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For Sven Norup, Chairman of Odling i Balans, there is one distinctive feature of Integrated Farming (IF): “Farmers who follow this holistic system do not just act according to the relevant legislation: It is the IF planning, management and evaluation approach which allows to go beyond legal requirements, to develop perspectives and to improve everyday practice continuously.”

During the two day event, farmers and representatives of IF and other organisations from the agricultural chain visited three farms in Southern Sweden and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences at Alnarp, putting a particular focus on environmental issues such as climate effects, manure handling, bio-energy, nitrogen efficiency(สะหวันเวกัส) and reduced tillage. Besides EISA members and farmers, EU-representatives and other interested stakeholders are invited to participate in this regular Farmers Exchange.

A clear focus must be put on securing high quality food supplies for roughly half a billion EU-citizens and also increasing the supply of environmentally friendly renewable energy and raw materials. In order to strengthen rural areas in Europe by generating jobs, income and positive economic development, agriculture must be sustainable and productive – and use and at the same time conserve our natural resources for coming generations.

EISA and their members highlight the importance of Integrated Farming (IF) as a holistic all-farm approach and guideline for further development of European agriculture. Beyond the continuously growing world population and the globally increasing demand for food, feed and renewable energy, there still are some areas of global concern: climate change with higher temperatures, lower water availability and the invasion of new pests, and environmental issues such as the conservation of biodiversity, the protection of ground and surface water and the conservation of soils. Integrated Farming addresses these issues as well as societal demands as decisive elements of sustainability.

LEAF membership caters for a wide range of  people and businesses, from corporate organisations to farmers. We offer a wide range of tools and services to our members, including the LEAF Audit, Green Box, technical events, our demonstration farm network and a host of publications, such as ‘Simply Sustainable Soils’, which was sponsored by Asda. Are you making best use of what we have on offer? Let us know how you are making LEAF work for you, whether it’s through LEAF Marque, demonstration activities or our management tools, go to our blog and tell us!

* For the individual farmer (farm owner, farm manager), the EISA Framework offers a comprehensive management tool which helps to further raise awareness, to continually improve everyday practice on farm and to achieve progress in all dimensions of sustainable development.
* For politics and administration all over Europe, the EISA Framework presents the basis for common understanding which can help to effectively shape legislative incentives and measures.

For the Integrated Farming concept, a clear and unbureaucratic legal CAP framework is needed. However, this CAP framework must leave the flexibility for farmers all over Europe to act according to their given site and situation. Hence, education, training, and capable advisory services must be understood as prerequisites for practical implementation. Only with these prerequisites, European farmers are capable to be productive, resource efficient and environmentally friendly at the same time. Last but not least, research in further innovations must be seen as decisive tool for sustainable development and hence as one element of future CAP, too.

The annual EISA Farmers Exchange, hosted by Odling i Balans, the Swedish association for the promotion of sustainable agriculture, took place in Southern Sweden this year. “The event gave excellent insights in modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly agriculture again”, said Tony Worth, chairman of EISA. “The Farmers Exchange has taken us to Sweden, France, Luxemburg, the UK, Germany and Austria in past years – and even though we have not left Central Europe, it is amazing to see how agriculture needs to respect different regions, different climatic and growing conditions as well as diverse marketing opportunities. The flexibility of Integrated Farming to adapt practices according to site and situation is a clear “sustainability advantage” of this production system”, Worth concluded:

For Sven Norup, Chairman of Odling i Balans, there is one distinctive feature of Integrated Farming (IF): “Farmers who follow this holistic system do not just act according to the relevant legislation: It is the IF planning, management and evaluation approach which allows to go beyond legal requirements, to develop perspectives and to improve everyday practice continuously.”

During the two day event, farmers and representatives of IF and other organisations from the agricultural chain visited three farms in Southern Sweden and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences at Alnarp, putting a particular focus on environmental issues such as climate effects, manure handling, bio-energy, nitrogen efficiency and reduced tillage. Besides EISA members and farmers, EU-representatives and other interested stakeholders are invited to participate in this regular Farmers Exchange.

