Gauteng Smallholder December 2015-January 2016 | Page 32

ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURE

Sustainable biodynamic organic permaculture

P

eople are quick to use
terms such as “organic”
and “sustainable” when
it comes to agricultural
practices and products, yet
often the labels have not truly
been earned.
K Organic farming refers to
the type of farming that is
done without the use
synthetic chemicals such as
pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides and insecticides or

Know you terminology?

in natural ecologies. In
permaculture, practitioners
genetically modified seeds.
Also, to be certified as organic learn from the working
farmers must be able to prove systems of nature to plan to
Organic farmers use a range
fix the damaged landscapes
that not only were their
of techniques that help
production methods organic, of human and agricultural
sustain ecosystems and
systems. Permaculture
but that their production
reduce pollution, while
practitioners apply everything
inputs
(eg
feed
and
plant
improving both the producdeemed necessary to build a
nutrients
such
as
manure)
are
tion and quality of nutrition,
sustainable future.
organic
as
well.
linked to improved social and
K Biological farming focuses
K Sustainable agriculture is
economic viability.
particularly on the soil: it is a
the
efficient
production
of
In the case of plant producsystem that uses nature and
tion it involves the use of crop safe, high quality agricultural
science to build the quality of
products, in a way that
rotation, natural methods,
the soil with the understandprotects and improves the
composting, approved
ing that healthy soil will be
environmentally friendly pest natural environment, the
able to support healthy crops
social and economic condicontrol and homeopathic
and livestock.
tions of farmers, their
remedies to produce food
employees and local commu- It takes advantage of natural
that is free of all artificial
processes, which promote
nities, and safeguards the
additives. In case of animal
good soil, healthy crops, and
production, the animals raised health and welfare of all
healthy animals. These
farmed species.
on organic farms must be
K And what about permacul- natural processes include
allowed to range as freely as
crop rotations; best tillage
ture? Permaculture is an
possible and eat only
methods; growing green
approach
towards
designing
organically produced feeds.
manures; proper livestock
human
settlements
and
Most critically, organic food
manure use; reducing toxins;
agricultural
systems
that
production is based on
mimic
the
relationships
found
genuinely sustainable systems.
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