American Indian Culture and Research Journal

INTRODUCTION "Sustainability" is the inescapable focus of almost any discussion of agriculture today, and Indian agriculture is no exception. An important focus in such discussions is the relative sustainability of conventional industrial agriculture, often promoted in Indian country by agencies of the U.S. government, compared with that of indigenous or traditional agriculture based on Native American agriculture before the European invasion. Environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable agriculture can be broadly defined as agriculture that provides adequate food and income equitably for present generations while conserving natural, resources for future generations. However, there are many possible ways to interpret such a broad definition in specific situations, based on different assumptions which are often unexamined, and proponents of sustainability often emphasize either the environmental, economic, or social aspect. Defining sustainable agriculture is the same as defining the goal of an agricultural system, and therefore any definition is based on values and thus arbitrary. However, once a definition is agreed on, empirical data can be used to test the sustainability of a given agricultural system or system component.