What Is Organic Farming?

Organic farming is an agricultural production model, which is planted in a way that respects the natural environment, hoping to coexist harmoniously with the environment and organisms during the farming process. Organic producers avoid the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides and livestock drugs. Because these chemical materials will cause serious pollution to the environment, not only polluting the water source, but also poisoning all kinds of organisms, and destroying the soil for a long time, making the farmland no longer suitable for cultivation.

Farmers who carry out organic farming focus on conserving the soil and the farm environment so that the farmland can be used sustainably. They also try to balance beneficial and harmful organisms, reduce the use of foreign materials, and recycle the resources in the farmland, using agricultural, biological or mechanical methods , replacing artificially synthesized substances for farming activities.

In addition to organic certified farms, as the public gradually understands organic farming and begins to pay attention to food safety and environmental issues, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department launched an organic farming transformation plan in 2000 to encourage farmers who are conventionally farming to switch to organic farming methods. It is also hoped that this plan will attract more people to engage in farming, restore the land to farming, and enable the sustainable development of local agriculture. Due to the change in the farming mode, the farmers who have just transformed feel it is difficult to adapt. The crops have been certified by the certification agency to implement the organic cultivation management that meets the certification standards for organic agricultural products and organic agricultural processed products. The short-term crops required to pass the organic certification For example, vegetables and rice require a two-year transition period, and long-term crops such as perennial fruit trees require a three-year transition period. Agricultural products produced during the transition period cannot be labeled with organic agricultural products or posted organic transition labels issued by certification agencies. , the products produced on behalf of the farm have met the requirements of organic certification, and consumers can still buy with confidence. The organic transformation areas are concentrated in the North New Territories, including Ng Ka Tsuen, Tai Kong Po, Ping Che and Fung Kat Heung.

The "CGG-Community Grower Group" (CGG) jointly established by The Federation of Vegetable Marketing Co-operative Societies (FVMCS) and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) refers to a group of farmers who carry out organic farming with similar farming, management and marketing models. The "Organic Farming Transformation Programme" implemented by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department helps farmers switch from conventional practices to organic farming. Organic certification allows the industry to have a unified standard, so that different farms meet certain requirements in all aspects of operation. After farmers apply for organic certification, the issuing agency will send staff to inspect and supervise the operation of the farm to ensure normal operation. With a sound certification system, the organic industry can develop healthily and rapidly.

Many chemical pesticides have the risk of cancer, and long-term exposure can also affect the nervous system. Organic farming does not use any chemically synthesized pesticides, so these adverse effects are avoided. In addition, organic production also prohibits all genetically modified organisms and their derivatives to ensure food safety.

Although conventional agricultural production is cheap, its damage to the environment often requires society to spend extra costs to monitor its operations, treat polluted water sources, improve the damaged environment, and deal with diseases caused by chemical pesticides. These costs ultimately need to be shared by members of society.

At present, most of the local organic farming are independent farmers. Since organic farming requires more manpower and time than conventional farming, their continued operation depends on our purchase and support.

The remaining chemical fertilizers and pesticides in conventional farmland will eventually flow into rivers to pollute water sources and affect the river ecology. Not only do they poison the organisms in the water, but people eat these contaminated foods, which also pose a threat to health.

The conventional tillage process will loosen the soil structure, the soil will not retain water and will cause soil erosion. Organic farming focuses on soil conservation, and the application of organic compost can keep the soil sticky and improve the soil quality.

Organic farming strives to balance the various organisms in the farmland, maintain biodiversity, and hope to achieve harmonious coexistence with the natural environment.

Since the first organic farms appeared in Hong Kong in the 1980s, the number has grown to more than 120, including educational and leisure farms, some self-sufficient, and more than 60 certified and active producers. They are mainly distributed in Kam Tin, Yuen Long and North New Territories. They mainly belong to the following vegetable areas:

1. Fung Kat Heung

2. Tai Kong Po 3. Ng Ka Tsuen

4. Ping Che

The above four organic farming communities are experimental vegetable areas established by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department in 2000 when organic farming was promoted. Due to the increasing acceptance of the market, more farms have converted to organic farming, which has enabled the restoration of abandoned fields. Until the beginning of 2007, the distribution of organic farms producing vegetables in Hong Kong is as follows:

As the public gradually pays attention to food safety, a variety of organic foods have appeared on the market. To distinguish whether vegetables are organic, you must first understand the organic labels and where they are sold.

Labels issued by the Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre:

Both are organic products.