Agricultural activities can include on-farm renewable energy production such as solar panels and wind turbines, minimizing use of petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides, and reducing dependence on fossil fuel inputs for farming, storage, and transportation of crops. While negative impacts are serious, and can include pollution and degradation of soil, water, and air, agriculture can also positively impact the environment, for instance by trapping greenhouse gases within crops and soils, or mitigating flood risks through the adoption of certain farming practices. Sustainable agriculture must nurture healthy ecosystems and support the sustainable management of land, water and natural resources, while ensuring world food security. Sustainable agriculture offers a much-needed alternative to conventional input-intensive agriculture, the long-term impacts of which include degrading topsoil, declining groundwater levels and reduced biodiversity. It is vital to ensure India's nutrition security in a climate-constrained world.

Agricultural sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, long-term stewardship of both natural and human resources is of equal importance to short-term economic gain. To be sustainable, agriculture must meet the needs of present and future generations for its products and services, while ensuring profitability, environmental health and social and economic equity. Besides its contribution to global warming, farming has other detrimental effects on the environment. Agriculture is often the reason for deforestation and a change in land use, from natural ecosystems that take up and store carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, to farmland. Agriculture is the leading source of pollution in many countries. Pesticides, fertilizers and other toxic farm chemicals can poison fresh water, marine ecosystems, air and soil. They also can remain in the environment for generations. Emissions from food production could be reduced by encouraging healthier diets, reducing food waste, and changing farming and land management practices. Agriculture could be more resilient to climate change impacts through new technology or by diversifying crops on farms.