Can Organic Farming Feed the World?

What is organic farming? Organic farming can be described as an approach to agriculture where the main aims are to create holistic, nutritional, humane, environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural production systems. Maximum reliance is placed on farm renewable resources and the management of self regulating biological systems and interactions in order to provide exceptional levels of crop, livestock and human nutrition. Protection from pests/diseases, and an acceptable return to the human and other resources employed. Reliance on external inputs whether from chemical or organic is reduced as much as possible. In many European nations, organic agriculture is known as ecological agriculture. This reflects this reliance on ecosystem management rather than external inputs.

The objective of sustainability lies at the heart of organic farming. It is one of the major factors determining the acceptability or otherwise of specific production practices. The term ‘sustainable’ is used in its general sense to encompass not just conservation of non-renewable resources(soil, water, energy, minerals) but also issues of environmental, social and economic sustainability. The term ‘organic’ is best described as referring to the concept of the farm as an whole organism in which all the component parts – the soil minerals, insects, organic matter, microorganisms, plants, animals and man interact to create a workable and stable whole.

The key characteristics of organic farming are:

  • Protecting the long term fertility of soils by increasing organic matter levels, encouraging soil microbe activity.
  • Providing crop nutrients indirectly using relatively insoluble(natural) nutrient sources which are made available to the plant by soil microorganisms.
  • Nitrogen is provided through the use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation. I is also provided by recycling of organic materials incorporating crop residues and livestock manure.
  • Weed, disease and pest control relying primarily on crop rotations, organic manuring, plant health, natural predators, bio-diversity, resistant varieties(conventional plant breeding) and only natural biological and chemical intervention.
  • The management of livestock involved considering behavioural needs and animal welfare issues with respect to health, nutrition, housing, breeding and rearing.
  • Careful attention to the impact of the farming system on the larger environment and the conservation of native wildlife and natural habitats also need to be considered.

Selenium Linked to Diabetes if you take 200 micrograms each day. Selenium benefits may outweigh potential problems in some cases.

An analysis of data from a large national study found that people who took a 200 microgram selenium supplement each day for almost eight years had an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who took a placebo or dummy pill. The data came from the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Trial (NPC), a large randomized, multi-center, clinical trial from the eastern United States, designed to evaluate whether selenium supplements prevent skin cancer. In the current study, researchers selected 1,202 participants who did not have diabetes when they were enrolled in the NPC Trial. In the current study, 58 out of 600 participants in the selenium group and 39 out of 602 participants in the placebo group developed type 2 diabetes. After 7.7 years of follow-up, the relative risk rate was approximately 50 percent higher among those randomized to selenium than among those randomized to placebo. Selenium is a naturally occurring trace mineral present in soil and foods necessary in minute amounts to aid in metabolism.

How to Make Bokashi for your compost

A Short film about making Bokashi–a fermented wheat bran–used to pickle kitchen food waste to help it compost quicker without foul odors.  Can also use to feed to animals into the garden or the septic system. Need wheat bran, molassa, high mineral salt, ceramic powder, water and effective microbes (EM).  

Jerry Brunetti – Food as Medicine

I have shown this video to a local cancer support group and they loved Jerry’s presentation. Hopefully more people will see it here.

This is Jerry Brunetti’s highly informative video lecture Food as Medicine (2005) where he lays out his experience with terminal cancer which he successfully overcame with eating healthy and different food than he used to eat until then. In 1999 he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and given 6 months to live. He did not submit to chemotherapy, but rather, developed his own unique dietary approach to enhance his immune system. Jerry shares his personal experiences and provides his recipe for healthy living. You will learn about the crucial importance of minerals, which foods to choose for your best health requirements and what to avoid. After viewing this fascinating lecture you’ll realize the remarkable value of food in building good foundations, and providing buffers, to keep your body healthy. 3h long. A must see for everyone.


Food as Medicine features: The power of pigments -Make your plate a rainbow. Protection from cruciferous vegetables. The good oils. Fabulous fermentation. Eggs-The ultimate food. Butter vs. Margarine-The power of raw milk. What major minerals do-Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorous and Sulfur. The trace mineral catalysts-Copper, Manganese, Zinc, Boron and Iron. The forgotten five-Iodine, Molybdenum, Cobalt, Selenium and Chromium.

You can view the slides for this presentation here.

Please visit Jerry’s website Agri Dynamics .

Click on the play button below to play part 1 and 2.