Chapter 4 - Performances of organic agriculture

Abstract

This chapter discusses that there are considerable differences in the quality of landscape production between organic and nonorganic farmers. Organic agriculture has considerable advantages related to the landscape quality, because organic agriculture is soil-based (on-soil farming), has a low-external-input approach, goes for mixed farming, has wide crop rotations wherever possible, and largely refrains from pesticides. Organic agriculture also tends to attract farmers, who are aware of the contribution of their farm to the landscape quality and are willing to take compliant action. Addition of some feasible landscape standards to the standards of organic agricultural production would be quite feasible and acceptable to show the effects of cross-compliant farming on the European Union schemes of farmer income support, which are necessary to maintain and develop the European rural landscape in a sustainable way. Based on the comparisons of organic agriculture's landscape performance, the Concerted Action's team concluded that in theory and practice organic farming can importantly contribute to the sustainable management of appreciated landscape values.