Ráðunautafundur - 15.02.2001, Side 30

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These schemes cover key areas such as:
• Identification and traceability.
• Use of crop rotations and choice of appropriate cultivation teclmiques.
• Selection of seed varieties optimising tlie use of inputs such as fertiliser, pesticides and
fossil fuels.
• Food composition, storage and usage and farm animal management.
• Maintenance and enhancement of landscape and wildlife features.
The schemes are administered by BASIS (an independent, self-regulatory registration
scheme for the pesticide industry) and LEAF (a charitable body Linking Environment And
Farming). The schemes have been developed by rnajor retailers (Sainsbury’s, Waitrose etc.)
and the National Farmers Union. They provide the vehicle for assurance schemes such as
'Farm Assured Welsh Lamb’ which provide the producer with a modest premium and an as-
surance of quality for the consumer.
Organic farming
Organic farming can be defmed as an approach to agriculture where the aim is to create integrated,
humane, enviromnentally sustainable agricultural systems. Maximum reliance is put on self-
regulating agro-ecosystems, locally or farm-derived renewable resources and the management of
ecological and biological processes. The use of extemal inputs, whether inorganic or organic, is
reduced as far as possible. However, Nic Lampkin of the Welsh lnstitute of Rural Studies states
"organic farming is best thought of as referring not to the type of inputs used, but to the concept of
the fann as an organism, in which the component parts - soil minerals, organic matter, micro-
organisms, insects. plants, animals and humans - interact to produce a coherent and stable whole’.
The scheme is regulated in the UK by the UK Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS).
The UK has about 3% of its agricultural land in organic famiing whilst Wales still has less than
1% under organic management. This may reflect that Grazing livestock producers face difficult
problems on conversion and have to adjust tlieir farming system to reduce extemal inputs. Forage
production will depend on the successful establisliment and maintenance of white clover in the
swards. Home grown forage also becomes an important goal so that concentrate inputs can be re-
duced. The biggest challenge during conversion is likely to be the move away from routine veteri-
naiy treatment to preventative management and the use of altemative treatments. The markets for
some organic livestock products have only recently developed within the UK and may offer only
restricted opportunity to sell the smaller lambs of the traditional Welsh Hill breeds of sheep.
The Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) offers fmancial help to conventional farmers who
wish to covert to organic farming methods. Conversion takes from 3-5 years and OFS pay-
ments vary from £45/ha (unimproved land ) to £450/ha (intensive arable land). The average
payment over 5 years is £270/ha. However, livestock farmers are likely to incur penalties in
terms of reduced output together with some extra costs associated with learning and adjust-
ment during conversion. The economic viability of organic farming enterprises relies on the
added value attached to the product.
COMPARISON OF SCHEMES
Little information exists on the direct comparison of the tliree forms of agriculture mentioned
above. Agri-environment schemes can be regarded as a ‘contract of intention’ in which the
form of agriculture is only one element of a multi-disciplinary package. However, the envi-
ronmental benefits and the prescriptions required to obtain these benefits are more appropri-
ate to organic or ecological farming than the more production orientated Integrated approach.