Sustainable Horticulture: An 'Off-Shoot' of Sustainable Agriculture with Unique Challenges and Opportunities

Sustainable Agriculture has as its core a triple helix involving people, planet, and profit. Sustainable Horticulture (SH) also conforms to this triple helix. However, as a result of the crops, cultivation philosophy, and production and postharvest practices embraced by horticulture, SH must address several unique challenges and opportunities both now and in the future: 1-Horticultural products are usually input-intensive and the fate of all inputs requires careful and strict accountability: 2- Horticultural products must deal with significant postharvest losses since they are typically very perishable due to a natural ripening process. Consequently, special consideration must be given to established as well as innovative postharvest practices used to maintain quantity and quality; and 3- The nutritional properties of fruits and vegetables are increasingly valued for their contribution to health and well-being, and thus are closely integrated to the three core pillars of sustainability - society (people), environment (planet) and economics (profit). An analysis of these unique features of horticultural products and production must be conducted in light of the principles underpinning Sustainable Horticulture.