Intensive agriculture’s initial ambition was laudable when it developed from the 1960s onwards. However, with the demographic explosion of the 20th century (2 billion inhabitants in 1930 versus almost 8 billion today), feeding the planet has become one of the significant challenges of our time. Yet, in 2023, the facts are clear: hunger is still rising.
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Sustainable agriculture: a brief history
Awareness-raising began in the 1920s as a reaction to the first use of chemicals in agriculture.
Faced with the evidence of certain degenerations of living organisms linked to these methods, new currents of thought began to take shape, culminating almost 70 years later in the various labels we know today: AB, Nature & Progress, Demeter, etc.
Organic farming (AB)
The Eurofoil or the AB logo can quickly identify organic farming products. Organic farming excludes all use of synthetic molecules (fertilisers, weedkillers, and chemical pesticides) and promotes production and breeding practices that respect the environment and natural balance. Highly controlled, the organic sector guarantees quality for consumers.
The Nature et Progress label
This label complies with a set of specifications guaranteeing agricultural production that respects the balance of Nature and promotes the local dimension.
In addition to standards and labels, some producers are inspired by permaculture principles and/or create agricultural systems associated with trees (agroforestry) to create virtuous environmental dynamics.
Biodynamics
This approach is promoted by the “Demeter” label. The farm is managed according to the principles of organic farming but with additional tools to boost plant immunity and stimulate the fertility of the entire farm site. This involves following a lunar calendar and applying biodynamic composts and preparations based on medicinal plants and cow dung.
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a little different: it involves growing crops not in the ground but in water. As AB certification only applies to crops that take root in the soil, hydroponic crops cannot be described as organic.
Nevertheless, producing healthy, tasty food responsibly using hydroponics is possible. This is all the more so because it is a very interesting agricultural alternative in areas where soil is a scarce and polluted resource, such as cities.
Soil health and trees at the heart of Sustainable Agriculture
To produce while promoting biodiversity and combating climate change, many responsible farms draw their inspiration from the forest ecosystem. The trees in a forest have grown without human intervention.
So, synergies generate fertility without human intervention. They are directly linked to the presence and activity of the soil’s microorganisms.
Good to know: 1g of soil = 10 billion micro-organisms
In 1 gram of living soil, there are around 10 billion micro-organisms (earthworms, bacteria, fungi and many others). In contrast, this microbiological life virtually disappears in soils that have been overworked, stripped bare and washed away.
These microorganisms are extraordinary decomposers: They transform everything that falls on the soil (leaves, dead wood, faeces) into mineral nutrients for plants, thus feeding the plants’ fridge.
The number of services to which they contribute is enormous:
- soil aeration
- water infiltration
- creation of galleries enabling roots to penetrate further,
- pathogen regulation, etc.
This forest dynamic is reproduced in agricultural systems through agroforestry: We increase productivity and biodiversity by combining trees, hedges, crops, and/or animals on the same agricultural plot. More specifically, when trees are combined with animals, this is known as sylvopastoralism.
The trees provide shade and food for the animals, and the animal droppings enrich the soil. And suppose a rapid rotation system is put in place (called dynamic rotational grazing). In that case, this encourages grassland regeneration and its capacity to store carbon, sometimes more effectively than the forest.
This dynamic can also be seen in the care given to the soil: by covering and nourishing the soil (in the same way as forest litter), we stimulate the soil’s microbiological activity and fertility. The best CBD farms sold online at JustBob.shop also use this approach.