Environmental protection and organics

More as three decades, farms and companies of the Oikopolis group are committed to organic agriculture. Organic agriculture stands for a sustainable production in the broadest sense and for high-quality food. It provides concrete answers to existing global challenges such as biodiversity loss or worldwide land degradation:

• the preservation of soil fertility as a primary goal and cultivated areas demonstrate an elevated active soil life.
• synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are prohibited.
• specific biodynamic preparation processes support the life processes in soil and in plants.
• soil's improved ability to absorb and store water allows for greater resilience in periods of drought.
• ground and surface water are not contaminated and useful insects as well as people working in agriculture remain spared of the damage caused by chemicals.
• it works with a perennial crop rotation system and a high variety of crops.
• the humus-rich soil structure stores more excess carbon from the air and binds nitrogen. In particular, legumes bind nitrogen from the air and make important plant nutrients available for subsequent crops.
• all animals are kept in an appropriate manner according to their species. This means sufficient space for movement, fresh air, high-quality organic fodder and ensuring that animals can live their natural behaviours.
• more extensive livestock keeping and the use of permanent grassland reduce methane emissions and bind CO₂. The number of livestock is limited dependent upon the availability of farmland.
• the health of consumers, farmers and agricultural workers is taken seriously, by - among other measures - banning the use of genetic engineering.
• it pursues the goal of producing nutrient-rich, high-quality food. Products are free of artificial colors, preservatives and flavor enhancers, because the processing of organic food is subject to strict regulations.