About Organic Farming
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is organic farming ?
- Organic farming is a modern, sustainable farming system which
maintains the long-term fertility of the soil and uses less of the Earth's finite
resources to produce high quality, nutritious food. Organic techniques have been
developed from an understanding of and research into soil science, crop breeding, animal
husbandry and ecology.
- Organic farming relies principally on crop rotations, the
application of animal manures and composts, mechanical cultivation and natural biological
pest control to maintain soil fertility, to supply plants with the nutrients they need and
to control insects, weeds and other pests.
- Artificial fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock
feed additives are prohibited.
Q. How do we know it is organic?
- Under new European legislation, only food grown by a farmer or
grower, or processed by a food processor, who is registered with an approved certification
body and has undergone annual inspection to ensure that it meets strict organic standards
may be sold as organic.
- The soil association Symbol Scheme is approved under EC and UK
legislation and is the largest and most respected organic certification body in this
country.
Q. Why is organic farming better
- Organic farming is better for the environment because it values and
protects wildlife (whose diversity plays an essential role in maintaining crop and
livestock health).
- Organic farming is better for the soil because the soil and its
microorganisms are nurtured as a resource for future generations.
- Organic farming is better for farm animals because their welfare is
protected. They are free range and fed only natural foods without antibiotics,
growth promoters or BST.
- Organic farming produces better, tastier and healthier foods.
Q. What threats to human health do artificial pesticides pose?
- Although all pesticides are tested by MAFF, many used today were
approved when standards were comparatively lax. Even current testing does not
adequately investigate the long term effect of low doses or the 'cocktail' effect of
mixtures of agrochemicals. There is evidence that many illnesses may be caused by
the regular intake of pesticide residues.
Q. What about artificial fertilisers ?
- Artificial fertilisers applied to the soil leach into ground water
and rivers.
- Nitrates are a health hazard in drinking water because they can be
converted into carcinogens within our bodies.
- Phosphate fertilisers leach into rivers and lakes causing algal
blooms in hot weather and killing aquatic life by starving them of oxygen.
Q.Why is organic food better for us ?
- >Organic food is more nutritious and contains less chemical and
nitrate residues - no food produces in Britain can be guaranteed completely chemical-free
as ground water and the atmosphere are already heavily polluted.
- Organic food may have higher levels of vitamins and essential trace
elements such as calcium and magnesium to be so diluted in the soil that they are not
taken up by the plants.
Q. Why is organic food more expensive?
- Organic food is generally more expensive to produce than
conventional food and meeting the requirements of the supermarkets for cosmetic perfection
results in a greater wastage of fresh produce.
- Distribution costs are higher for the small quantities being
transported. However, the prices of organic produce are likely to fall with economies of
scale as the market grows.
- Organic livestock are free ranged on grass for most of the year
under welfare codes which prohibit the intensive factory farming systems which supply so
much of our cheap meat.
- The price of organic food includes the costs of not polluting the
environment with agrochemicals and destroying wildlife and habitats. These hidden costs
are not reflected in the price of conventional food but still have to be paid for.
Q. Why support organic farming?
- If we want to enjoy our countryside to keep it unpolluted and
retain its beauty and diversity, we must farm organically.
- If we want safe, healthy nutritious food we need organically
produced food.
- If we want safe healthy nutritious food, we need organically
produced food.
- If we want to reject the suffering if animals in inhumane factory
farms, we must support organic livestock production.
- If we want sustainable food production in the future, we must
persuade the policy makers to support organic farming as a means of solving the many
problems currently afflicting agriculture.
Q . What is the Soil Association
- The soil Association is a membership charity whose aims are to
promote organic food and farming for all the benefits they bring. By joining, you
can add your voice to the many who are concerned for the future of our food, the
countryside and the Earth we will pass on to our children.
Courtesy of the soil
association.
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