GeoActive

Online
ORGANIC FARMING: AN UPDATE
300 250 Thousand hectares 200 150 100 50 0 Key Converted In the process of conversion

302

by Alison Rae

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

Figure 1: Area of UK land converted, or in the process of conversion, to organic farming, 199599
Source: Clive Hart (ed.), Geography for A2, Cambridge University Press 2002, p.138

Organic farms are responsible for only 0.5% of all food produced in the UK, so 70% of the demand is met by foreign imports, mostly from other parts of Western Europe and from the USA. Compared with other EU countries, Britain is behind in this respect: Germany, for example, has 4% of all food production coming from organic farms. Growth in organic farming is typical of MEDCs in general, but this is in sharp contrast to LEDCs, where the majority of peasant farmers already practise it, as they do not have the money to buy expensive farm chemicals.

Scale and location

Figure 1 shows the amount of land under organic farming systems and in conversion to being organic between 1995 and 1999. Notice the huge rise from 1998 to 1999. By then almost 270,000 hectares of land were involved, around 90,000 ha fully operational and another 175,000 ha in conversion. Organic farms are spread all over the British Isles, but in general greater concentrations are found in Sussex, East Anglia, the Vale of Evesham and West Wales (these areas are located on the map in Figure 5).

RGANIC FARMING has been O growing and developing in the UK since the early 1970s. The basic change in organic farming in the last few years in the UK is simply its more rapid growth, both in the number of farms and in the scale of individual farms. October 1994 was named Organic harvest month, followed by the Organic Aid Scheme launched by the government in 1995, which gave the whole industry a boost. The main aims of organic farming are to develop more sustainable practices that use fewer farming chemicals, less water, less energy and cause less ecosystem disruption while maintaining agricultural diversity. The positive aspects of organic farming are gradually becoming better known to the general population through such things as farmers markets and television programmes like Down to Earth (BBC1 20022003). Demand for organic produce has therefore grown fast in the UK.

Colin Hutchin farms near Taunton in Somerset. His 130-hectare, mixed farm is hilly and well-wooded, with thick hedges and hay meadows rich in herbs. He keeps a herd of white Charolais cows, as well as other beef breeds and a flock of sheep. He therefore has no need to buy fertiliser. He devotes 40 hectares of the farm to growing vegetables which he is then able to sell to local wholesalers. The fertility of his land is maintained by adding lime, slag and animal manure. When parts of the farm are left fallow, to allow them to rest and be replenished, large areas are given over to clover. Colin has a rotation pattern of two straw crops followed by a root crop and then either grass and clover (clover returns nitrogen to the soil) or peas or beans (also leguminous crops). He believes that this rotation not only maintains a natural soil fertility, but also reduces pests and diseases by changing the crop before they can take hold. He also relies on ladybirds to do the job of pesticides as they keep down the number of harmful blackfly and aphids.

Figure 2: An organic farm in southern England

Source: David Waugh, Geography An Integrated Approach, 3rd edition, Nelson 2000, p.498

The characteristics of organic farming

Organic farming has the advantages of using traditional methods, tried and tested over centuries, plus modern ideas on sustainable agriculture. Its main characteristics are as follows:
1 It is self-sustaining, ie it creates more energy than it consumes, so it cannot destroy its own environment and system. 2 It does not allow the use of chemicals in the form of fertilisers, herbicides (weedkillers) or pesticides. Instead,

animal manure and green manure (compost) are used, along with natural mineral fertilisers like lime, shelly sand (also used for its lime content), bone meal, fish meal, rock salt and seaweed. These not only provide plants with the nutrients they need, they also improve the soil texture so that it retains more moisture during dry periods and drains well in wetter weather. Crop residues, such as cereal stubble, are always ploughed back into the ground. 3 It is classified as an intensive type of farming because the land is used moderately intensively and labour per unit area is high. 4 It is a mixed farming system which involves crop rotation including fallow land (for an example see Figure 2). Leguminous crops are included in the rotations these put

Series 15 Spring issue Unit 302 Organic Farming: an Update 2004 Nelson Thornes This page may be photocopied for use within the purchasing institution only.

GeoActive Online
Page 1 of 4

nitrogen from the air into the soil, and so are particularly useful. 5 Its soil quality is consistently good compared with intensive non-organic farms it contains more humus, bacteria and earthworms, which are all important for a healthy soil, so it is unlikely to become exhausted or eroded. 6 Animal rearing is always free range, and care is taken not to overstock (i.e. graze too many animals per unit area of land). 7 It is in harmony with its environment, for example: it uses natural pest control, such as ladybirds which eat aphids (like greenfly), so there are no chemicals to affect bees, butterflies and other insects inter-cropping is used, ie alternate lines of different crops (for example, the smell of onions discourages carrot root fly) there is no nitrate runoff to pollute local watercourses. 8 Processing and packaging are kept to a minimum.

