Disadvantages of customary farming methods
The customary farming method is the agricultural farming method commonly used by modern farmers, that is, it must be sterilized, insecticidal, insect-proof and antibacterial through pesticides. Although conventional farming methods can also be used for farming, it is a vicious cycle. All diseases, insects and bacteria will develop resistance due to the continuous use of pesticides, resulting in heavier use of pesticides, otherwise it will be difficult to produce effects.
Then there is the general practice of farming. Since pesticides are used, there must be chemical fertilizers, which make the land rapidly acidify, harden and become more and more barren, and the crops planted are not easy to grow healthily. Furthermore, herbicides are also necessary drugs in conventional farming methods, but the use of herbicides will have a significant impact on the ecological environment, soil microbial phase, earthworm ecology, soil nitrogen cycle and human health. These are external costs that are difficult to calculate. Moreover, the frequent use of herbicides can also reduce soil fertility and eliminate microflora and earthworms, resulting in farmers having to supplement with additional fertilizers and microbes.
Hiromi Shingu, a famous Japanese medical scientist, pointed out that although the practice of agricultural law can reduce the pests in nature, make crops grow rapidly and obtain economic benefits. However, the long-term use of pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides will destroy the natural ecosystem and eventually make the soil extremely barren, and the microorganisms and other organisms (such as earthworms) in the soil will also be affected by the continuous use of pesticides and herbicides. almost died out of use. In fact, if the soil is not damaged by pesticides, chemical fertilizers and herbicides, a large number of small earthworms will burrow in the soil, which not only has a good soil loosening effect, but also eats the feces after the rotten leaves, which is the most natural , the best organic fertilizers, but these natural loosening and organic fertilizers are naturally produced by pesticides, chemical fertilizers and herbicides, so farmers have to rely on chemical fertilizers for a long time to make plants grow. However, the crops boosted by chemical fertilizers seem to have the same appearance or even become stronger, but they have lost their vitality and nutrients, making them shapeless crops with low nutritional value.
For the so-called quick economic returns and huge output, most of Taiwan's agriculture has adopted the conventional farming method of "pesticide + fertilizer + herbicide" for many years, and the dosage of pesticides and fertilizers is getting heavier and heavier, and eventually the entire ecological environment will be damaged. If the land in Taiwan continues to be used in this way, there may be a food crisis in the future. A report in the National Chung Hsing University's "Xing News" pointed out that the widespread use of "pesticides + fertilizers + herbicides" in Taiwan's farmland is making Taiwan's soil "chronic suicide." Guo Huaren, a professor at the Department of Agronomy at National Taiwan University, pointed out: "Taiwan's farmland is like a patient lying in an intensive care unit. Only two breathing tubes of pesticides and chemical fertilizers are left, which are maintaining the life of Taiwan's agriculture and agriculture." (https://goo.gl/83bz8q).
The temptation of the quick success of conventional farming methods and the blind spots of farmers (only calculating the obvious production costs of manpower, pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, etc.) are the main reasons for the prevalence of conventional farming methods in Taiwan. However, if external costs such as ecological environment damage, food security crisis, and human health hazards are included, the contribution of the customary agricultural law to Taiwan may not be worth the loss. However, due to the deep habit of agricultural practice, if we want to implement friendly land, environment and human health in Taiwan, we will need to carry out a "gigantic conceptual revolution" that adopts "natural and organic farming methods".
Characteristics and advantages of natural farming method and organic farming method
The so-called "natural farming method" is not to use pesticides, but to use some natural materials instead, such as: garlic emulsifiable concentrate, chili water, wood vinegar, etc., that is, to use natural materials to control insects and bacteria. Furthermore, natural farming methods cannot use chemical fertilizers and herbicides, and all fertilizers used are all organic.
Moreover, because the natural farming method does not destroy the microbial phase of the soil and the ecology of earthworms, the soil will be healthy and balanced, and the microorganisms that are beneficial to the soil will convert the organic matter into fertilizer, and will also perform complex natural biochemical actions to improve the soil and create the necessary conditions for plant growth. Natural nutrients and good environment (https://goo.gl/3KPGbN). In addition, in the healthy soil, earthworms will automatically loosen the soil and fertilize for a long time (the manure produced by earthworms after eating rotten leaves is the best organic fertilizer), so that the soil is soft and the thickness of the fertile soil is sufficient, helping the plants to open roots and loose leaves and grow strong. , this is the wisdom of nature.