The European Initiative for Sustainable Development in Agriculture (EISA), founded in 2001, is an association of national farmers organisations from six EU Member States. National member organisations are FARRE (Forum de l’Agriculture Raisonnée Respectueuse de L’Environnement, France), FILL (Fördergemeinschaft Integrierte Landbewirtschaftung, Luxemburg), FNL (Fördergemeinschaft Nachhaltige Landwirtschaft, Germany), LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming, United Kingdom), ÖAIP (Österreichische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Integrierten Pflanzenschutz, Austria) and OiB (Odling i Balans, Sweden), all with the common aim to develop and promote Integrated Farming on a European level.

Tony Worth, farmer in the UK, has been elected as the new EISA chairman during the members assembly in December 2007. He has taken over the post from Heinrich Kemper MdL. However, together with two other farmers, Gerard Marmasse from France as vice-chair and Lucien Clesse from Luxembourg as treasurer, Kemper will continue his support for EISA’s work as second vice-chairman of the EISA Board. Tony Worth has been working within LEAF, the national member of EISA in the UK, and within EISA itself for years. Following his unanimous election, he pointed out his vision for EISA and the role of Integrated Farming in Europe. “We need to close the gap between the farming community and society, we need to inform media, politicians and the general public about modern sustainable agriculture. The EISA demonstration Farm Network and the EISA Integrated Farming Framework are valuable assets for our communication.” During his first year in office, one major event will be the EISA Farmers Exchange in 2008 in the area of Hildesheim, close to Hanover, Germany, in September 2008. For the first time, this annual exchange will be supported by EU-Commission. Details of this event will be posted on the EISA website www.sustainable-agriculture.org in due course. The European Initiative for Sustainable Development in Agriculture e.V. (EISA) is an association of six European organisations. EISA was founded in 2001 by FARRE (Forum de L’Agriculture RaisonnÈe Respectueuse de L’Environnement, France), FILL (Fördergemeinschaft Integrierte Landbewirtschaftung, Luxemburg), FNL (Fördergemeinschaft Nachhaltige Landwirtschaft, Germany), L’Agricoltura che Vogliamo (today: ASNAI, Associazione Nazionale Agricoltura Integrata, Italy), LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming, U.K.)

IFM is a whole farm approach that combines the best of traditional methods with beneficial modern technologies, to achieve high productivity with a low environmental impact.

Farming has always been innovative and enterprising, responding to consumer demands and Government priorities but the challenges now are very different.  Food security, climate change, a growing, aging and urbanised population all put pressures on our natural resources and create disconnections between food, farming and nature.

IFM contributes to solving these global challenges.  It is a widely accepted and practical way forward for the farmers to deliver sustainable agriculture.  It is a balanced approach built around existing knowledge and sound husbandry principles and is constantly being improved in accordance with current research and new technology.  This encourages farmers to review their current practices and make changes.

With IFM attention to detail is key.  Wise and efficient use of resources, smarter approaches to business planning and new technologies all contribute to increasing productivity whilst still protecting our valuable resources.  A recent survey carried out among LEAF members also demonstrated significant costs savings, through better soil management, the use of minimum tillage and reduced pesticide use, alongside improved wildlife numbers and reduced CO2 emissions.  IFM delivers.

