Organic Farming: What is it?

Organic farming is an agricultural system that does not use pesticides, nor synthetic chemical fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms, instead it uses methods that include products coming from plants or animals.

Organic farming’s aim is to respect the Human Being by offering 100% healthy products, free from chemical residues, and respect the environment with sustainable practices with positive impact on farming ecosystem.

Organic farming benefits:

• The cultivation techniques keep or increase the levels of organic matter, the stability and the biodiversity of the soil and avoid the compaction and the erosion;
• Development of the soil biodiversity component;
• Less pest and diseases development;
• Increasing soil fertility;
• Reduction of erosion;
• Absence of pesticides vestiges (herbicides, fungicides and insecticides). Lots of pesticides forbidden in some countries, due to its toxicity, are still being used, sometimes illegally sold and obtained through smuggling. Toxicological studies prove that there are a relationship between pesticides and some pathologies like cancer, allergies and asma;
• The use of low solubility organic fertilizers, in exact quantities, decrease the contamination of ground waters and soils;
• The choice of vegetable and animal species that resist to diseases and adapted to local conditions;
• The production needs more labour force than traditional production, that’s why the benefits at the local are evident;
• The products coming from organic farming are, according to defenders, more nutritive than products coming from traditional farming;
• The use of genetically modified plants are forbidden.

Biodiversity

The biodiversity refers to the variety of living organisms in the world and to the complex relationships between them and between those living beings and the environment.

In the Quinta Seis Marias, we promote the richness and variety of this world in its farm, because improving and maintaining biodiversity are essential for the balance of the land and the man who live in interdependence with all.

Certifications

The appellation “Organic” and the abbreviation “Bio” is legally protected and needs a certification. The products coming from organic farming are recognized by the EU organic logo. Click here for more about "Organic Farming"

The Quinta Seis Marias obey the article 23º of the Regulation (CE) nº 834/2007 of the Council , on organic production and labelling.

Click here for more about rules on trade and labelling at Quercus site.

The Farm is controlled and certificated by a body accredited.