Intensive Agriculture Model
The green revolution after the second world war that was meant to increase tremendously productivity in farming through mechanisation and intensive use of inorganic fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, and automatic irrigation systems has been such a success that it is very difficult now to change the mentalities. The entire business model, farmers education, agronomists, engineers and the university research and funding have all been focused towards this model and still are today.
Limitations & issues of current model
However successful this model was in terms of increasing the production on always larger fields, this has come with a great cost for the environment, for the farmers and for the health of the entire population that has become more and more an obvious and a serious topic of consideration as time was passing witnessing farmers reduced margins or losses, an increasing rate of bankruptcy and suicides among small farmers while the farming industry suppliers profits increased new records high, and raising environmental concerns: top soil heavy erosion, soil compaction, water and air pollutions from intensive used of inorganic amendments, more severe floods and droughts. At the same time the farmers – ‘producers or growers’ – and the general population’s health and the average produces nutrient content are on a all times low.
On top of that, the entire meat production industrial model that is energetically very uneconomical, has led to serious deforestation and soil compaction and erosion issues as well, contributing massively to the green gas effect affecting climate change, while at the same time occupying a large part of fertile farming lands just to grow food for the animals.
Transition into a Sustainable Model
Now it has become critical to rethink and remodel our entire farming practices & premises in the light of the many scientific discoveries made these last 30 years about soil and plant health. Governments, institutions and universities are starting to use more and more institutional research funds towards sustainable agriculture research, agroforestry models, regenerative practices helping farmers to transition with their current equipment from mono crop intensive chemical tilling agriculture to a sustainable non till, cover crop, agroforestry, organic amendments, multi crops model. It is happening but slowly, with a strong resistance from the current actors supporting intensive agriculture, especially the fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides producers, but also fro;m some farmers who are not yet educated into these sustainable practices and are understandably afraid to lose incomes and the support they get today.
The Key to a successful transition
Today, our institutions start supporting the development a circular economy and the use of farming and green household waste as a source of organic amendments, and the transition to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable regenerative agriculture supporting soil health, biodiversity and more carbon sequestration. Science is heavily turning towards sustainable agriculture models and this is the frame in which we are positioning ourselves. A large part of the success and speed of transitioning will depend on the transitioning of the farmers, agronomists and engineers current education model into the latest sustainable practices based on the regenerative farming successful farms and the latest scientific knowledge, and accompanying our farmers into a progressive transition, starting with a test area of their crops, learning and observing the benefits, growing understanding, trust and faith that it can and will be done with many benefits but also with steps and challenges. ‘Producers’ will become healthy farmers again, directly involved in soil & plant health and crop nutrient content and optimal organic management. A complete shift of paradigm, but with the benefits of mechanisation and scientific progress to optimize yield while improving quality and reducing costs.
God’s Way
A large source of inspiration of our enterprise has been Gods way, a non for profit Australian organisation which research and experiment about ecosystem restoration and food production in harmony with the principles of Gods laws of nature and love, meaning that the foundation of any lasting model by men, in this case in growing food and restoring the environment must always obey God’s law of nature to be durable and beneficial for all, all men and the environment. It needs to be loving supporting all life and permanent progress, based on truth (science), economical in the use of Earth and people resources, functionally self maintaining and with multiple benefits. For more information about Gods way operations, visit Godsway website.