"Organic agriculture is guided by the economic, social and ecological principles of sustainability. Its essential point is farming in harmony with nature. The goal of organic farming is therefore to design agricultural production in the most resource-conserving and environmentally friendly way possible. In a meta-study based on European data, Seufert et al. (2012) found that organic farming is generally more environmentally friendly per unit area than conventional agriculture. However, organic yields per area are usually lower than conventional yields, thus the environmentally friendly effect of organic practices cannot always be transferred to yield units. "
See: Seufert, V., Ramankutty, N. & Foley, J. Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture. Nature 485, 229–232 (2012)
Principles of Organic Farming practices are
- closing resource cycles as much as possible
- avoiding the application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides
- improving soil fertility
- using plant varieties and animal breeds that are adapted to the local conditions
- keeping livestock according to the agricultural area available; animal husbandry system designed accirding to the animals' needs
- reducing the share of feed from external sources
- refraining from use of genetic modification and genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
- conserving natural resources and avoiding environmental pollution
- using and strengthening natural regulatory mechanisms.
The organic sector in Baden-Württemberg has been continuously growing for many years. Both the number of farms and the sales of organic products in the retailing industry are increasing. In 2018, a total of 14% of the agricultural land was managed following organic principles. The share of organic farms has grown to almost 11%. One important reason for this is the increasing demand for organic products, which creates stable prices, and the financial support from the state government and the European Union. This development brings the State of Baden-Württemberg closer to its goal of generating 30% of agricultural products from organic farming.
