ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the state of sustainable agriculture research and education program (SARE) and its relationship to the science of ecology. SARE is administrated as a competitive research and education grants program. The sustainable agriculture research and education program (LISA) is described in relation to the food, agriculture, conservation and trade act of 1990. LISA was designed to develop agricultural procedures that are socioeconomically and environmentally compatible, and to catalyze new partnerships among farmers, nonprofit organizations, government, and academia. Priority has been given to projects in the integrated systems category, with special reference to either whole-farm or ecosystem analysis. Impact assessment projects include economic, social, and environmentally oriented research and education activities. The science of ecology has much to offer sustainable agriculture. Fundamental concepts of ecosystems such as food chains, food webs, carrying capacity, behavior of energy, and ecological efficiencies are directly related to all agricultural production systems.
