Sustainability

Organic agriculture

Modern farming techniques have been developed in the industrialised countries to increase production. But this type of cultivation has not always been environmentally compatible, especially with the ecosystems in which they are applied.
The eutrophication of shallow waters, the contamination of the water-bearing strata with nitrates, the build-up of nitrates in vegetal produce (fodders and vegetables), the health risks related to toxic molecules (plant chemicals) being introduced in the environment, the introduction of genetically modified organisms, the loss of biodiversity and the destruction of the natural landscape are potential negative effects that modern farming, unless practised in a correct and environmentally compatible way, may produce.
It is just to solve these problems that, along with traditional farming techniques, new forms of farming, called “eco-compatible” or “organic”, are being more and more commonly used. Organic farming can by now ensure food and raw materials at competitive prices and minimises the risks of damages to the ecosystems in which it is used. At present, only 0.1% of the used farming surface of the European Union is used for eco-compatible farming, but this is expected to quickly increase over the next few years.