DEBATE TIME 12 read these newspaper articles and use them as food for thought for debating the following motions. 1. Biodynamic and organic farming should be adopted to ensure a safer ecosystem. 58 2. Farmers can tackle adverse socioeconomic conditions only by diversifying their farm businesses. Biodynamic Farming and Organic Agriculture: the Allies of Biodiversity Protection Diversify: Making More Money per Acre with Added Diversity For Claire Hattersley, Weleda UK s Garden Manager, the relationship between the gardener and the soil is the cornerstone of biodynamic agriculture. Biodynamic growers aim to work in harmony with nature instead of waging war against her , says Claire. When they encourage biodiversity into their farms and gardens, growers and their crops bene t from nature s balancing effects. By creating and managing various habitats such as wild ower meadows, ponds and hedgerows, the growers are protecting important resources and homes for wildlife , explains Claire. Both organic and biodynamic techniques create opportunities for nature to establish a healthy balance on the land, encouraging and supporting the biodiversity on it. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many grocery stores faced food shortages and struggled to support their customers. As a result, consumers have become more interested in local markets and understanding where their food comes from. This interest has contributed to a trend of producing one s own food on a diversi ed crop and livestock farm rather than relying on commercial production. Travis Meteer, Beef Extension Educator for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, gives a US perspective of trends he s seeing with diversi ed crop and livestock operations. Meteer describes a diversi ed operation as a farm that incorporates livestock and crops on the land . Adapted from: https://natrue.org/biodynamic-farmingand-organic-agriculture-the-allies-of-biodiversityprotection/ Adapted from: https://www.thepigsite.com/articles/ is-agriculture-returning-to-the-diversified-systems-ofdays-past Agriculture