The following is a statement of the characteristics of Good Farming Practice. It seeks to be applicable to all farming systems, and as such must remain very general. The notion is that it will be a statement of intent and form the framework within which Codes of Practice can be developed for individual production systems. The indicative indicators are presented to demonstrate the coverage of issues within each cluster and also to provide a selection from which appropriate indicators could be selected in the development of individual codes.
A number of codes are currently under development. Some examples can be found at:
http://www.eurep.org/home/seiten/gb-eurep-start.html
1. Soil fertility/health
Soil is fundamental to successful crop and livestock production. Good Farming Practice maintains soil against erosion by wind and water, maintains structure, fertility, and organic matter content, and promotes beneficial soil biota.
1.1. Soil erosion (loss of top soil in %/y or in t/ha y)
1.2. Soil cover index (proportion of time soil is covered with crop (provides protection)
1.3. Soil organic carbon (measure of soil structure and biological activity, C sequestration)
1.4. Macro- and micronutrient content (fertility and toxicities)
1.5. Number of beneficial organisms (e.g. earth worm density, rhizobia)
1.6. Number of predatory organisms (e.g. mites, nematodes, disease fungi)
2. Water management and use
Agricultural systems usually face excess and/or insufficiency of rainfall. Good Farming Practice employs adapted crop and pasture species to make most effective use of rainfall patterns. Some production systems apply irrigation, while others may contaminate ground or surface water with pesticides, nutrients or soil. Good Farming Practice minimizes runoff, applies irrigation water in a controlled way relative to requirements, maximizes efficiency of water use, and minimizes contamination. Good Farming Practice also provides adequate water of acceptable quality for livestock, distributed appropriately for effective fodder management in grazing systems.
2.1. Amount of water used /ha or /t product (irrigation)
2.2. Leaching and runoff of pesticides to surface and ground water
2.3. Leaching and runoff of N/P/K to surface and ground water (nutrients)
2.4. Protection of watercourses and water supplies from farming activities and livestock
2.5. Water quality and distribution of watering points relative to fodder distribution.
3. Crop/animal nutrition
Crops and livestock need adequate and balanced nutrition. Nutrients are lost by extraction through harvesting, by erosion of soil, by leaching below the root zone, and emissions to the air. Nitrogen can be fixed from the atmosphere locally but all other nutrients must ultimately be imported for replacement. Good Farming Practice can enhance nitrogen fixation, applies fertilizers in efficient targeted, and balanced ways, maximizes nutrient-use efficiency, and minimizes losses of nutrients to the environment.
3.1. Amount of inorganic N/P/K applied (/ha or /t product)
3.2. Proportion of N fixed on site/imported
3.3. Balance of N/P/K over crop rotations
3.4. Losses of N-compounds to air and watertable
3.5. Use of soil and tissue testing to guide fertilization.
4. Crop/animal health
All crops and animals are vulnerable to disease and predation. When therapeutic chemicals are applied to crops or livestock, small proportions can escape to water and air, or accumulate in foods, thus affecting human health and ecosystems. Good Farming Practice can substitute natural controls for some chemical application, so reducing dependence on externally introduced substances and safeguarding product quality. The health of animals must be monitored with care to ensure well being and product quality, and where appropriate, work performance.
4.1. Amount and specificity of pesticides (active ingredient) applied (/ha /head or /t product)
4.2. Safety measures in storage and application of pesticides
4.3. Monitoring schemes for effective and targetted application (IPPM)
4.4 Frequency of inspection of livestock
4.5. Animal body scores
4.6 Animal breeding strategies
4.7. Preventive measures, inoculation etc
4.8. Mortality
5. Productive and economic performance
Agriculture can only remain viable if it satisfies the needs of farmers. Good Farming Practice will provide products of high quality as sought by consumers and will provide the adequate and stable economic return required to provide fair wages for workers, continuing investment in infrastructure, and return on invested capital.
5.1. Yield compared with potential for system
5.2. Interseasonal yield variability
5.3. Conformancy to quality specifications:
5.3.1. Nutritional value, including minerals
5.3.2. Pesticide residues
5.3.3. Foreign bodies
5.4. Energy-use efficiency
5.5. Financial performance – average and variability
5.6. Investment in infrastructure
5.7. Wages relative to non farm workers
6. Connection with local communities
The challenge of using natural resources sustainably is fundamentally social. Success requires collective action, the sharing of new knowledge, close economic interaction with the non-farm sector, and continuous innovation. Agricultural inputs (goods, labour, services) can be sourced from many places, but when they come from the local economy, the expenditure helps to sustain local businesses and livelihoods. Good Farming Practice promotes collective action and makes good use of local resources in order to increase efficiency and sustain the local community.
6.1. Group dynamics/organizational density (farmer groups)
6.2. Gender issues
6.3. Community awareness of relevance and benefits of sustainable practices
6.4. Rate of innovation and contribution to it
6.5. Amount of money/profit spent reinvested locally
6.6. Percentage of goods/labour/services sourced locally
6.7. Employment level (farm and non farm) in local community.
7. Landscape and biodiversity
Agriculture has shaped most ecosystems in the world. Landscape values, including biodiversity, can be improved or reduced by agricultural practices. The appeal of landscape is important to social cohesion, and opportunites for non-farm enterprises, including tourism. Some biodiversity is beneficial for agriculture. Good Farming Practice can improve landscape values and biodiversity within both crops and pastures and, where appropriate, by introducing tree crops and by preserving land for wildlife.
7.1. Satisfaction with local landscape
7.2. Number of commercial species grown (annual/perennial balance)
7.3. Number of species (e.g. birds, butterflies)
7.4. Habitat for beneficial natural predator systems (e.g. hedges, ponds, reserves)
7.5. Linkage of wildlife habitat
Please send your comments to: David Connor