agriculture - Our Green Health

How to Convert to Organic Farming?

25/02/202225/02/2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

How to convert to organic farming is complicated. Not because of the actual agricultural transition. The final results will give most farmers much more pleasure and satisfaction. Modern conventional farming is doctored out for the farmers in the offices of banks, multinationals, and supermarkets. There is not much fun in farming like this.

No, the biggest problem of the conversion, and the consecutive organic farming experience, is the incessant bureaucracy. This should not be a problem when conventional farmers also had to go through all the same paperwork. Yet, they don’t have to.

Why we Desperately Need Sustainable Citizens’ Initiatives

28/01/2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

We desperately need more sustainable citizens’ initiatives, because we cannot trust politicians to take the effort. I explain my lack of trust in politicians by expressing my amazement about some peculiar political beliefs.

I do this to introduce a project that tries to change devastating agricultural practices for the better: GO Agrodiverso.

It’s an amazing project because it’s aimed at the conservation of as great a variety of national fruits and vegetables as possible. The participants want more biodiversity in agriculture.

Why does Alternative Agriculture Come in So Many Unique Varieties?

04/10/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

To understand why alternative agriculture comes in so many unique varieties, it is good to review some of the most prominent practices.

All alternative agriculture practices have one thing in common: the drive for sustainability.

This drive is no simple feat because it includes the balancing of totally different and seemingly opposite concerns, such as the supply of sufficient human food, and valuable biodiversity.

Despite the fact that there are still too many people who do not have enough food, and there are still way too many people who eat far too much food, not very much is required to restore the human food balance.

Conventional Farming versus Organic Farming: the Unfair Comparison

18/09/202109/04/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

Conventional farming versus organic farming is an unfair comparison. Hannie and I are organic fans. For us, organic is the only truth about food. We want conventional farming to convert to organic, and we want this NOW. Some very relevant questions need to be asked about conventional farming. We also need more organic converts.

Farmers, the agricultural industry, and many consumers believe that the conversion from conventional to organic agriculture is too complicated. Most people shy away from complicated, specifically when it comes to food. The responsibility is firmly put in the hands of the government. However, most governments make unfair comparisons between conventional and organic farming.

Agrifood Chain Overlooks the Importance of Customer Loyalty

28/01/202201/02/2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

The importance of customer loyalty is overlooked by the agrifood chain. The loyalty of consumers is questioned by acting as if they’re stupid. That is one of the opinions I shared in the series of articles I recently wrote about the agrifood complex and its impact on customers.

The first article discussed the food anxiety depression that’s sold to us by governments, agrifood businesses, and scientists.

The second article introduced the debate about food safety.

The third article explained the complexity of the debate about food and the food industry.

In this article, I express my surprise about the lack of the food industry’s confidence in their own capacities. I will illustrate this with two examples. The first is the dairy debate that emerged in The Netherlands at the beginning of the 21st century. The next is the false claims in the European Parliament that the European Green Deal will cause food shortages.