Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pests. This however is achieved by excluding the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides; plant growth regulators, livestock feed additives, and genetically modified organisms. Organic farming benefits from the recycling and use of natural products. By supporting local, sustainable and organic farms in your local community you also support the larger community of which we are all a part. Organic farming is the way forward towards a healthier life and a cleaner environment. Words from Navdanya's Diary.
This journal is following the global situation relating to the food crisis, food security, impact of industrial agriculture on biodiversity and places our local - South East Queensland and nationally - food situation within the global context. This online journal by respected Indian scientist and
A world-renowned environmental leader and recent recipient of the 2010 Sydney Peace Prize, Vandana Shiva is at the forefront of the global Environmental and Earth Justice Movement. Dr.Shiva is the author of many books, including Earth Democracy, Water Wars, and Staying Alive. She brings a vital, passionate voice and practical solutions to the most important issues of our times. With Soil Not Oil, Vandana Shiva connects the dots between industrial agriculture and climate change. Shiva shows that a world beyond dependence on fossil fuels and globalization is both possible and necessary. Unwavering and truly visionary, Soil Not Oil proposes a solution based on self-organization, sustainability, and local community rather than corporate power and profits.
The discussion of food security for the future is one which we should all consider.
Michael Lardelli is Senior Lecturer in Genetics at The University of Adelaide. Since 2004 he has been an activist for spreading awareness on the impact of energy decline resulting from oil depletion. He has written numerous articles on the topic published in The Adelaide Review and elsewhere, has delivered ABC Radio National Perspectives, spoken at events organised by the South Australian Department of Trade and Economic Development and edits the (subscription only) Beyond Oil SA email newsletter. He has lectured on "peak oil" to students in the Australian School of Petroleum.
His article was first published May 6 2010 by Energy Bulletin, Archived May 6 2010 and has been published in On Line Opinion here.
The concluding paragraphs of the well researched article state
By 2050, if Australia is to survive as a nation, our agriculture will need to have adapted to climate change, instituted radical measures to recapture and recycle nutrients (e.g. using human and animal wastes as fertiliser) and have, somehow, compensated for the loss of cheap and plentiful fuel. We have not even begun to move in the direction of the more local, intensive but lower energy agriculture that will be necessary and we have less than four decades to accomplish it! In the face of these challenges it is highly unlikely that we will be able to support 36 million people. Indeed, even supporting our current population might prove a significant challenge.