December 2015
Integrated Farming Topic Sheet no 6 / 2015
Integrated Farming (IF) is about continuous development, thus allowing farmers to permanently improving the efficiency and value of all managed resources. It is about attention to detail and adopting innovative practices to deliver sustainable agriculture. And this is exactly where Precision Agriculture comes into play. Ever since the first GPS devices and N-sensors were available for arable … Read more
(Photo: © Case IH)
Integrated Farming Topic Sheet no 5 / 2015
Soils – abundance of life!
Whether used for agriculture, forestry, gardening, landscaping or nature conservation purposes for example, soils are home to an abundance of life: In addition to the soil minerals sand, silt and clay, and soil organic matter, literally billions of all kinds of organism can be found under one single footprint alone. This includes bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, nematodes, mites, springtails, insect larvae, diplopoda and earthworms. Their combined body weight may amount to a total of 260 to 1,650 grams per square metre of soil – and that is part of the explanation for the importance of soil life in Integrated Farming. Read more…
In the February 2015 edition of ‘Adjacent Government’ (full publication available online at http://www.adjacentgovernment.co.uk/lg-publication-005-pages-index/), EISA President Patrick Wrixon gives thought to integrated farming and its positive impact on the environment…
With global population growth, increased focus on addressing food security and concerns about environmental impact and biodiversity loss, it is essential that farming systems are sustainable. Sustainable farming delivers a site-specific farming system supporting the integration of … Read more
Integrated Farming Topic Sheet no 4 / 2015
Soil protection is paramount
Soils are the basis of agricultural production, and both the conservation and improvement of this valuable resource are essential elements of Integrated Farming (IF). Conserving and enhancing this resource allows produce to be grown on healthy and biologically active soils with sufficient levels of organic matter, good physical structure and high fertility.
In view of the continuously growing world population, merely conserving soils, however, is not enough. Maintaining and enhancing soil life, replacing nutrients extracted with harvested products, maintaining and enhancing levels of soil organic matter as an important carbon sink and particularly avoiding damage to the soil… Read more…
16 February 2015
The European Initiative for Sustainable Development in Agriculture (EISA) was founded with the common aim of developing and promoting Integrated Farming throughout Europe.
EISA members help create a better public understanding of agriculture through a network of demonstration farms and various other communication and demonstration activities. They bring farmers and consumers together to raise awareness of how farmers are working in harmony with nature to produce good, safe food and renewable resources with economic, environmental and social care.
The EISA Annual Report 2014 presents an overview on EISA’s and national EISA members’ activities as well as a brief description of the six associate members. If you are interested in receiving further information or in getting involved …
Access the full EISA Annual Report 2014
Integrated Farming Topic Sheet no 3 / 2015
Biodiversity – an underestimated treasure?
Biodiversity is commonly perceived as diversity of wild plant and animal species. However, in addition to all visible species of wild plants and animals, biodiversity also includes invisible and microscopic life – and thus also soil life – such as bacteria, fungi, algae and nematodes, to mention just a few. Furthermore, biodiversity includes all crops grown and all livestock kept on farms, the multitude of varieties within individual species, all different habitats as well as the multiple ecological services and interdependencies between species and habitats such as pollination for example. Biological diversity is a value as such… Read more
IPM: Integrated Farming Topic Sheet no 2 / 2014
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the careful consideration of all available plant protection methods and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that discourage the development of populations of harmful organisms and keep the use of plant protection products and other forms of intervention to levels that are economically and ecologically justified and reduce or minimise risks to human health and the environment (Sustainable Use Directive, SUD, 2009). IPM is one important element of the holistic Integrated Farming approach… Read more
Representatives of EISA members and farmers from Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg and Germany as well as the Dutch Skylark Foundation attended this year’s EISA Farm Visit to Bernburg-Strenzfeld (DLG Field Days) and Quellendorf (APH e.G. Hinsdorf GbR) in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
Innovative trends in agriculture, in particular with regard to oil & protein crops, plant breeding, crop protection, remote reconnaissance and field robots, as well as measures to conserve and enhance biodiversity, were… Read more…
The EISA Annual Report 2013 presents key activities of EISA’s five full members on the national level as well as key EISA activities on the European level.
The pdf of the EISA Annual Report 2013 is available for download here.
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.