Agricultural land occupies 50 percent of the earth’s habitable surface, about 41 percent of U.S. land. In the U.S. food production contributes 18 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Concerns of climate change cannot be successfully addressed without addressing agriculture’s contribution to it but, conversely, agriculture can be a potent solution.
Because the underlying theme of the Farm Standard is to generate inputs out of the life of the farm system itself rather than importing them from outside, the heart of a Biodynamic farm’s fertility system is the sequestering and recycling of carbon. Crop rotation and integration of animal agriculture also assist in reducing petrochemical inputs compared to conventional agricultural practices. These factors, in addition to Biodynamic farming’s focus on improving soil health, water quality and biodiversity, combine to make it one of the highest paradigms of sustainable agriculture. Demeter’s vision is to heal the planet through agriculture.
