What is organic farming?

The most important principles of organic agriculture are:

• soil fertility is preserved and increased by maintaining organic matter levels, encouraging soil biological activity,  and using the right soil cultivation at the optimal time. Nutrients are provided (via biological nitrogen fixation) by legumes and effective recycling of organic material such as crop residues and livestock manures;
• mineral nitrogen fertilisers are not used;
• weed, disease and pest control relies primarily on preventive natural methods or mechanical methods;
• appropriate crop rotations are practiced, resistant varieties are grown, useful predators that eat pests are encouraged;
• animal welfare is important; the conditions are provided for natural behaviour, having access to grassland or outdoor areas, eating organic fodder;
• the use of substances to promote growth or production and the use of hormones or similar substances to control reproduction or for other purposes is prohibited; synthetic allopathic veterinary medicinal products are not used for preventive treatment;
• the number of animals kept is balanced with the size of the land;
• genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and products produced from or by GMOs are not used;
• biodiversity is preserved and enhanced as much as possible.

The farmer has to go through conversion period after starting organic plant and/or livestock production; during this period the produce from the farm cannot be labelled as organic.

Processing of organic food:

• only a few mostly natural additives are allowed;
• synthetic flavourings, sweeteners, flavour enhancers, GMOs and irradiation are not permitted.