The Farmers Mart Feb-Mar 2018 - Issue 55 | Page 10

10 FARM NEWS
FEB/MAR 2018 • farmers-mart.co.uk
WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER
GOING ORGANIC?
CONVENTIONAL farming and
organic farming each have their
own advantages — the argument
is ongoing as to which is best.
Some professionals firmly back
its growth and others prefer
traditional agricultural methods —
Lycetts, farm insurance providers,
investigate further.
Organic farming accounts for
only 1% of crops around the world.
But, its rapid growth has made it
an enticing agricultural method
for many farmers throughout the
UK.
Organic farming in the UK
It’s unknown to many that
organic farming has a large pres-
ence in the UK. According to the
Department for Environment Food
& Rural Affairs’ Organic Farming
Statistics 2016 report, the UK had
a total area of 508,000 hectares of
land that was farmed organically
in 2016. In the same year, the total
number of organic producers and
processors stood at 6,363 — up
5.1% from 2015.
There is a different side to or-
ganic farming that recent figures
have shown. While making up a
substantial space, the total area
of land that is farmed organ-
ically across the UK declined
by 32% since its peak in 2008,
while the number of produc-
ers is down by 35% since 2007,
according to the Department
for Environment Food & Rural
Affairs’ report.
What is organic farming?
The term ‘organic farming’
began in the early 20th century,
and is today considered an alter-
native farming system that relies
on natural fertilisers and farming
techniques to encourage growth.
Livestock, soil, people, and plant
organisms are all covered in this
holistic system, with the primary
aim to develop enterprises that
are both sustainable and kinder to
the environment.
As an organic farmer, artificial
fertilisers, genetically modified
crops, wormers and chemicals
are avoided. Instead, they should
adopt methods such as soil rota-
tion, clover (to extract nitrogen
from the air) and other organic
matter — like compost — to devel-
op fertile earth.
Environmental benefits
Organic farming reaps great
benefits for the environment
too. According to the Soil
Association, 43% of British food
was found to contain pesticide
residues after government
testing in 2015, and more than
17,800 tonnes of pesticides
were used on British farms in
2015 during the same year. If all
farms suddenly transformed
into organic establishments, we
would apparently see the use
of pesticides decrease by 98%
across Wales and England.
It has a positive impact
on wildlife too. It was found
that there was a 50% average
increase of wildlife