A sustainable cropping system is one that yields sufficient production, at a low enough cost, to provide a worthwhile income for the farming household now and into the future. However, to achieve this objective, you as a farmer, will require more management skills and a willingness to initially devote more time to your farm.
Agroforestry cropping systems are about managing your farm as a natural system (ecosystem). By working with nature rather than against it, farms can be managed in ways that avoid damaging the environment and at the same time, support improved productivity and profitability. Working with nature requires incorporating both traditional knowledge, and modern soil and ecological science into the way you farm.