THE IMPACT OF SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES IN THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IN UZBEKISTAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20704581Keywords:
sustainable agriculture, economic sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability, UzbekistanAbstract
The study aimed to examine sustainable agricultural practices based on three pillars: economic,
social, and environmental. Therefore, the study set research questions related to determining the current
state of sustainable agriculture in Uzbekistan, how farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices, and the
challenges they face in these processes. The study utilized a qualitative methodology to collect and analyze
data. Using the interview technique, qualitative data were collected from a sample of 6 agricultural farmers
in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The important findings of the study showed that farmers are well familiar with and
recognize the principles of sustainable agriculture. The challenges faced by agricultural farmers today are soil
degradation, water scarcity, and technology-related limitations. In terms of economic sustainability, farmers are
more concerned about the financial health and profitability of farming by improving their output and productivity.
While conscious of socially sustainable agriculture, two farmers are still using traditional methods to grow crops.
The findings showed that not all the selected farmers are socially sustainable. While some of them adopted
organic farming principles to make their farming more sustainable, there were some farmers who still use
traditional farming methods that are unsustainable. Not all crop-farming agricultural enterprises took advantage
of the efficient use of water resources. They used traditional irrigation systems that waste water resources due
to evaporation and absorption into the soil before reaching the crops. Finally, livestock farmers did not use
advanced practices and techniques to effectively manage their farms and reduce the risk of air pollution
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