NASAA Organic congratulates the Greens' motion to recognising National Regenerative Agriculture and the importance of farmer-led regenerative agricultural practices and we commend the Australian Senate for supporting the motion.
We welcome the call on the Federal Government to support agricultural practices that contribute to improving soil carbon, water systems and biodiversity, increasing the resilience and health of our food and fibre production in Australia.
Political support is critical to scaling up sustainable farming practices that in effect mean constant regeneration of the land and environment.
For over 30 years' the organic and biodynamic industry in Australia and around the world have practiced and promoted the virtues of these practices, to restore farm lands and ecosystems.
Importantly, the global movement in Regenerative Agriculture has gained fuel from people who are active members of the global organic community, as a means of bringing the conventional agriculture sector closer to organic practices that are already in use worldwide.
Farming methods promoted under the banner of Regenerative Agriculture represent a forward step along the pathway towards organic production and sustainable agriculture.
Reportedly, many conventional farmers feel trapped by the lack of knowledge required to farm without synthetic inputs. Regenerative Agriculture provides conventional farmers with an accessible sustainable alternative, without abandoning conventional chemical inputs that are not permitted in organic production systems.
The next step - between Regenerative Farming and Certified Organic Farming - is a small one, but one which allows farmers to access premium regulated Certified Organic product markets in the EU, USA, Japan, China, Canada, South Korea and unregulated organic markets around the world.
Organic management practices and the Foundation Principlesstate that Organic Agriculture should:
· sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal, human and planet as one and indivisible
· be based on living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate and help sustain them
· build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities.
· be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and wellbeing of current and future generations and the environment.
Hence, organic food, fibre and cosmetic production systemsare founded on the principle of caring for community, land and product to achieve sustainable, healthy, productive ecosystems for soil, plants, animals and people.
Organic Standards, provide a practical set of operational rules that help producers and operators ensure they are meeting the expectations of the industry and consumers who buy organic food. Organic Certificationensures that the bone fide of their Organic status is verified by an independent Certifying third party such as NASAA Certified Organic, who is accredited by independent regulators.
Hence Organic Certificationwith a regenerative overlay can represent the final evolution towards sustainable agricultural production, in achieving independence from artificial chemicals and genetically modified biological inputs.
NASAA Organic look forward to continuing to be a part of the move toward sustainable farming in Australia.
