Trends and challenges in organic farming in the European Union
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Abstract
Organic agriculture is a production and management system which takes into account the biodiversity, biological cycles, and increased biological activity of soil. Water balance in soil is one of the key factors in organic farming. Currently, organic farming is globally becoming more and more important because of people´s environmental and health concerns. Economic reasons are the strongest motivators of farmers for converting from conventional to organic production, however; the savings coming from lower farming costs. In the European Union (EU), the organic farming area is increasing by about 500,000 ha per year representing now about 6.2% of the total agricultural area. The variation in different countries is high inside EU due to various factors. The best agricultural practices are deployed in organic farming helping farmers to adapt to climate change by strengthening agro-ecosystems, improving soil structure, water management, and water quality, diversifying crop and livestock production, while concomitantly building farmers’ knowledge base.
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