AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIC FARMING SYSTEMS PROCESSES AND STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY IN UNITED STATES

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIC FARMING

SYSTEMS: PROCESSES AND STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE

FOOD SECURITY IN UNITED STATES

Introduction

Agricultural development plays a strategic role in the formation of the national

economic system, this strategic role is shown through various aspects such as capital

formation, provision of food, industrial raw materials, feed and bioenergy, absorbing labor,

sources of foreign exchange, and sources of income, as well as environmental conservation

through environmentally friendly farming practices (Suwantoro, 2008; Rusastra, 2012;

Adenle et al., 2019). The preservation of agricultural land resources and environmental

quality as well as the sustainability of the production system are critical for agricultural

businesses in tropical countries including United States, this agricultural development

paradigm, rests on the nation's ability to realize the welfare of the community with its own

abilities, and pay attention to the potential for environmental sustainability (Imanullah, 2017;

Masrul et al., 2020).

The demand to implement sustainable agriculture in United States has become an

important issue in agricultural development. Many parties encourage that sustainable

agricultural systems can be widely applied and are able to form a healthier agricultural

climate for the realization of welfare and justice for farmers in United States, sustainable

agriculture is the management of natural resources with technology and institutions to ensure

the fulfillment and satisfaction of needs. (Rahmawati & Gentini, 2008). Agricultural

development must be able to conserve soil, water, plants and animals, not damage the

environment, be appropriate, so that it has implications for an environmentally sound

development process and can reduce the impact of agricultural development activities that

cause widespread environmental pollution, besides producing various agricultural products,

both primary and processed products, which are of high quality and competitiveness,

sustainable agriculture is defined as an agricultural concept that can meet food and fiber

needs from animals and plants in ways that are economically profitable, socially just and

environmentally friendly (Arulbalachandran et al., 2017; Nurmalina et al., 2018).

There are at least three things that demand agricultural development and are able to

produce environmentally friendly products, among them are sustainable agriculture plays an

active role in environmental conservation efforts through reducing industrial waste and

exploitation of natural resources that can damage the earth's ecosystem as a whole, then

improving the economic welfare of the community and increasingly aware of a better quality

of life supported by a healthy and clean environment and the last is that people are

increasingly aware of the importance of health so that it is very important. Sustainable

agriculture is defined as an agricultural business that utilizes and at the same time conserves

resources optimally in order to produce optimal harvest products, uses input facilities and

reasonable costs, is able to meet social, economic and environmental sustainability criteria,

and uses renewable production facilities and resource productivity over time (Fadlina et al.,

2013; Anugrah et al., 2014).

Meanwhile, the United States government through Law Number 22 of 2019 concerning

Sustainable Agricultural Cultivation Systems which is a replacement for Law Number 12 of

1992 concerning Plant Cultivation Systems, explained that a sustainable development system

needs to be developed in agricultural development through an agricultural cultivation system

to achieve food sovereignty by taking into account the carrying capacity of the ecosystem,

mitigation, and adaptation to climate change in order to realize an advanced, efficient,

resilient, and sustainable agricultural system, besides that through the Nawacita program the

United States government launched the establishment of 1000 Organic Villages, consisting of

600 Organic Food Villages, 250 Organic Horticulture Villages and 150 Organic Plantation

Villages (Yuriansyah et al, 2020; Astiko et al., 2020). Currently in United States itself, the

trend of consumption of organic products has increased significantly between 20-25 percent

per year.

A activities Development activities including agriculture and agribusiness can be

declared sustainable, if these activities are able to meet several criteria such as economic,

ecological and social, while being economically sustainable means that a development

activity must be able to produce economic growth, maintenance of capital and efficient use of

resources and investment, from an ecological point of view these activities can maintain

ecosystem integrity, maintain environmental carrying capacity and conservation of natural

resources including biodiversity, while being socially sustainable, requires that development

activities should be able to create equitable distribution of development results, social

mobility, social cohesion and institutional development (Dadi, 2014); Batoa, 2020).

Sustainable farming practices include the use of organic and biological nutrients, crop

rotation, integrated pest management, and increased biological diversity, Organic farming is

an integral part of sustainable agriculture with the use of natural organic materials, organic

farming aims to produce quality products with adequate quantity, then cultivate crops

naturally, encourages and enhances biological life cycles in agricultural ecosystems,

improves long-term soil fertility, increases genetic diversity, and considers social and

ecological impacts (Juliantika et al., 2020; Dulbari et al., 2021).

