Organic farming is a production method defined and regulated at EC level by the EEC Reg.  2092/91, and at Italian national level by the Ministerial Decree  (D.M.) 220/95.

 

In organic farming synthetic chemical substances (such as fertilizers, weeding chemicals, antifungi, insecticides and pesticides in general) or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) cannot be used.

For crop protection prevention is mainly used, making a selection of species resistant to pests and carrying on certain cultivation techniques like, for instance:

• crop rotation: avoiding cultivation for more seasons in a row on the same soil of the same crop. This from one side it destroys a favourable environment for pests to proliferate, and from the other side nutrients of the soil are used in a more sound and less intensive way

• planting bushes and trees: this ameliorate the landscape, give shelter to natural predators of common pests and perform as a physical barrier to possible external pollutants

• intercropping: meaning to plant in the same space and time different crops, the one being unfavourable to the other’s one pests.

 

In organic farming natural fertilizers are used, such as manure and other composted organic substances (green cuttings, etc.) and green organic matter incorporation, this latter done with Trifolium spp. and Sinapis spp..

In case of need, for crop protection it can be used natural vegetable, animal or mineral substances, useful insects that predate pests, rock meals or natural minerals to correct structure or characteristics of the soil or to protect crops from fungi.

If deemed necessary for the protection of crops from pests the grower can use only the natural substances clearly authorized and described in the EEC Reg. (with the criteria of the “positive list”).