Category:Alternative Agriculture

http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Alternative_Agriculture

Alternative Agriculture

-- From The Little Green Book by GreenPolicy360

Overview

Environmentally-friendly agriculture/farming/gardening practices

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(Resources - alphabetical)

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Agroecological Farming http://www.greenpolicy360.net/w/Agroecological_Farming

‘More environmentally and socially sensitive approach to agriculture, one that focuses not only on production, but also on the ecological sustainability of the productive system.’

Biodynamic Agriculture

‘Concept and practices of Dr. Rudolph Steiner emphasizing forces within living nature…’

Biointensive Gardening

‘John Jeavons and Ecology Action have refined a production system that makes it possible for one person to grow all of his or her family's food using truly sustainable methods that maintain the fertility of the soil without relying on nonrenewable resources like petrochemicals or imported organic matter.’

Biological Farming

‘Biological and Ecological Farming are terms commonly used in Europe and developing countries… Biological farming are systems of crop production in which the producer tries to minimize the use of 'chemicals' for control of crop pests, emphasizing sustainability.’

Climate Smart Agriculture

‘Agriculture practices designed to be sustainable while minimizing damaging impacts of the environment.’

Community Supported Agriculture

‘CSA’s consist of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.’

Natural Farming

‘Natural Farming reflects the experiences and philosophy of Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka…’

Organic Farming

Organic farming was championed in the United States by J.I. Rodale, beginning in the mid-1940s. "The organic farmer and gardener must realize that fertilization is not the only measure for success. He must treat the soil as a living, breathing entity. He must rotate crops. He must fallow the land at regulated intervals. The organiculturist must not practice one-crop monoculture but must engage in a balanced agriculture with cattle as part of the general program. He must be smart in the ways of soil and crops, observing the reaction of the land to the actions of man. For instance, he must know when to plant, when to harvest, and what varieties of seed to use. Compost alone does not make a successful gardener any more than does gardening without compost." ["The Organiculturist’s Creed," in The Organic Front]

As defined by a USDA Study Team on Organic Farming, "Organic farming is a production system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, and livestock feed additives.

The following definition was drafted and passed by the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) in April 1995. It was developed by a joint NOSB/National Organic Program task force, and incorporated language from the Codex Draft Guidelines for organically produced foods: "Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. ‘Organic’ is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.”

"Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too." [What is organic food? (USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, National Organic Program (NOP)).

Permaculture

‘A contraction of "permanent agriculture," the word "permaculture" was coined by Australian Bill Mollison in the late 1970s. One of the many alternative agriculture systems described as sustainable, permaculture is "unique in its emphasis on design; that is, the location of each element in a landscape, and the evolution of landscape over time. The goal of permaculture is to produce an efficient, low-maintenance integration of plants, animals, people and structure... applied at the scale of a home garden, all the way through to a large farm." [John Quinney, "Permaculture in the United States.]’

Regenerative Agriculture

‘Robert Rodale coined this term, and it subsequently was expanded to "regenerative/sustainable agriculture" by the Rodale Institute and Rodale Research Center.’

Sustainable Agriculture

‘Agriculture within a system of sustainable development looks to ... "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." [The World Commission on Environment and Development].’

Self-sustaining Farming

‘Small-scale’, ‘micro-farming intended to produce enough food for self-sufficient living. Often less than an acre up to five acre size farms.’

Small Plot Intensive

-- http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/innovation-of-the-week-small-plot-intensive-farming-growing-food-in-unlikely-places/

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Alternative Agriculture