Sustainable Agriculture For a Sustainable Future: Organic and Natural Systems Agriculture

ORGANIC FARMING is a “system that eliminates synthetic inputs such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary drugs, and genetically modified seeds and breeds. They are replaced with site-specific management practices that maintain and increase long-term soil fertility and prevent pests and diseases.” (FAO)

Certified organic products are those that have been produced, stored, processed, handled, and marketed in accordance with specifications and certified as organic by a designated certification body. Organic labeling insures that GMOs have not been used intentionally in the production and processing of organic products.

The demand for organic foods is on the rise worldwide due to the realization that sustainable practices in agriculture need to be implemented in order to restore ground-water quality and biodiversity, and to reduce soil erosion. Because organic farming is still a small-scale practice in the grand scheme of agriculture, prices are higher than those of conventional farming. These prices are higher because organic foods include not only the cost of food production but also a range of other factors not incorporated in the price of conventional food. Some examples are: environmental protection and enhancement, higher standards for animal welfare, avoidance of health risks to farmers due to inappropriate handling of pesticides, and rural development by generating additional farming employment. (FAO)

Specific organic systems practices must be relied on to promote natural soil fertility. Some of these practices are crop rotation (this is the cornerstone of organic pest management and soil fertility), symbiotic association (between crops and bacteria/fungus under the soil), cover crops (planted to avoid soil erosion during the off-season), organic fertilizers, and minimum tillage. These practices create suitable conditions for the soils’ flora and fauna. (FAO)

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