 |
|
|
Farming in Harmony with the Cosmos |
|
By Francesca Colombo*
With
no chemical fertilizers and commanded by the stars above, biodynamic
crops are flourishing in Italy. Some 400 small companies are dedicated
to this type of farming, with annual revenues of 27 million dollars.
MILAN - Sweeter apples, greener lettuce and
purer milk; honey without sugar and wine that doesn't cause inebriation
or stomach acidity; carrots that stay fresh for more than two weeks.
These are just some of the products of what is known as biodynamic
agriculture, crops that grow without degrading the soil, without
synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, adapting to the natural cycles
of the cosmos.
In Italy there are some 400 companies dedicated to this activity,
with 5,000 hectares among them and revenues of around 27 million
dollars a year -- a modest portion of the market compared to conventional
farming. Their output represents just five percent of Italy's total,
in part because biodynamic farming entails higher production costs.
Those who practice biodynamic farming use humus -- partially decomposed
organic material -- to fertilize the soil, and are inspired by age-old
agricultural techniques. ''One works in a closed cycle, because
plants are self-sufficient and healthy organisms. This helps to
recover soil fertility. The biodynamic farmer lives in harmony with
nature,'' Marcelo Lo Sterzo, agronomist, consultant and professor
of forestry sciences, told Tierramérica.
This technique was developed in Germany beginning in 1924, based
on ''anthroposophy'', the holistic philosophy of Austrian Rudolf
Steiner (1861-1925), which encompasses the influence of the cosmos
on plant and animal life, as well as guidelines for the relationship
of humans with the rest of nature.
One of the basics is crop rotation in regards to use of soil, and
organizing and planning cultivation and harvests in accordance with
the lunar and planetary calendars.
''It yields clean products'' and prepares its own fertilizers with
natural substances, which are ''more nutritious for the plants,''
and favors both root absorption and photosynthesis, Mario Bavio,
representative of the Biodynamic Association for the northern Italian
region of Lombardia, said in a Tierramérica interview.
The agricultural firm Cascine Orsine, based in Pavia, Lombardia,
cultivates 350 hectares under this method. It produces milk, beef,
cheeses, cereals, rice and flour, with special machinery and involving
five times more human labor than comparable conventional farming
operations.
''Our main product is milk. We take care of the soil and the cows.
We don't saw off their horns, we give them special feed, and if
they become ill we treat them with homeopathic medicines. They sleep
on straw, because that is what is natural,'' Cascine Orsine owner
Aldo Paravini told Tierramérica.
Biodynamic farmers maintain that if one respects the land, the quality
of the seeds and certain natural cycles, the cosmos have a positive
influence on their crops.
For example, they believe that cultivation has better results if
it is done when the moon is at its farthest point in orbit from
the Earth.
''Fifteen years ago we began working with this technique, which
is in keeping with our philosophy of life,'' says Marco Rossi, owner
of Verdealloggio, a small biodynamic beekeeping business on six
hectares of land in Giove, central Italy, where they produce honey
and honey-based cosmetics.
''Our bees do not feed on sugar and they are not forced to over-produce.
The hive is located in a special place, far away from noise and
from people. We even use non-toxic paint for the hive walls,'' he
explained to Tierramérica.
The proponents of biodynamic farming argue that it is the most advanced
form of an environmentally sustainable development model, and the
highest level of attention to product quality and that it goes beyond
organic farming practices -- also referred to as biological or ecological
agriculture.
Ninety-five percent of biodynamic products are sold fresh, and the
rest are cosmetics, cotton fiber, or hemp.
Biodynamic farming undergoes three quality control assurances, conducted
by the Demeter Association, an ecological group that encompasses
3,000 farmers from 40 countries, the Swiss biotechnology association
Swissbio, and the European Union, in the context of the bloc's regulation
2092/91 on biological agriculture.
Two-thirds of Italy's biodynamic farm output is sold to northern
Europe, United States, Canada and Japan. The prices are, on average,
50 percent higher than conventional agricultural goods.
This is due to the fact that start-up costs are three to four times
greater, but biodynamic farmers say that after two or three years
of work, the ratio changes dramatically. Because they don't use
synthetic products -- like chemical fertilizers and pesticides --
their costs are ultimately 40 percent less.
* Francesca Colombo is a Tierramérica contributor.
|
