The concept of sustainability or sustainable is a vogue word in the twenty first century. We have heard about this as prefix or suffix with livelihood, agriculture, etc. We may say sustainable agriculture or agricultural sustainability, but the meanings are different. While the former talks more about nature, quality, performance and durability for both present and future, and latter primarily talks about long term existence. Quality of life, conservation of nature and environment for future existence and survival in long run are the basic philosophies of sustainability.
Sustainable agriculture is thus significant in view of rapid transformation in agriculture and the way modernisation is taking place pushing pressure on land and other natural environment. Sustainable agriculture is an approach for conservation of nature and balancing social as well as natural environment notwithstanding the fact that productivity is least compromised. Thus, integrated approach such as community forest management, maintenance of agro – biodiversity, cultural diversity and harmonising social and natural environments will be very useful. To do so, indigenous knowledge is considered as a means of survival of nature. Indigenous knowledge is used as a long cherished tradition for maintaining balance in natural resources and livelihood. In recent times, many other practices such as application of bio-fertiliser, organic fertiliser, bio-pesticides, insecticides, indigenous soil conservation approach, and indigenous plant protection mechanisms are adopted. Irrigation, watershed development programmes, joint forest management approach, soil conservation mechanism, etc. are adopted to support the sustainable agriculture initiatives in India and around the globe.