Sustainable agriculture and food security

Demand of increase in food production to feed the rapidly growing global population has pose serious threat to the agricultural sustainability. Climate change also offers serious challenge to global food security situation as it will negatively affect agricultural yields, particularly in low income countries. The increased agricultural intensification to produce more food from the existing cropland has put the environmental sustainability at stake due to increased emissions, loss of biodiversity, soil health due to increase use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Therefore, there is need to develop a multidimensional approach for agriculture sustainability without damaging social, economic and environmental integrity. This chapter highlights the role of social, economic and environmental sustainability in agricultural sustainability and food security. It further describes current food security status and proposes how sustainable intensification can help reduce the adverse effect of intensification on social, environment and economical components of agriculture. It also highlights the mitigation strategies to achieve the food security and safety in changing climate.