Joining the Dots Between Farming, Food and Health

We are facing a worldwide health crisis – in our natural resources, in our ecosystems, in crops, animals and humans.  Dis-ease (I use that term deliberately) is rife in all of these areas; and it will overwhelm us if we continue our folly of failing to recognise that the health of all of them is inextricably linked.

Organic farming came about as a direct response to this threat.  It is the only farming and growing system consciously built on a concept of health.  Whatever the merits of agroecology, precision farming, low-input farming, regenerative farming, sustainable farming, nature-farming, or any of the other ‘buzzword farming’ approaches, they are not conceptually or systemically built around health in the way that organic farming is.

The idea of ‘the living soil’ and Lady Eve Balfour’s memorable phrase “health – whether of soil, plant, animal and man – is one and indivisible” highlights the philosophy and concept of health which is the fundamental basis of organic farming and food.

But the reality is that few farmers and growers actually farm for health as a priority output.  Even among many organic farmers there is an assumption that if we don’t do some things and do others then ‘health’ will happen.  It’s a sort of comfort blanket rather than a management strategy.

In fact, we don’t really know how to manage the dynamic of positive health.  We are not clear about how it works, how it’s transmitted, how and why some farms and holdings burst with health so much it almost ‘smacks you in the face’ and others don’t – even when they seem to be doing the right things.

From organic farming to whole health agriculture

In 1976, I began to convert a family-owned mixed dairy to an organic system.  My hands-on farming back in those early years was milking our commercial Jersey herd.  I became fascinated with the process of practical health management – not just looking for alternatives to antibiotics, but how all aspects of the farm and its management create health or dis-ease.  These challenges eventually led to my co-founding and then directing for 30 years the Organic Research Centre at Elm Farm.  During my time there I became increasingly obsessed by health questions; what makes a ‘healthy’ farm?  What qualities does it have?  How are these passed on in its food and environment to people and animals?

I firmly believe the health of soil, plant, animal and man truly is one and indivisible and that it can be a practical reality on all farms, but there has to be an understanding of what fosters and sustains positive health, wellbeing and vitality for the whole farm, including its people.  This requires a paradigm shift in how we think about the farm as an organism and a system.

Back in 1981, the characteristics of well-functioning and sustainable organic systems were described by the United States Department of Agriculture as

‘Organic farming is a production system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives.  To the maximum extent feasible, organic systems rely on crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off-farm organic wastes, and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilth, to supply plant nutrients and to control insects, weeds and other pests.

The concept of the soil as a living system…that develops…..the activities of beneficial organisms… is central to this definition.’

Here we can see what organic farmers do not do, what positive things they do instead, and the context in which they work, i.e., the living soil.

This context was further expanded by IFOAM in its organic principle of ecologywhich ‘roots organic agriculture within living ecological systems’.  It states that production is to be based onecological processes, and recycling.  Nourishment and well-being are achieved through the ecology of the specificproduction environment.  For example, in the case of crops this is the living soil; for animals it is the farmecosystem; for fish and marine organisms, the aquatic environment.

I am convinced that much of the variability in the success of organic production and in the quality of organic food today, is due to the degree to which farmers and growers follow and put into practice these precepts and characteristics.  However, I am equally convinced that how they are followed and practised – the nature and nuance of their management – is the critical factor in achieving a consistent and sustainable dynamic of health and wellbeing.  It’s why some farms ooze health and others don’t.

As one of the founders of Whole Health Agriculture, I believe that understanding this and making positive health management a central part of farming and food production is vitally important.  To quote one of our members, “You have to join the dots as everything is linked.  For true health you have to consider every element of the farm”.  The most successful farmers and growers demonstrate this not only through their practice but also through their longevity and commercial success, which is why we are exploring what they do at the Wales Real Food and Farming Conference 2024, an event which never fails to offer a platform for these important discussions.

WHAg empowers farmers to learn and adopt Whole Health systems that engender vitality, resilience and immunity in livestock and crops.  Through programmes of education, information and investigation, we support farmers to end reliance on synthetic chemicals, antibiotics and intensive interventions.