Summary of Module 3

Natural resource management

Water, soil, agricultural biodiversity, energy sources, land (and the environment), and animals are resources that require proper management if we wish to practise sustainable farming. Generally, raising livestock requires more of those natural resources and produces more greenhouse gas emissions. For saving water, preserving soil quality, and enriching biodiversity, you can try out cover crops (different crops like grass, small grain, or legumes that farmers plant in the time periods between growing their cash crops), agroforestry, mound beds (hill-shaped garden beds), using native vegetation, and reducing field size. And remember – farming and renewable energy are a winning combination!

Circular economy

Circular economy aims to extend the products’ life cycle and minimise waste.  Next to practising sustainable management of natural resources listed in the previous chapter, you can try out other solutions on your farm, like composting, reusing water and different materials (paper, clothes, etc.), choosing biodegradable packaging or offering zero-waste options, and growing sustainable foods (lentils, beans, tomatoes, etc.) or producing innovative plant-based alternatives for meat and dairy.

Farm to table

This movement is about promoting cooking and serving local food. Food trucks are a good option if you wish your consumers to get fresh locally grown food directly from the source. Online shopping can also be considered a sustainable option, since one delivery vehicle can reach several customers instead of everyone driving to your shop in their own car.

Sustainable farming approaches

Organic farms must not use industrial fertilisers, synthetic pesticides, and GMOs. Precision farming uses modern technologies and aims to maximise the profit on the smallest possible surface. Carbon farming aims to increase the long-term bound carbon in the soil to reduce oxidation. Permaculture aims to create sustainable systems that involve communities, farms, businesses, homes, etc.

Tourism and education

Tourism in rural farms (agritourism) includes ecoagritourism (organic farms), ecotourism (nature-oriented), and cycling tourism (experiencing the area via bike). Agritourism activities include farm shops, petting farms, horse riding, crafts (like mills), sports, mushroom picking, etc. School farms are an important part of agricultural education, offering courses on food preparation, crafts, and more.

Case studies

The case studies are examples of sustainable agricultural practices. They focus on maintaining and improving the health of soil and crops. They are all engaged in educational activities that promote ecological, high quality, and local products. The examples include farms from Greece, Czechia, and Slovenia. Practices range from raising livestock to crop production and offer an insight into the use of blue-green infrastructures, self-sustainability methods, customer self-service, farm-to-fork principles, and agritourism.