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– Of course, this is a bit more cumbersome here, but it is also very nice to feel that the food we produce comes from the earth and nature, and is not produced artificially, says Harald Eriksen.
He has been our organic farmer at the local farm in Årbergsdalen in Sunnfjord since the 80’s and he never regretted that choice.
Working as an organic farmer means that you use cattle manure instead of artificial fertilizers, that you do not use artificial pesticides to get rid of weeds and insects.
The idea is that this should be better for nature, animals and the farmer, and no less important for the people who will eat the food.
But organic farmers are now fewer and fewer, and the decline is greater than among conventional farmers. In 2009, there were around 3,000 farmers operating organically, now the number is less than 2,000.
– Of course it’s a shame, because it’s a great way to farm. And if you do it correctly, it is possible to earn as much as other farmers, says Eriksen.
15 percent organic farmer target
For several years, the government’s goal has been for more farmers to switch to organic farming. The long-term goal is that 15 percent of the cultivated area is exploited according to ecological principles.
The reality is that less than five percent is organic and that’s the wrong way to go.
Agriculture Minister Olaug Bollestad (KrF) has not had time to reply to NRK this week.
USE WHAT YOU HAVE: Harald Eriksen manages both sheep and suckler cows, and feels the advantage of organic farming is that the farmer depends on the farm’s resources.
Photo: Aleksander Åsnes / NRK
Researcher: – Not only the benefits of organic
But not everyone agrees that organic farming is better than ordinary farming.
Audun Korsæth is a division director and principal investigator at Nibio, the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy.
– There are no big differences between organic farming and conventional farming, and in some areas there are clear disadvantages of organic farming, he says.
Korsæth points out that both in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and the degree of self-rescue in this country, there may be negative aspects for green management.
An organic farmer will produce less food than a normal farmer would have produced in the same area. The result is higher greenhouse gas emissions per kilo of beef or grain.
– And if, like me, you mean that the main task of the farmer is to produce food, then it will be an advantage if we can produce more food. After all, an ordinary Norwegian farmer produces good and safe food.
The researcher points out, among other things, that the level of pesticide in agriculture today is so low that it is not a dangerous cork for the farmer or the consumer.
Organic Norway, on the other hand, believes that the government is not doing enough to make it easier for more people to invest in organic farming.
– The government should make it easier for more people to want to switch to organic farming, says the daily camper at Organic Norway, Børre Solberg.
– Organic is sustainable in the long term.
But Harald Eriksen is not completely convinced.
– Organic farming means that we base our operations on local resources that are already here. It is sustainable in the long term and gives a good feeling.
