ABSTRACT
In 1986, policymakers in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) began discussions with proponents of reduced-input farming, particularly for those inputs purchased off the farm. Farmers were looking for ways to increase net returns and to achieve greater compatibility between environmental and production goals. Conventional agriculture involves highly specialized systems that emphasize high yields achieved by inputs of fertilizers, pesticides, and other off-farm purchases. Low-input, sustainable agriculture addresses multiple objectives, from increasing profits to maintaining the environment, and may incorporate and build on multiple systems and practices, such as integrated pest management and crop rotations. In low-input or sustainable agriculture, farmers seek to complement conservation and production goals; rotations can serve both goals. In January 1988, Secretary of Agriculture Richard Lyng issued a memorandum of major historical importance to USDA policy on low-input agriculture.
