5 Tips on Sustainable Agriculture

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

Sustainable Agriculture is a new model of agriculture for the 21st century that seeks a global transition to food by improving the protection of the environment and the ecosystem. Sustainable Agriculture is a priority and must meet the needs of current and future generations.

The new model of agriculture is based on the activity carried out by human beings to obtain abundant and uncontaminated food from their organic crops using sustainable agricultural methods . Sustainable Agriculture encompasses Ecological Agriculture, Biodynamic Agriculture , Permaculture and Integrated Production .

To carry out a Sustainable Agriculture, the following must be fulfilled:

• Do not destroy natural resources.
• Do not pollute the environment.
• Enough quantity.
• Excellent quality.
• Profitable for the farmer.
• Economic for the consumer.

Conditions for the development of a Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture brings together a set of global needs that promote food security in markets. Since the natural resources involved in agricultural activities are limited, the conditions for developing Sustainable Agriculture rest on the following basic rules :

• No renewable resource should exceed the limit of its production.
• Respect the use and times of a non-renewable resource before replacing it with a renewable resource used in a sustainable manner.
• Respect the process of recycling or reabsorption of a contaminant before its production.

As Sustainable Agriculture is an agricultural model, today’s farmer spends time to plan the production of his farm without damaging it by performing a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities).

A weakness could be the lack of water, a threat could be climate change, a strength could be the quality of the harvest, and an opportunity could be the installation of an irrigation system. Once the SWOT analysis has been carried out, the farmer begins to act on his farm.

A farm operated through a Sustainable Agriculture system is more profitable . With this model of sustainable agricultural practices, all natural resources are used to the maximum, less machinery is used and more labor is required, avoiding the emigration of young people. In short, Sustainable Agriculture returns to human beings an optimal environment in which to live, and therefore, you must follow these 5 tips to help take care of the planet:

1. Biological control of pests and diseases.
2. Use of water in crops with rain reserves.
3. Irrigation techniques.
4. Fertilization with certified fertilizers for Organic Agriculture .
5. Soil care and conservation.

Can fertilizers be used in Organic Farming?

Plants need nutrients to continue feeding, and we know that it is getting more and more difficult. For this reason, the use of inputs to supply nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium help us to continue cultivating. Not all types of inputs are affordable in organic farming and we must take this into account.

When the nutritional needs of plants are not covered with the natural elements found in the soil, organic products that supply these nutritional needs can be used to maintain soil quality . Fertilisers must be characterized as low-solubility mineral fertilizers and non-nitrogenous mineral fertilizers that define a sustainable development of the plant.

One of the objectives achieved in Fervalle was the production of fertilizers that can be used in organic farming. These will reduce the differences in quality between conventional production and organic production, in order to improve the profitability of crops .

At Fervalle, we possibly have the widest range of products that can be used for Organic Farming and are characterized by being fertilizers with organic nitrogen . They are made up of NPK fertilizers rich in amino acids, calcium, algae extract and micronutrients.

Nitrogen directly influences plant growth and helps the assimilation of other nutrients. Phosphorus contributes to the correct formation of the seed to obtain well-developed fruits and flowers, strong and abundant roots, and to combat certain diseases. And potassium contributes to the formation of these roots, provides sugars and proteins, and increases the weight of the seeds.

These are some of the Fervalle fertilizers characterized by their organic production :

• Brotovalleis a fertilizer rich in organic elements that manages to increase crop production and reduce the negative effects of the plant in all its phases.
• Cuvalle It is a fertilizer made up of organic copper that facilitates the assimilation of all the nutrients inside the plant. Its use is highly recommended in the most unfavorable moments of the plant.
• Algavalle is a biostimulant that enhances the physiological processes of the plant and provides a large amount of macro and micronutrients.
• Aminovalle is a formulation rich in amino acids that favors and strengthens plant growth.
• Magfosfavors a rapid assimilation of nutrients to the plant and contributes to the development of the roots, the formation of flowers and the setting of fruits.
• Humivalleis an organic amendment that improves soil structure, retains water and reduces plant stress.
• Balax, gracias a su poder quelante, incrementa la brotación, la floración y el engorde del fruto.
• Fosmax Eco is a fertilizer that boosts the plant’s root system and improves flowering, fruit set and fruit ripening.

Enter our website and discover the full range of organic fertilizers!

Advantages of Sustainable Agriculture

• Agricultural practices have minimal destructive influence on the environment. The purpose is to maintain the soil using methods that are not very harmful.
• The cultivation process is safer for the farmers and the food obtained is healthier .
• A positive influence on human health and animal welfare is achieved.
• Increases the level of employment in the agricultural sector and education .

What regulations govern organic products?

Spain is one of the countries of the European Union with one of the areas with the largest organic agricultural production . Although the demand for organic fertilizers is less than the demand for conventional fertilizers, we have to know that the market trend is on the rise.

Organic products are governed by the UNE Standards with the aim of organizing the market and offering the farmer a guarantee as a user of the same. In turn, they are a reference for farmers, manufacturers and certifying entities.

The UNE 142500:2017 Standard Usable inputs in organic plant production (Fertilizers, amendments and cultivation substrates) , is intended for manufacturers and is responsible for establishing the production, packaging, labeling and marketing requirements for organic fertilizers. Once these requirements have been established, the UNE 65500 Standard assesses their conformity. This standard is addressed to certifying entities .