Sustainable agricultural systems are aimed at reducing environmental damage,

maintaining productivity The three major indicators that can be seen and made as a

benchmark are the environment is sustainable, the economy is increasing (prosperous) and

socially accepted by the farming community, basically sustainable agricultural development

(sustainable agriculture) merupa-kan implementation of the concept of sustainable

development concept (sustainable development) which aims to increase the income and

welfare of the farming community at large (Lisa &Latarus, 2020; Prawira et al., 2021). This

is done through increasing agricultural production (quantity and quality), while taking into

account the preservation of natural resources and the environment (Aju, 2014; Nurhilmiah &

Dadi, 2021). Agricultural development is carried out in a balanced manner and adjusted to

the carrying capacity of the ecosystem so that production continuity can be maintained in the

long term, by reducing the level of environmental damage as little as possible, while organic

farming is one model of realizing a sustainable agricultural system that relies on natural

ingredients without using synthetic chemicals, organic farming management is based on the

principles of health, ecology, justice, and protection, the principle of health in organic

agriculture is that agricultural activities must pay attention to the preservation and

improvement of the health of soil, plants, animals, earth, and humans as a unit because all

these components are interconnected and inseparable.

Methods

This research uses case study research using a qualitative approach, researchers also

want to examine a phenomenon that discusses Sustainable Agricultural Development Based

on Organic Farming Systems. According to Arikunto (2010) & Nilamsari (2014) qualitative

research method is a research used to research on natural objects where the researcher is the

key instrument, data collection techniques are combined, data analysis is inductive, and

qualitative research results emphasize meaning rather than generalization. There are two

sources of data used in this study, where the data includes primary data and secondary data,

then the facts of the findings are described. In the form of a very easy discussion so that

researchers can find a complex and structured understanding in a directed manner.

Results And Discussion

Planning for the Development of Organic Agriculture in United States

In general, organic farming is one part of a sustainable agricultural approach, which

includes various agricultural system techniques, such as intercropping, the use of mulch,

post-harvest crop handling. Organic farming is characterized by laws and certification, the

prohibition of the use of synthetic materials, and the maintenance of soil productivity,

including this farming model, besides that the organic farming system also does not use

synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, but the emphasis of organic farming is not just on

inorganic chemical inputs, but rather the use of farming techniques and facilitating successful

pest control and farm management without artificial chemical inputs, organic farming is a

crop production method that focuses on environmental protection. Organic farming aims to

create optimal and sustainable agroecosystems that are socially, ecologically, economically

and ethically sustainable (Ramankutty et al., 2018; Rachma&Umam, 2021).

Meanwhile, organic farming itself aims to produce quality agricultural products in

adequate quantity, then cultivate plants naturally, encourage and improve biological life

cycles in agricultural ecosystems, maintain and improve soil fertility in the long term, avoid

all forms of contamination caused by the application of agricultural techniques. maintain the

genetic diversity of agricultural systems and consider the broader social and ecological

impacts in farming systems, From some of these concepts it can be concluded that organic

farming is built based on understanding / knowledge of natural properties, to obtain the

expected agricultural results, does not require non-organic (synthetic) inputs and does not use

excessive water, paying attention to the impact of agricultural management on the

environment and habitat conservation (Dadi, 2019). There are two main aspects in this

organic farming system, including the use of manure and other organic materials as

agricultural fertilizers, then prioritizing biological pest control rather than chemical pest

control, organic farming also does not pursue economic benefits in the short term, but rather

considers ecological concepts that are more environmentally friendly, as for the principles in

this method include, Organizing crop and animal production through the management of

farming resources arranged in such a way as to create a more harmonious ecosystem, then

using and developing commensurate technology based on the understanding of biological

systems, achieving and maintaining soil fertility for the optimum production process by

relying on renewable resources, using diversification to achieve optimum production, aiming

to optimize the nutritional value of ingredients, and the last point using a decentralized

structure for processing, distribution, and marketing of products (Pachapur et al., 2020).

Organic farming consists of several integrated farming activities, usually relying on

multicultural systems at the same time, and then planting a variety of crops to ensure a

continuous supply of organic products. Multicultural systems reduce the risk of pest

infestation and are considered more environmentally friendly because they ensure

biodiversity. This method avoids the use of chemical inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides.

