It is a term that has been grossly misrepresented. It is not just a form of agricultural practice that uses compost, crop rotation, and avoids manufactured chemicals and artificial hormones. Organic farming is more than that. It is a highly structured practice, conforming to very detailed production standards.
First of all, Organic Agriculture is supervised by an international body created in 1972: the International Federation of the Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM). And I quote from their website: “The role of organic agriculture, whether in cultivation, processing, distribution or consumption, is to maintain and improve the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings.”
Therefore, what we are talking about is Eco-Agriculture and the key word here is health. Organic Farming does not support genetically modified foods, battery-raised animals, animal feed additives, or anything that is artificial in any way in farming practices.
There are 4 fundamental principles of Organic Agriculture established by IFOAM:
Organic agriculture is based on:
The principle of health
The principle of ecology.
The principle of fairness
The principle of care
The principle of health
It stands to reason that if we grow food and raise animals on healthy soil, we will have healthy crops and healthy animals. The consequence of this is that we then eat healthy food and, as a result, we have a healthy body. It is the sequential chain of reactions that is totally related to where it all begins: the ground.
People are concerned about food safety, particularly in light of the fact that there is widespread concern that modern non-organic farming practices have caused food allergies, asthma and heart disease through artificial additives and chemical fertilizers. what we eat Worse still, there are diseases directly related to irresponsible agricultural practices that ignore common sense. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy appears to have been caused by feeding cows, which are naturally herbivorous, the remains of other cattle and bone meal to increase weight and kill them earlier.
The principle of ecology
We need to get back to what nature intended and that is what Organic Agriculture is all about. It is cultivating and raising animals on land enriched with compost and mulches that are well rotted because this is the most important stage of organic farming. The goal is to get as much humus out of the ground as possible, and this includes manure, compost, seaweed, leaf mold, spoiled hay, and anything else of plant or animal origin, including blood and bone, that can be used to make compost. lot. The key word here is recycling. There is the old adage; “Waste not, want not” and never so true in organic farming.
Any leftover crops or wood should never be burned on a property. This is an absolute waste of potential compost, and also contributes to pollution. Why burn it when you could use it and it’s not costing you anything? Why burn those vine cuttings and those orchard pruning? Invest in a chipper to reduce bulk and add them to your compost heap.
What happens to your soil when it is healthy? It is full of microorganisms and those beautiful worms that delight the hearts of those who care for it. Once you have earthworms in your soil, you’ll know you’re doing something right.
Also remember that you need to rest your soil and use crop rotation effectively. When you have a fallow field, plant a cover crop, such as ryegrass, as a temporary fall planting. This protects the soil from wind and water erosion and adds organic matter. You can also grow crops such as vegetables to improve the soil, called green manure crops, and they are often left in place for six months to a year. Vegetables are especially efficient because they “fix” nitrogen from the air into the soil.
In England, more and more farmers are replanting hedges on their farms as they now realize how important they are. Many animals and insects use these hedges as part of their ecosystem, therefore when the hedges were removed these small animals and insects lost their natural refuges and an imbalance in the ecosystem resulted in an influx of insects that were not welcome. They are also excellent windbreaks and hold soil in place to prevent soil erosion.
The principle of fairness
Organic farming believes in justice in that the land, its people and its animals must be respected and treated with care and fairness. We are custodians of this land, and as such, stewardship must be taken seriously. We must ensure that we never harm or harm the environment in any way. That our goal should be to make sure that we are doing everything in our power to produce healthy food for all, and that nothing we do when we work the land is harmful in any way to the soil and water we use, the animals we raise and those who consume the final product.
Animal husbandry has always been controversial with the implementation of factory farming. Factory farming is inhumane when animals are kept in confined, overcrowded spaces and in poor conditions where they mutilate each other just to fight for space and life. The animals have to be raised fairly and have open spaces to live. He recognizes that there has to be a bond between the animal and the soil and that their welfare and veterinary care is vital.
The principle of care
Although this is the last on this list of principles, I think it is probably the most important. Because if one didn’t care about the environment, the situation we find ourselves in right now, and the importance of providing healthy food for a healthy lifestyle, then we wouldn’t embark on any of the above.
We have to take care of ourselves! This is the only planet we have! It’s also the only life we have, this is not a dress rehearsal. This is the main event.
