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KEY PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIC FARMING

• Protecting the long term fertility • Weed, disease and pest control relying
of soils by maintaining organic
primarily on crop rotations, natural
matter levels, encouraging soil

biological activity, and careful predators, diversity, organic manuring,

mechanical intervention
resistant varieties and limited (preferably
• Providing crop nutrients

indirectly using relatively minimal) thermal, biological and chemical

insoluble nutrient sources which intervention

are made available to the plant
• The extensive management of livestock,
by the action of soil micro-

organisms paying full regard to their evolutionary

• Nitrogen self-sufficiency through
adaptations, behavioural needs and
the use of legumes and

biological nitrogen fixation, as animal welfare issues with respect to

well as effective recycling of
nutrition, housing, health, breeding and
organic materials including crop

residues and livestock manures rearing

• Careful attention to the impact of the

farming system on the wider environment