The techniques used in organic farming are an approach to a sustainable agricultural system

that emphasizes the preservation and conservation of natural resources in order to create a

balanced ecosystem and contribute to increased agricultural productivity in the long term.

An environmentally friendly agricultural system, one of which is through organic

farming, is an effort to function natural resources in a sustainable manner, some basic

principles that need to be considered in maintaining the sustainability of environmentally

friendly production include the use of natural resources for agribusiness development,

especially land and water, then sustainably in accordance with the ability and carrying

capacity of nature, the production process or farming activities carried out in an

environmentally friendly manner, so as not to cause negative impacts and externalities on

society, handling and processing of products, distribution and marketing, and product

utilization does not cause problems in the environment of waste and waste. Organic farming,

if done properly, will reduce input costs, especially fertilizers and pesticides, on the other

hand this system will improve farmers' health and soil fertility naturally, The concept of

development in the agricultural sector should not only focus on increasing product

productivity, but also pay attention to natural balance, quality, and product safety (Charina et

al., 2018; Edward, 2020).

While the ecological principles contained in the application of organic farming can help

improve soil conditions so that they are favorable for plant growth, especially tillage. Organic

and able to improve soil biological life, then optimize the availability and balance of nutrients

through nitrogen fixation, nutrient absorption, the addition of fertilizer cycles from outside

the farm, limit crop losses due to heat, air and water flow by managing microclimate, water

management and helping to prevent erosion, then limit crop losses due to pest attacks by

making preventive efforts through safe actions, and the last point the application of organic

agriculture can be used as a source of genetics that are mutually supportive and are

synergistic, meaning that they combine the functions of biodiversity with an integrated

agricultural system.

The concept of organic agriculture in a narrow sense is defined as a production process

based on organic components, among others, organic materials derived from plants in fresh

or weathered form, microorganisms, or other nonsynthetic materials, the production

components to be used must be renewable resources, so that the production system can be

maintained in a sustainable manner. Organic farming systems require a diversity of

components in the ecosystem to produce production, the diversity in question is a variety of

biotic and abiotic components that interact with each other to contribute functionally and

proportionally to the managed ecosystem, besides that organic farming systems require

ecological stability to ensure the ongoing life of all components in a balanced and sustainable

manner. Economic stability guarantees the fulfillment of the needs and farming businesses

developed, social stability to ensure the consistency and stability of businesses based on

organic patterns, as well as concept stability that is able to convince related parties to provide

strong support for the development of organic agriculture, the harmonization created will

create a mutually beneficial and sustainable relationship, therefore, organic agriculture can be

used as an option as one of the concepts of sustainable agriculture that is able to prosper the

United States people at large, the principle of organic agriculture is not to use or limit the use

of inorganic fertilizers and must be able to provide nutrients for plants and control pest

attacks from outside in other ways other than using pesticides (Kartini&Budaraga, 2020).

Sustainable Agriculture System Objectives

Sustainable agriculture is the successful management of resources for agricultural

endeavors in order to support changing human needs while maintaining or improving

Sustainable agricultural development aims to increase the income and welfare of the farming

community at large through increased agricultural production which is carried out in a

balanced manner by taking into account the carrying capacity of the ecosystem so that the

sustainability of production can be maintained in the long term by minimizing environmental

damage. In a broader definition, sustainable agriculture includes several aspects including,

emphasizing the quality of natural resources that can be maintained as a whole from humans,

plants and animals, local resources are used in such a way that the loss of nutrients, bio mass,

and energy can be reduced as low as possible and able to take advantage of the use of natural

resources that can be renewed continuously, sustainable agricultural production processes

will lead to the use of biological products that are friendly to the environment (Ganpat &

Dyer, 2016).

On the other hand, sustainable agricultural systems are also required to produce

fulfillment of needs and income independently, this economic sustainability can be measured

not only in terms of direct farm products, but in the function of preserving natural resources

as a whole, then resources and power are distributed in such a way that the basic needs of all

community members and their rights in land use are met, However, the most important thing

in a sustainable agricultural system is that farmers are able to adjust to continuous changes in

farming conditions such as population growth, government policies, and diverse market

demands (Handoyo et al., 2015)., 2020; Marzuki et al., 2021).

