Biointensive Sustainable Mini-Farming: I. The Challenge

The purpose of this paper is to: briefly describe current challenges in food production systems, land availability, water availability, genetic resources, human resources and per capita needs in light of an increasing global population; make a case for an alternative vision of effective, small-scale production (with a potential for long-term buildup of marginal soils) compared to conventional agriculture; and demonstrate that such a complementary, more decentralized system, where individual families take responsibility for what they grow and eat, may be productive, efficient, robust, flexible, resource-conserving, environmentally sound and strongly sustainable while encouraging and maintaining a higher degree of social and resource equity and stability for the people of this planet.