The Asilomar Declaration of Sustainable Agriculture

Prior to the 1990 Ecological Farming Conference, a select group of sustainable agriculture pioneers authored the “Asilomar Declaration,” a groundbreaking document that attempted to answer the question, “what is sustainable agriculture?” The declaration was then approved by acclamation at that year’s Eco-Farm Conference.

In a special strategy session at the 2005 25th Anniversary Eco-Farm Conference, the Asilomar Declaration was revisited in an ongoing effort to keep the movement effective and on the cutting edge. See the presenter's comments below.

The present system of American agriculture cannot long endure. Our farms have succeeded in producing abundant food and fiber. But the costs and fragility of that success are becoming each day more evident.

Sustainable alternatives already prove their value. Not only are they more efficient in their use of energy, biological sources of fertility and pest management, they also enhance rural communities and encourage families to remain on the land. We commit ourselves to hastening the broad adoption of an agriculture that is environmentally sound, economically viable, fair, and humane.

A sustainable agriculture will require and support a sustainable society. Our challenge is to meet human needs without denying our descendents’ birthright to the natural inheritance of this planet.

We must revere the earth, sustaining and regenerating both nature and our communities. People are a part of nature, not separate from it. Sustainable agriculture is as attainable as it is necessary. Though we recognize difficulties in this transformation, we can state with confidence that in every region there are farm families profitably growing healthy food through a practical partnership with nature.

A sustainable agriculture that provides nourishing food, protects those who work the land, helps stabilize the earth’s climate, and safeguards soil and water depends on our ability to meet a number of challenges. We must address these challenges without delay.

Seven Challenges

1. Promote and sustain healthy rural communities.
2. Expand opportunities for new and existing farmers to prosper using sustainable systems.
3. Inspire the public to value safe and healthful food.
4. Foster an ethic of land stewardship and humaneness in the treatment of farm animals.
5. Expand knowledge and access to information about sustainable agriculture.
6. Reform the relationship among government, industry, and agriculture.
7. Redefine the role of U.S. agriculture in the global community

New Directions for the Sustainable Agriculture Movement: A Conversation about Strategy
January 2005 and beyond...

In the years since then and in the 25 years since the first Eco-Farm gathering in La Honda, the ecological farming movement has seen many successes. The organic food industry has grown to be a major player in food marketing, a nationally-recognized organic production standard has been put into place, farmers’ markets selling local and seasonal foods have flourished, and more consumers are aware of the problems with industrial agriculture. Yet, as a movement that seeks widespread social change in the direction of social justice as well as ecological sustainability, we have really yet to begin some critical work. The use of pesticides in agriculture is increasing, a small set of corporations controls much of the sale of agricultural inputs and products, and the poorly compensated people who work in the production, processing, and service of food are subject to health and safety hazards on a daily basis.

This double session took stock of our progress as a social movement in order to develop and articulate a new, shared strategy for making the bold transformations we seek. It brought together a group of people for discussion and debate who share a common interest in altering the course of all agriculture towards that which is economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just but who diverge in their opinions as to how to go about this monumental task. One of the issues considered will be whether we can depend solely on the market to move us along; or if we also must address the policies and institutions that support conventional agriculture. These sessions serve as a kick-off to an emerging, strategic communications initiative, which begins with a movement-wide conversation on the analysis of the problem and the different strategic directions our analysis reveals, in order to eventually find and articulate points of agreement to incorporate into our advocacy and work as a movement.

Moderated by Diane Joy Goodman, San Francisco, CA
Click on the names to read each presenter's strategy session remarks.

Chuck Benbrook, The Organic Center, Sandpoint, ID	Dave Henson, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Occidental, CA
Jim Cochran, Swanton Berry Farm, Santa Cruz, CA	Monica Moore, Pesticide Action Network, San Francisco, CA
Andy Fisher, Community Food Security Coalition, Venice, CA	Judith Redmond, Full Belly Farm/CAFF, Guinda, CA
Julie Guthman, UC Santa Cruz, CA	Bob Scowcroft, Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA