The phrase can be seen on grocery vegetable displays and heard in media reports, but what does "sustainable agriculture" really mean? "The average consumer would like their food produced at a reasonable price, but they'd also like to see the environment and rural communities protected and know that farm workers receive a fair wage," says Bill Liebhardt, director of the UC Davis-based Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. "That's part of a short definition of sustainable agriculture, but there's really a lot more to it." Liebhardt's program has produced a five-page paper recently in an effort to identify ideas, practices and policies that make up the broader definition. The concept of sustainable agriculture is still evolving, according to Liebhardt, and the paper is not intended as a definitive or final statement. It introduces themes, like stewardship of both natural and human resources, and it outlines specific water, air, soil and energy problems that relate to agricultural sustainability. Animal- and plant -production systems and the role of consumers are addressed, and the entire food system is examined within the context of California's economic, social and political environments.