ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLE FARMING

In the early 1900s, because of the intensive use of chemicals, the soil was losing its fertility, the duration of seed germination was decreasing, and animals were reproducing less. It was extremely difficult to find an approach to agriculture that met the needs of consumers, farmers and environmentalists, but new techniques have been developed and implemented.

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Organic farming

Organic farming is a realistic and necessary alternative to chemical intensive farming practices which have had great environmental costs.1 Started as a reaction to the growing dependence on synthetic fertilisers in agriculture, in 1972 IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) an international umbrella organisation,2 defined organic farming and its standards.

Basically, organic farming aims to provide the consumer with high-quality food respecting the natural life cycle. It excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, artificial food additives and genetically engineered plants and animals.


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1 What are the most destructive practices of conventional intensive farming?



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2 An umbrella organisation is an association of related institutions who work together to coordinate activities and/or pool resources.


Features of organic farming

In order to maintain soil fertility and control pests on a farm, organic farmers use:

  • crop rotation;
  • animal manure;
  • green manure;
  • compost;
  • biological pest control (which uses natural predators).

Today, many farmers are converting from conventional to organic farming as they begin to be aware of the fragility of the Earth’s environment, the pollution coming from pesticides and fertilisers, the toxic residues in food and the importance of protecting health.

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Sustainable farming

In the early 1990s the concept of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) focused attention on sustainability issues within agricultural and rural development processes. The idea of sustainability is based on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

This means that agriculture must provide a fair, secure living for farmers in the present and, at the same time, it should both minimise the harmful impact on the environment and protect natural resources to meet future needs.

Features of sustainable farming

Sustainability is a complex concept that includes three dimensions: economic, ecological and social; therefore, a sustainable farming system must be economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially responsible at the same time.

Sustainable farming does not exclude artificial fertilisers but tries to optimise their use in a way that causes no significant risk to man, animals or the environment. Like organic farming, the practices also include:

  • crop rotation to reduce weeds, disease, insect and other pest problems;
  • pest control strategies through the insertion of natural predators;
  • strategic use of animal and green manure.