The Soil Associations principal aims of organic agriculture and processing are to: produce food of high nutritional quality encourage and enhance natural systems maintain and increase long-term fertility and conservation of the soil promote the healthy use, proper care and conservation of water use renewable resources as far as possible work with materials that can be reused or recycled minimise all forms of pollution maintain the biodiversity of the agricultural system and its surroundings give livestock an acceptable quality of life progress towards an entire organic production chain, which is both socially just and ecologically responsible.

Case Studies
Organic farming takes place all over the UK. These two case studies illustrate this: one is located in the north east of Scotland, and the other in Devon in the south west of England (Figure 5).

Wester Lawrenceton, Forres, Moray

Wester Lawrenceton (Figure 6) is a 24 ha mixed organic farm, with a further 12 ha currently under conversion to organic status. It lies almost on the coast, facing north into the Moray Firth. It has the following characteristics.

Livestock
The farm keeps a small dairy herd of Ayrshire cattle for milk which is then processed into organic cheese. A flock of Gotland sheep (a breed originally from Sweden) produce high-quality wool. The herd of goats is in conversion, in other words they are in the process of becoming organic. 350 laying hens live in small portable chicken houses so that they can be moved to fresh pasture regularly. Their eggs are both organic and free range, so command a good price.

Figure 3: The aims of organic farming

Source: Ann Bowen and John Pallister, AS Level Geography, Heinemann 2000, p.130

Conversion to organic farming

This process is mainly controlled by the Soil Association, which checks all the processes on a farm when the farmer wants to become organic and, if satisfied, the Association awards its accreditation. The farm can then call itself organic and market its produce in this way. As much as 80% of UK organic food is certified by the Soil Association. Figure 3 summarises the aims of the Soil Association. The process of changing takes at least two years. Artificial fertiliser use is stopped, and soil fertility usually drops considerably until the addition of organic fertilisers increases it again. It also takes time to build up a population of pest-controlling insects like ladybirds, so weeds may flourish for a while, meaning that much time and labour must be put into weeding by hand. Another method is to cover non-cultivated ground and bare ground between crops with mulch (natural materials like bark chippings) or polythene.

What are the advantages of organic food for the customer?

As was stated above, the demand for organic food is increasing, despite the fact that it is more expensive than other, usually intensively farmed produce. Some of the advantages are shown in Figure 4.

Arable
Oats are grown. It is the most suitable cereal crop for this part of
More concentrated taste, because organic produce contains less water

Greater concentration of nutrients*

ADVANTAGES OF ORGANIC FOOD

Prices will fall as more farmers convert to organic methods

Has virtually no chemical residues

*27 studies were undertaken to compare the levels of nutrients in organic v. non-organic produce. The results were: 14 studies showed that organic food had more nutrients than non-organic food. 1 study showed that non-organic food is better for you. 12 studies were inconclusive.

Figure 4: Advantages of organic food

GeoActive Online
Page 2 of 4

Series 15 Spring issue Unit 302 Organic Farming: an Update 2004 Nelson Thornes This page may be photocopied for use within the purchasing institution only.

Concern for the environment

N

Wester Lawrenceton

SCOTLAND

Grampian

N. IRELAND East Anglia ENGLAND West Wales WALES Devon Vale of Evesham

Riverford Farm 0 100 km

East & West Sussex

Key Concentrations of organic farms Locations of case studies

Wester Lawrenceton is located in an area that is important for wildlife, and it is an important aspect of organic farming that it nurtures and supports the environment in which it works. Red squirrels, curlews, oystercatchers and buzzards thrive in this area. The farm has planted 2 ha of woodland and a hedgerow to act as wildlife habitats, as well as meadowsweet along a stream to encourage butterflies and other insects. Processes on the farm are timed to fit in with the ecosystem: for example, haymaking is delayed until the first week in July to allow the fledglings of ground-nesting birds time to fly their nests.

This map shows only the organic area of the farm 0 Key Land under a crop rotation system Grazing (cattle and sheep) Hay for fodder approx. scale 500m

Figure 5: Location of the two case studies and other key organic farming areas

Riverford Organic Farm, Buckfastleigh, Devon

Riverford is a large concern (320 ha), with some quite intensive methods (though obviously still classed as organic) and wide distribution of its products. The Watson family has owned the farm since 1951, gaining organic status for the land in 1988, and for the dairy herd in 1995. Using irrigation water from a nearby reservoir, it produces a wide range of organic vegetables, dairy and pork products. One of its owners, Guy Watson, won the Soil Associations Business Person of the Year Award in 2003. The reason for the award was that he set up a large-scale organic delivery service which delivers 5,500 boxes of organic produce weekly across the south and south-west of England, so increasing the farm profits by 15% a year.