The annual EISA Farmers Exchange, hosted by Odling i Balans, the Swedish association for the promotion of sustainable agriculture, took place in Southern Sweden this year. “The event gave excellent insights in modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly agriculture again”, said Tony Worth, chairman of EISA. “The Farmers Exchange has taken us to Sweden, France, Luxemburg, the UK, Germany and Austria in past years – and even though we have not left Central Europe, it is amazing to see how agriculture needs to respect different regions, different climatic and growing conditions as well as diverse marketing opportunities. The flexibility of Integrated Farming to adapt practices according to site and situation is a clear “sustainability advantage” of this production system”, Worth concluded:

For Sven Norup, Chairman of Odling i Balans, there is one distinctive feature of Integrated Farming (IF): “Farmers who follow this holistic system do not just act according to the relevant legislation: It is the IF planning, management and evaluation approach which allows to go beyond legal requirements, to develop perspectives and to improve everyday practice continuously.”

During the two day event, farmers and representatives of IF and other organisations from the agricultural chain visited three farms in Southern Sweden and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences at Alnarp, putting a particular focus on environmental issues such as climate effects, manure handling, bio-energy, nitrogen efficiency and reduced tillage. Besides EISA members and farmers, EU-representatives and other interested stakeholders are invited to participate in this regular Farmers Exchange.

The European Initiative for Sustainable Development in Agriculture (EISA), founded in 2001, is an association of national farmers organisations from six EU Member States. National member organisations are FARRE (Forum de l’Agriculture Raisonnée Respectueuse de L’Environnement, France), FILL (Fördergemeinschaft Integrierte Landbewirtschaftung, Luxemburg), FNL (Fördergemeinschaft Nachhaltige Landwirtschaft, Germany), LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming, United Kingdom), ÖAIP (Österreichische Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Integrierten Pflanzenschutz, Austria) and OiB (Odling i Balans, Sweden), all with the common aim to develop and promote Integrated Farming on a European level.

.lOffers articles on ethical issues confronting agriculture, food production and environmental concerns
Assesses technological changes affecting farm populations, the utilization of farmland and other resources
Publishes philosophical papers and brief discussion pieces
The Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics presents articles on ethical issues confronting agriculture, food production and environmental concerns. The goal of this journal is to create a forum for discussion of moral issues arising from actual or projected social policies in regard to a wide range of questions. Among these are ethical questions concerning the responsibilities of agricultural producers, the assessment of technological changes affecting farm populations, the utilization of farmland and other resources, the deployment of intensive agriculture, the modification of ecosystems, animal welfare, the professional responsibilities of agrologists, veterinarians, or food scientists, the use of biotechnology, the safety, availability, and affordability of food.
The journal publishes scientific articles that are relevant to ethical issues, as well as philosophical papers and brief discussion pieces, and book reviews.

The enrolled students number increased from mere half a thousand to nearly 20 thousands between this period. As on today we have 260 colleges in India imparting educational degrees in Agriculture alone. They consist of various disciplines including veterinary, horticulture, sericulture, forestry, floriculture and a number of other sub-disciplines as plantation crops, medicinal herbs, mushroom, seed production, dairy production, agri-management and like. A number of Government department in India employ agricultural and allied graduates. The mode of recruitment is through respective State & Central Govt. public service commissions.

For graduates a number of courses are available for Masters. Even on date we have 1/3rd positions vacant in SAU and ICAR Institutes, for which annually ARS examination is being held by Agriculture Scientists Recruitment Board. The recruitment to scientists and Assistant professors is open to all M.Sc /M.V.Sc or allied post graduates and Ph.D holders. Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with NABARD and other banks have launched Agri-business Agri clinic courses. They are 3 months courses on the  job training  to Agri-graduates free of cost. In fact all the expenses are borne by the Agri-business school. A network of such training schools have been established. We have also a dozen in J&K. There is a strong future for agri-graduates in private sector. They can set up crop, fruit nurseries or open seed sale and production centres. We have a number of successful agri-graduates earning more than Rs. 20,000/- a month in various parts of the valley. The whole agricultural and allied sector has a strong employment generation potential. We have identified 15 such agri business ventures, which can be profitable employment ventures. A great potential of employment is hidden in Nursery plants for fruits and vegetables. An investment of Rs. 30,000/- per year may give a net profit of Rs. 2 lakh per annum.