ORGANIC FARMING

Organic Farming?

• To be considered “organic”:– must be produced without synthetic pesticides,

fungicides or herbicides.– Can not be grown by use of genetic engineering– Bans use of sewage sludge as fertilizers– No irradiation of food to preserve it– No use of hormones and/or antibiotics in organic

meat and diary productsStrict farming methods = costly production

History of Organic Farming

• Organic Farming was the original type of agriculture.

• Forest gardening, a fully organic food production system which dates from prehistoric times.

• The organic movement began in the mid-1920s in central Europe.

Organic Farming Methods

It is a combine scientific knowledge of ecology and modern technology with traditional farming practices based on naturally occurring biological processes.

• Crop Diversity• Pest Control• Live Stock• Farm Size

• Plant Nutrition– Soil Fertility

Advantages of Organic Farming:

• conventional farmer’s can actually reduce production cost by over 25%.

• eliminating the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

• minimizing soil erosion by up to 50% and increasing crop yields up to five-fold within 5 years.

• free from harmful chemicals, artificial flavors and preservatives.

• Eating organic foods may in fact, reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

Benefits of Organic Farming:

• Yield• Energy• Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change• Water use• Localisation• Pesticides• Ecosystem impact• Nutritional benefits• Seed-saving • Job creation

Environmental benefits of Organic Farming:

• SOIL- building practices such as crop rotations, inter-cropping, symbiotic associations, cover crops, organic fertilizers and minimum tillage are central to organic practices.

• WATER- In many agriculture areas, pollution of groundwater courses with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is a major problem.

• AIR&CLIMATE- Organic agriculture reduces non-renewable energy use by decreasing agrochemical needs. And contributes to mitigating the greenhouse effect and global warming through its ability to sequester carbon in the soil.

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