Human activity is impacting our natural environment and as such, the need to supply food to rapidly rising populations, in combination with lax regulations, has seen many producers use damaging farming methods to increase their yield and profit. This comes at the expense of quality products filled with essential nutrients.
Organic farming is a model of sustainable food production that doesn’t involve any chemicals or synthetic fertilizers and aims at improving the local soil, water, and environmental surroundings. Thanks to its sustainable development approach and the respect it pays to the environment, it’s also a potential solution to combatting environmental stressors, resulting in healthier and tastier produce. That’s because organic farmers tend to use a variety of methods and tools to build soil health, boost biodiversity and manage weeds and pests.
Below are some impactful organic farming benefits:
- Prohibition of pesticide use
- Maintenance of healthy soil
- Reduction of erosion
- Provision of cleaner water
- Reduction of carbon emissions
- Discouragement of algae blooms
- Stimulation of biodiversity
These benefits, combined with our belief in making a positive impact in the local communities we operate in, is what inspired us to develop the Kadmus Olive Oil mill. Beyond that we’ve also acquired large swathes of olive groves in central Greece and are in the process of turning them into organic farms. We’ll be providing our technical expertise and financial support to local farmers so we can ensure a healthier local ecosystem and fairer prices for growers on the market.
Our tips and practices for setting up an organic farm include:
- Setting up crop rotations
- Using green manures and cover crops
- Composting organic waste
- Adopting intercropping and companion planting
- Using biological pest control
- Incorporating organic mulching, such as straw or hay
We’ve noticed that over the last couple of years, organic farming and the variety of organic products being produced is flourishing in Greece. A greater number of small and medium enterprises, along with large-scale producers, are adopting organic practices and certifying their products as such. The result is that since 2019, Greece is reported to have 10% of total crop production certified as organic crops, which places the country 8th within the European Union. This indicates a strong upward trend as both producers and consumers are more environmentally conscious, which is why they’ve adopted organic practices and turned towards healthier and more sustainable consumer choices.
Reach out to us to discuss how we’re adopting organic farming practices in our projects.