Organic farming and especially organic livestock farming is something much more than just a simple production. It’s a way and commitment, for protecting the environment, the place we live, and offer a sustainable ecosystem for the people,the plants and the animals.
Producing organically means respecting the rules on organic farming. These rules are designed to promote environment protection, maintain the biodiversity of Europe and build consumer trust in organic products. These regulations govern all areas of organic production and are based on a number of key principles, such as:
- prohibition of the use of GMOs;
- forbidding the use of ionising radiation;
- limiting the use of artificial fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides;
- prohibiting the use of hormones and restrict the use of antibiotics and only when necessary for animal health.
This means that organic producers need to adopt different approaches to maintaining soil fertility and animal and plant health including:
- crop rotation;
- cultivation of nitrogen fixing plants and other green manure crops to restore the fertility of the soil
- prohibition of use of mineral nitrogen fertilisers;
- to reduce the impact of weeds and pests, organic farmers choose resistant varieties and breeds and techniques encouraging natural pest control;
- encourage the natural immunological defence of animals;
- in order to maintain animal health, organic producers need to prevent overstocking.
In addition to the above, livestock farmers ,to be able to be certified as organic farmers, must also fulfill specific conditions if they wish to market their products as organic.
These rules include respect for animal welfare, feeding the animals in accordance with their nutritional needs and are designed to protect the animals health and environment. These rules also help to build public trust as they ensure that organically farmed animals are kept separate from non-organic. Examples of rules which apply to livestock farmers include:
Abiding by organic principles
- Non-organically raised animals may be not brought onto holdings unless for breeding purposes and then only comply with specific rules.
- Farmers have to provide 100% organic feed to their animals in order to market their products as organic.
- The feed should primarily be obtained from the farm where the animals are kept or from farms in the same region.
- Cloning animals and or transferring embryos is strictly forbidden.
- Growth promoters and synthetic amino-acids are prohibited.
- Suckling mammals must be fed with natural, preferably maternal, milk.
- Natural methods of reproduction must be used, artificial insemination is however allowed.
- Non-organic feed materials from plant origin, feed materials from animal and mineral origin, feed additives, certain products used in animal nutrition and processing aids can only be used if they have been specifically authorised for use in organic production.
Animal welfare:
- Personnel keeping animals must possess the necessary basic knowledge and skills as regards the health and the welfare needs of the animals.
- Particular attention should be paid to housing conditions, husbandry practices and stocking densities.
- The number of livestock must be limited to minimising overgrazing, erosion, or pollution caused by animals or by the spreading of their manure.
- Animals should have, whenever possible, access to open air or grazing areas.
- Tethering or isolating livestock is prohibited aside from individual animals for a limited period of time and only for welfare, safety or veterinary reasons.
- Hormones or similar substances are not permitted, unless as a form of veterinary therapeutic treatment for an individual animal.
- When the animals are ill, allopathic veterinary medicinal products including antibiotics may be used where necessary and under strict conditions. This is only allowed when the use of phytotherapeutic, homeopathic and other products is inappropriate.
- The use of immunological veterinary medicines is permitted.
Having seen the above details about organic agriculture and organic livestock farming it is obvious why organic milk is a great choice in quality but also in environmental terms.
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To be more specific organic milk:
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Has longer shelf life
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Better taste
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Is rich in omega 3
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It contains no hormones,pesticides or chemicals