Global Courant
It’s a term that has been grossly misrepresented. It is not just a form of agricultural practice that uses compost, crop rotation and eschews manufactured chemicals and artificial hormones. Organic farming is more than that. It is a highly structured practice, which adheres to very detailed production standards.
Primarily, organic farming is controlled by an international body founded in 1972: the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement (IFOAM). And I quote from their website: “The role of organic farming, whether farming, processing, distribution or consumption, is to maintain and improve the health of ecosystems and organisms, from the smallest in the soil to the man.”
That’s why we talk about eco-agriculture and the key word here is health. Organic farming does not deal with genetically modified foods, battery caged animals, feed additives or anything artificial in any way in agricultural practices.
There are 4 main principles of organic farming as established by IFOAM:
Organic farming is based on:
The health principle
The principle of ecology
The principle of honesty
The care principle
The health principle
It goes without saying that if we grow food and keep animals on healthy soil, we will grow healthy crops and have healthy animals. The result of this is that we then eat healthy and therefore have a healthy body. It is the sequential chain of reactions that depends entirely on where it all begins: the soil.
People are concerned about food safety, especially given that there are serious concerns that modern non-organic farming practices have caused food allergies, asthma and heart disease from artificial additives and fertilizers we ingest. Even worse, there are diseases directly related to irresponsible farming practices that ignore common sense. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy appears to have been caused by feeding cows, which are herbivores by nature, the remains of other livestock and bone meal to increase weight and slaughter prematurely.
The principle of ecology
We have to go back to what nature intended and that is what organic farming is all about. It is growing crops and raising animals on land enriched with compost and well-rotted mulch, as this is the most important stage in organic farming. The goal is to get as much humus onto the land as possible, and this includes manure, compost, seaweed, leaf mold, spoiled hay, and anything of plant or animal origin, including blood and bones, that can be used to make compost. heap. The key word here is recycle. There’s the old saying; “Waste not, because not” and never so true in organic farming.
Leftover crops or wood should never be burned on a property. This is an absolute waste of potential compost, and it also contributes to pollution. Why burn it when you could use it and it costs you nothing? Why burn those vine cuttings and orchard trimmings? Invest in a shredder to reduce the volume and add it to your compost pile.
What happens to your soil when it is healthy? It is full of microorganisms and those wonderful earthworms that delight the heart of those who care. Once you have earthworms in your soil, you know you’re doing something right.
Also remember to rest your soil and use crop rotation effectively. If you have a dormant field, plant a ground cover such as ryegrass as a temporary planting in the fall. This protects the soil from wind and water erosion and adds organic matter. You can also grow crops such as legumes for soil improvement, called green manures, which often last for six months to a year. Legumes 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, now that they realize their importance. Many animals and insects use these hedges as part of their ecosystem, so when the hedges were removed these small animals and insects lost their natural hiding places and an imbalance in the ecosystem resulted in an influx of unwanted insects. They are also excellent windbreakers and hold the soil in place to prevent soil erosion.
The principle of honesty
Organic farming believes in fairness in the sense that the land, people and animals should be respected and treated with care and fairness. We are stewards of this land and as such management should be taken seriously. We must ensure that we do not harm the environment in any way. That our goal should be to ensure that we do everything we can to produce healthy food for everyone, and that nothing we do when we work the land is in any way harmful to the soil and water we use, the animals we raise and those who consume the final product.
Animal breeding has always been controversial with the implementation of factory farming. Factory farming is inhumane where animals are kept in cramped and overcrowded spaces, and in poor conditions where they mutilate each other to fight for space and life. Animals must be bred fairly and given open space to live. It recognizes that there must be a link between the animal and the soil and that their welfare and veterinary care are vital.
The care principle
While it’s the last on this list of principles, I think it’s probably the most important. Because if people didn’t care about the environment, the situation we are in now and the importance of healthy food for a healthy lifestyle, we wouldn’t do any of the above.
We have to take care! This is the only planet we have! It’s also the only life we have, this isn’t a dress rehearsal. This is the main event.
What exactly is organic farming?
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