Figure 6: Land use at Wester Lawrenceton

Arable
An area of 60 ha is given over to organic vegetables, with 16 polytunnels being used to grow specialist crops such as early lettuce, plus mid-season herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers. Inside these polytunnels the environment can be controlled in terms of temperature, humidity and nutrients.

the UK as it can cope with the cool summers (15C). Eastern Scotland is relatively dry (700 mm per annum) and sunny during the ripening period. The oats are used as animal feed and also sold to the public in the form of oatcakes. Hay is also produced and used as fodder. The straw (cereal stalks) is used for animal bedding.

Sales and marketing

These activities employ a whole team of people. The main farm shop is divided into departments, including a bakery, delicatessen, butchers, greengrocers, dairy products, wholefoods and wine merchants. Customers can place their orders using the internet, and many do so. Recipes, using organic products, are also published by the farm in this way.

Products and markets

Goods made with Wester Lawrenceton products include cheese, oatcakes, haggis, sausages and wool. Value is added to the products by carrying out the processing on the farm or within a short distance of it. Selling is also done relatively locally, so limiting costs of packaging and transport, and reducing pollution caused by these activities. Sales are made direct to the customer through farmers markets. Specialist food shops also act as outlets, both relatively locally and further afield. One original way of attracting small investors to the farm is the opportunity to invest in the dairy herd in return for dairy products. Extra income is earned by organised tours around the farm and courses in cheese making.

Livestock
60 ha of permanent pasture cater for the 250 dairy cows which produce the milk sold to the Organic Suppliers Co-operative. From here some of the milk is used by well-known organic dairy food processors, such as Yeo Valley (organic yoghurt) and Rocombe Farm (organic ice cream). These names are increasingly being seen on supermarket shelves.

Conclusion
Organic farming tends to be seen as being small scale. Wester Lawrenceton and Riverford show that organic farming is possible at a variety of scales, and that, whether large or small, great originality is used in creating the produce and in its marketing.

Series 15 Spring issue Unit 302 Organic Farming: an Update 2004 Nelson Thornes This page may be photocopied for use within the purchasing institution only.

GeoActive Online
Page 3 of 4

Activities
1 (a) Define the term organic farming. (b) How long does it take to convert ordinary farmland into organic farmland? 2 These questions are based on Figures 13. (a) Describe the changes in the amount of organic farmland in the UK between 1995 and 1999. (Remember to state the general trend, and then give detail, including figures, from each year on the graph.) (b) What is the purpose of leaving land fallow? (c) What is the purpose of a leguminous crop? (d) Why are ladybirds so useful to organic farmers? (e) Which do you consider to be the three most important aims of the Soil Association? Give a reason for each of your choices. 3 List five ways in which organic farming differs from intensive agriculture. 4 Each farming type can be seen as a system. Figure 7 shows part of the system for Wester Lawrenceton organic farm. (a) Copy the diagram and complete each box by filling in the missing labels. Choose from the following terms:

shearing profit organic cheese small-scale machinery 700 mm annual precipitation male calves for sale boxes of organic vegetables sausages and haggis ploughing (b) Draw an arrow to show how hay (in the Outputs box) can link back to another part of the system. 5 Draw another systems diagram to show the inputs, processes and outputs going on at Riverford Organic Farm. 6 Imagine you are a member of a team of people setting up a new organic farm. (a) State which livestock and/or crops you would aim to produce, and give your reasons for choosing these. (b) How would you market your produce? Explain your ideas. (c) Either design a poster advertising the new organic farms produce or design an advertising leaflet giving information about tours and/or courses available on the farm. 7 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of running an organic farm compared with an intensive non-organic farm.

Activity 7 is a Levels question that means the quality of your discussion matters as well as the number of points you make. Level 1 13 marks: this will be a simple answer with a number of basic points. You will not have made links and connections between your various points. Level 2 46 marks: you will have made several valid points and will have highlighted some of the connections between them and consequences of them, eg the impact on prices of the two different styles of agriculture. Level 3 79 marks: you will have shown several contrasts and similarities between the two styles of farming, giving clear value judgements on which is preferable and why. A real discussion is produced, with a conclusion as to which side of the argument you think wins!

INPUTS
flat/gently sloping land cool climate _________________________ _________________________ organic seed livestock (born on farm or bought from an organic source) fodder/chicken feed

PROCESSES
haymaking _________________________ milking cheese processing _________________________ lambing/calving wildlife conservation other food processing

OUTPUTS
hay high-quality wool _________________________ oats oatcakes _________________________ eggs _________________________ _________________________

________________________

Figure 7: Systems diagram for Wester Lawrenceton

GeoActive Online
Page 4 of 4

Series 15 Spring issue Unit 302 Organic Farming: an Update 2004 Nelson Thornes This page may be photocopied for use within the purchasing institution only.