development workers, researchers and policy makers. They now see the potential and importance of these practices not only for their direct economic interest but also as the basis of further intensification and ecological sustainability. This does not mean that agrochemicals can be abandoned. Also, research has an important role to play. Bankers and funders should think of how best to provide incentives and credits, accessible to poor farmers and women, to make investment in dry land farming possible. As conditions for farming will continue to change, the key to sustainable agriculture is the capacity of farmers and all other actors in agricultural development, as well as the wider society, to learn, experiment, adapt and cooperate in an effective way. To conclude, a small farm management to improve productivity, profitability and sustainability of the farming system will go a long way to ensure the all round sustainability.

 

References

 

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