Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The social implications of beef and dairy production practices are more
diffi cult to quantify than production or economics, but the welfare of farm
workers is predicted to be the ―next chapter of the food movementǁ by
Michael Pollan [126]. The effects of organic livestock production on rural
communities, land stewardship and human health have already been con-
sidered:
Rural Communities
Organic agriculture strives to be sustainable and therefore to protect the
whole of the environment [127], including workers, owners, and the rural
communities to which they belong. The greater use of pasture in organic
dairy and beef production systems due to the pasture rule has the potential
to influence farm size, which may be more important than farm type in
predicting community participation and involvement. The premium that
consumers are willing to pay for organically produced food allows small,
labor-intensive businesses to prosper. Additionally, the use of locally avail-
able inputs is encouraged in organic agriculture, which in turn increases
demand for other local businesses. Sustaining smaller organic dairies and
beef producers by enforcing the pasture rule and supporting a premium
price for organic beef should result in more farm residents, which should
benefit communities [128]. However, the total number of organic produc-
ers within dairy or ranching communities is small, making the impact of
this factor difficult to quantify.
Land Stewardship
Protecting and enhancing soil fertility by adding manure, compost or by
growing and plowing under cover crops is important in organic agricul-
ture, not only to improve the current land productivity, but also to en-
sure production for future generations. Where perennial pastures replace
cropping systems, there will be a decrease in soil erosion, cultivation and
harvesting, and an increase in organic matter and (where nitrogen-fixing
legumes are used) an increase in the nitrogen content of the soil, support-
ing productivity and the cycling of mineral nutrients through forage use
and the return of nutrients to the soil as urine and dung.
