Following recent severe wet weather in the UK, which has left hundreds of acres of farmland covered by floodwater, LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) is urging farmers to take a longer term view and consider some practical steps they can be taking now, to ensure more sustainable water management going forward. Read more …
(Photo: GKB – Gesellschaft für konservierende Bodenbearbeitung)
Farming sustainably and capturing carbon in soils are important topics in agriculture worldwide. Reduced tillage and no-till as means to reduce energy requirements, to reduce possible erosion hazards and to increase carbon storage in soils have thus received growing attention in the past. The article “S.D. well-managed soils capture carbon” takes a look at the situation in South Dakota, USA.
“In a study of South Dakota agricultural practices during the past 25 years, a team of 10 scientists at South Dakota State University have documented modern farming practices measurably increase the yield potential of the soil and capture carbon in the environment. Because of the practices, the result is literally a cleaner, more economically vibrant environment, the study contends. This, first-of-its-kind study was based on more than 95,000 soil samples …” Read more …
In Soil & Tillage Research 137 (2014) 16–22, a new article addresses the need to standardize no-till research. The publication
was contributed by R. Derpsch et al. as letter to the editor just recently.
“No-tillage is looked upon by many as a way to enable sustainable cropping intensification to meet future agricultural demands. Although no-tillage suggests merely the absence of tillage, in reality several components need to be applied to a conservation agriculture system to guarantee …” Read more …
Collaboration is in the air, because we acknowledge how difficult it is. It requires awareness of your own needs, but it requires real listening and trust equally. During the courageous process of collaboration real new opportunities may come to live. Or not, and that is part of the game too. We learned about … Read more
Registrations for next year’s Open 
Farm Sunday on the 8th June 2014 have now opened. LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) are encouraging farmers to sign up as early as possible. Read more …
Herbicides, insecticides and fungicides – these substances usually do not receive public attention for their track records …
New collection of one-page documents / Integrated Farming – A holistic system for sustainable development in European agriculture / Latest EISA-brochure available for download on EISA website
Integrated Farming (IF) is more than the sum of its individual parts: it is a holistic and systematic approach, which understands and focuses on … Read more …
European Antibiotic Awareness Day: EPRUMA calls on the EU institutions to promote the Responsible Use of veterinary medicines within the EU antibiotic strategy
Brussels, 18 November 2013 – EPRUMA reiterates its support to the European Commission action plan on antibiotic resistance and calls on the EU institutions to promote the Responsible Use of veterinary medicines across all EU Member States. Read more …
Integrated Farming (IF) is more than the sum of its individual parts: it is an holistic and systematic approach, which understands and focuses on the interactions between all management decisions and practices on a farm. It is a dynamic system, equally open for innovation and the best of tradition, with continuous opportunity for further improvement.
This set of sixteen single page documents highlights the contents of the eleven chapters of the EISA Integrated Farming Framework. The additional pages expand on related topics. With these key papers, EISA aims to contribute to a better understanding of the complex process of producing sufficient high-quality food while meeting the environmental and social challenges of sustainable development. Read more …
The production of this brochure was kindly supported by the associate EISA member Fertilizers Europe.
Speakers at LEAF’s (Linking Environment And Farming) annual President’s Event on 5th November entitled “Sustainable Agriculture: Show me the money”, highlighted the multiple ways in which farmers can maximise the three pillars of sustainability – economic performance, environmental quality and social health – to drive their businesses forward. Read more …