As for the problem of weeds, it is necessary to use manpower supplemented by machines to weed, or to adopt "grass cultivation". Yang Dechang, director of Kaohsiung District Agricultural Improvement Farm, said that weeds on farmland are not completely useless. If crops and grasses can coexist and prosper, it will not only save the cost of weed control, but also beautify the environment and protect the ecology. beneficial. The key point of grass cultivation is to carefully select grass species, which not only have the characteristics of shallow rooting, high coverage, shade tolerance, drought tolerance, cold tolerance, and trampling tolerance, but also cannot become a breeding source for crop diseases and insect pests. (https://goo.gl/MxrPXk)
Properly adopting natural farming methods, in addition to the effects of pest control, bacteria control and fertilization, the most important thing is that it will not generate external costs such as ecological environment damage, food security crisis and human health hazards. Both ecology and society are helpful. However, in the initial stage of the conversion from conventional farming to natural farming, its output will be relatively small, mainly because if a piece of land used conventional farming in the past and is converted to natural farming at the initial stage, it will take some time for the ecology to recover. Therefore, within this period of recovery, the output will inevitably decrease, that is, it needs to go through a so-called labor pain period. But once it is done, in fact, the yield of natural farming method is not lower than that of conventional farming method, and it is very beneficial to the whole ecological environment, farmers and consumers' health.
Finally, there is a high-level farming method called "organic farming method", which is to pass "organic certification". The conditions for organic certification are relatively strict. Not only can there be no chemical or heavy metal components in the soil, but it must be inspected. Then, the crops must also be sampled, and there must be no pesticide residues or chemical fertilizers. The establishment of this system is to be certified by the organic certification unit. It has a fixed commissioner to do random inspections, so that it forms a mechanism to force you not to use the pesticide, or the chemical fertilizer or herbicide. Category.
Moreover, there are many conditions for organic certification. For example, if there are other conventional agricultural farms around you, you will not be able to certify, because pesticides will be polluting in the air. Then again, if your water source is co-constructed, there is no way to apply. Or the land does not match the purpose (for example, some of the mountains are Linban land), or the land of the State-owned Property Bureau, it cannot pass the organic certification. Organic certification is a compulsory inspection mechanism implemented by certification units, so it effectively ensures the safety of agricultural products. Therefore, organic certification is the most trustworthy.
The second most trusted way to the organic farming method is the natural farming method. Because the natural farming method does not have a certain assessment mechanism, it can only be tested by the farmers themselves to prove that this thing does not contain any pesticides, chemical fertilizers, etc. But farming is to be worthy of the conscience of the world and to do natural farming methods. Although consumers may not be able to see whether your crops are as you said, no pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides are used at all, but you must be responsible for the conscience of the world, otherwise you will be punished of. Although others can't see what you do, God can see it, so the natural farming method is actually a farming attitude and method that is responsible for the world and people.
Corporate Social Responsibility
The current tea cultivation principle of the two masters is that organic is ranked first, and the organic part is regarded as the most important, and the area of organic cultivation is constantly expanding. The two of them cooperated with organic tea farmers and established the entire organic planting system through contract farming, and the planting area is getting wider and wider. If Qi Zuo tea farmers do not have the conditions to achieve organic farming methods, they should at least adopt natural farming methods for the time being, and finally hope that they can transform to the highest-level organic farming methods. Lao Yeliang constantly promotes the use of organic and natural farming methods by Taiwanese tea farmers, and then slowly and continuously reduces the use of conventional agricultural methods in Taiwanese tea gardens.
The two bosses, Liu Chongpei, believe that by persuading other tea farmers and advising them not to use customary farming methods, the two masters themselves will be an example. If the two of them can't do well, or the sales of the products are not good, or there is no fixed channel, or the business cannot be carried out effectively, it will be difficult to persuade other tea farmers to follow up on organic and natural farming methods. But if the masters do well, the quality of the tea is also very good, it is very popular in the market, and the market is also very good, then other tea farmers will also look at it, and he will want to say that everyone has done it, am I right? Come and try it too.
Lao Ye Liang has always upheld a social responsibility along the way, that is, to be an example of organic and natural farming methods. This is the basic concept of Liu Chong Pei, the owner of Lao Ye Liang, that is, to help more tea farmers in Taiwan move towards non-toxic, healthy and organic cultivation. This is beneficial to the ecological environment, to the public, to the tea farmers themselves, or to the sky and the earth. Every link is beneficial. Conversely, if you adopt the conventional farming method, you will basically walk into a dead end, and you will only get deeper and deeper and make the environment worse and worse.
Master Liu Chongpei said: "My personal philosophy is to restore this land to its truly natural and primitive state."