The characteristics contained in a sustainable agricultural development system are,

giving the possibility of survival by preserving the function and ability of the eco-system that

supports it, utilizing natural resources and management technology, being able to produce

products sustainably, providing opportunities for other sectors to develop sustainably, then

using procedures and procedures that pay attention to the preservation of natural functions

and a much more balanced ecosystem (Gonzalez, 2011; Mucharam et al., 2020). In other

words, the concept of sustainable agriculture is oriented towards three dimensions, namely,

economic business, sustainability of human social life and sustainability of natural ecology,

and there are five criteria for managing an agricultural system into a sustainable system,

namely economic feasibility, nuanced and friendly to ecology, socially acceptable,

satisfaction culturally and finally a systems and holistic approach.

Some of the activities that are expected to support and contribute to increasing

agricultural productivity gains in the long term, improving environmental quality, and

improving the quality of life of the community at large include, integrated pest control is an

approach to controlling pests combined with biological, cultural, physical and chemical

methods, in an effort to minimize costs, health and environmental risks, while the method can

be achieved by using insects, insects, reptiles or animals that are selected to control pests or

known natural enemies of pests, such as Tricogama, as a natural enemy of parasitic eggs and

parasitic larvae of plant pests then use pest-catching plants, which function as attractants that

keep pests away from the main crop, then use drainage and mulching as natural methods to

reduce fungal infections in an effort to reduce the need for synthetic fungicides and finally

rotate crops to break the population growth of pests every year. With this integrated pest

control, insects or animals that act as predators of these pests have a fairly good function and

role.

In addition, there is intensive grass cultivation management, which can support

sustainable farming activities by providing space for livestock outside the main farm area

planted with high-quality grasses, and indirectly reducing feeding costs. In addition, the

rotation is intended to allow time for organic fertilizer to mature. Livestock areas combined

with grass or orchards can have multiple benefits, such as livestock can produce manure

which is fertilizer for agricultural areas, then through crop nutrient management, which can

improve soil conditions and protect the soil environment, increased use of on-farm nutrient

resources such as manure and legume crops can reduce the cost of inorganic fertilizers that

must be spent every month.

And the last way is through intercropping activities, this system is a permanent use of

land use, where annual and perennial crops are planted simultaneously to form a layered

canopy so that it is very effective to protect the soil from rainwater, simply this system will

provide ecological and economic benefits, some of the benefits that can be obtained through

this action include, the acquisition of sustainable agricultural products from seasonal and

annual crops, then can prevent the occurrence of total pest attacks that often occur in

monoculture crop systems, allowing the formation of crown stratification that fills the space

in layers in the vertical direction, as for the structure of crown stratification like this can

protect the soil from rainwater, because the kinetic energy of rainwater after going through

the crown layer becomes smaller than the kinetic energy of rainwater falling freely to the

bottom of the soil surface (Abidin et al., 2020; Panca et al., 2020).

Basically, sustainable agriculture is an extension as well as a criticism of the Green

Revolution, which was implemented conventionally in various regions in United States, but

in the process these activities only focused on increasing the amount of food production at

that time, not ignoring the issue of conservation of agricultural resources and the

environment. Sustainable agriculture is seen as a farming system that can bring benefits both

economically, holistically, and is environmentally friendly in accordance with local culture,

besides that sustainable agriculture is also expected to be accepted by the community as a

whole, as for the basic principles of sustainable agriculture is to discard production methods

with the use of inputs sourced from industry and find an effective, productive and cheap

external input system, involve more farmers, respect and understand local wisdom in

agricultural and natural resource management; and carry out active resource conservation

integrated within the framework of a low-chemical agricultural production system.

Conclusions

Sustainable agriculture is a farming method that relies on empowering farmers

globally, besides that through sustainable agriculture the community is also expected to

protect various available natural resources such as land, water and the environment, on the

other hand, a sustainable agricultural system must fulfill three basic principles, as a reference

for the formation of an ideal agricultural system and can support various aspects of life for

the community at large, including economic sustainability, Sustainable agriculture can

improve economic viability in many ways, one of which is by improving soil management

and crop rotation in the short and long term, because improving soil quality and water

availability is included in environmental utilization, then Environmental Sustainability is

expected to improve the quality of the environment and natural resources through recycling

techniques or maintaining the natural resource base such as soil, water, biodiversity and

wildlife which contributes to the protection of natural capital, the last point of sustainable

agricultural systems must include social aspects where this system can provide added value

to the community equally, furthermore sustainable agriculture can synergize well in efforts to

fulfill the economy both nationally and internationally.