EISA has developed an Integrated Farming Code. This code addresses crop rotation and variety choice, crop nutrition, crop protection, soil and water management, animal husbandry, energy management, waste management and pollution prevention, and wildlife and landscape management. There are also sections of the code that address the organisation and management of the farm and how the farm monitors its performance and if required implements corrective actions.
Farmers can sign up to adopting this code which will benefit the business by managing resources (natural capital), equipment (physical capital) people and training (human capital), and landscape and wildlife (natural capital). If businesses can also reduce wastage with regard to water and energy and other inputs this too will benefit the profitability of the business.
In the UK, LEAF (Linking the Environment and Farming) has taken this one step further by developing a product brand (LEAFMARQUE) based on the principles of integrated farming. This gives consumers the opportunity to actively support integrated farming by buying products that have been grown to these standards. Follow the link for more details.
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