Demand for clean food
“What We Eat and Grow Matters” will be the focus of as workshop hosted by the Baw Baw Food Movement this month.
People world-wide are demanding good, clean food grown without pesticides – and farmers are responding.
Farmers are reducing their use of pesticides and agricultural chemicals by refocussing their efforts on regenerative farming systems and healthy soil.
Regenerative Agriculture is an approach that works with natural systems. It embraces soil biology, biodiversity, water management, long grazing rotations, green manure crops, legumes, compost, agroforestry and landscape literacy.
As more research is done, farmers and scientists are understanding how plants and soil organisms can not only reduce the need for chemical inputs but also effectively capture and transfer carbon from the atmosphere to the soil.
André Leu, a farmer, author, past president of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements and signatory to the Paris Climate agreement, claims “Regenerative agriculture can not only reduce chemical inputs but can change agriculture from being a major contributor to climate change to becoming a major solution.”
So, what do we know about how agricultural pesticides impact us and our environments? What is the role of natural soil processes that allow us to produce food without the use of pesticides? And can this be a solution to important climate change challenges?
André Leu will be visiting Gippsland this month to discuss these important issues hosted by the Baw Baw Food Movement and Western Port Catchment Landcare Network.
Community members are invited to hear André present on these topics at 9.30 am on Wednesday June 27 at Community College Gippsland. This will be followed by a farm walk and further discussion at Hallora in the afternoon.
This free event is the second in a series of community conversations about food presented by the Baw Baw Food Movement – a local network of individuals, groups and organisations from a wide range of backgrounds who have an interest in healthy food, healthy eating and healthy environments.
André also will be speaking in East Gippsland on June 28 and will run a one-day program on Regenerative Agriculture on June 29 at Labertouche. For more information www.wpcln.org.au/event/what-we-eatgrow-matters-with-andre-leu/