v

Organic farming

in

Hong Kong

Cheng Chung Hei (4B02)

Chow Yuen Yi (4B20)

Fang Qiao Yu (4B23)

Tam Ho Ting (4B29)

1. What is organic farming?

Since chemical fertilizers and pesticides being invented,

the conventional farming method has widely adopted these

artificial inputs. These chemicals may induce quick effect,

but they damage health, pollute environment, disturb ecosystem,

intensify erosion and reduce soil fertility. Moreover, the very

controversial biotechnology, genetic engineering, cannot be

claimed as mature at the moment.Some genetically modified

organisms are found to be possibly jeopardizing human health

and environment. As consumers concern more about environment

and health, the demand for organic products becomes greater.

Organic vegetables

2. How is it different from traditional farming?

Physical inputs

Organic farming Tradition farming

Climate

Larger range of temperature

Strong insolation

Smaller range of temperature

Insolation is weaker

Water resources

From reservoirs

Rainwater

From rivers

From reservoirs

Rainwater

Water wells

Farm size

Smaller

About 3 football courts

Larger

More than 3 football courts

Relief About 150 m or more About 0 m, platform

Soil Fertile or infertile Fertile or infertile

Organic farm size

Human inputs

Organic farming Tradition farming

Labour Less More

Capital Less capital in need More capital in need

Technology Greenhouse Machinery

Transportation Inconvenient Convenient

Outputs

Organic farming Tradition farming

Types of crops Organic Vegetables

Organic Fruits

Vegetables

Fruits

Output amount

Smaller Larger

Market value Become popular recently

years Most important in the

market

Target customers

People who emphasize on health

All people

Farming types

Commercial Commercial

Capital-intensive

Labour-intensive

Organic vegetable – Tomato Organic fruit - Papaya

Physical constraints faced and their remedial measures

Pests - Organic farm would use a bottle which stick a yellow paper

can stick the flies, butterflies, moths, etc.

- Tradition farm would spread pesticides to kill pests, no matter they are good pests to the crops.

Soil is infertile - Organic farm would use peanut bean fertilizers to make the soil fertile.

Also, organic farmers use animal feces to farm. They compost the feces for time and use.

Animal feces

peanut bean fertilizers (left 3)

- Tradition farm would use chemical fertilizers to make the soil fertile, it may affect the aquatic system.

- Organic farm would use crop rotation to farm, it can let soil become fertile when the previous crop left some nutrients and its properties to soil.

- Traditional farm would not use crop rotation to farm, but fallowing. Tradition famers would leave the land abandoned, and farm on that land again after some time.

Water resources is limited - Since the organic farm is located in the mountain, the water resource is

limited because of the location. Therefore, the farm uses the water from reservoir and rainwater to irrigate.

- Traditional farm does not face this constraint because located at the platform. There are many water resources near the farm usually, for examples rivers, dams, pools, wells, etc.

3. To what extent is the organic farm you visited practicing

sustainable farming?

In strong extent is the organic farm that our visited practicing sustainable farming.

In farming and natural resources:

Recycling crop waste and livestock or treated human manure.

Sustainable farming can replenishing the soil while minimizing the use

or need of non-renewable resources.

In soil:

Water resources of a piece of land.

Also use incorporating organic matter back into fields and stop using

chemical fertilizers.

Crops that require high levels of soil nutrients can be cultivated in a

more sustainable manner.

They make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm

resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and

controls and enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.

So we support organic farm that our visited practicing sustainable farming.

4. What are the difficulties/problems faced by organic

farmers in Hong Kong?

Since they do not use chemical fertilizers to grow crops

fast, so the crop growing season is longer than

traditional farming.

As the results, the income of organic farmer is less than the tradition

farmer.

The cost of organic farming is high as they do not use chemicals, they

need to put more time to take care of the crops.

Organic certification system is confused: there are many different organic

certification systems in global, there are many farms 'claiming' that they

farm in organic, however they are claiming in dishonor, this leads to affect

the future of organic farming.

Organic farming use animal manure for composting. However the processes

of composting is easy contaminated because fecal contamination

compared, therefore, there is a higher bacterial content of organic crop.

There are competitions between local markets and mainland china

markets of organic farming, especially the market price of the crops.

5. Do you prefer organic farm produce to non-

organic ones?

We prefer organic farm, because

(1) Organic certification is the public's assurance that products have been

grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent

toxic chemical inputs.

(2) Well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become

nourishing food for people and animals

(3) Organic production reduces health risks, let us become healthier.

(4) Organic food production helps conserve biodiversity because it

encourages a natural balance within the ecosystem and prevent

domination of particular species over the others.

(5) Farmers can reduce their production costs because they do not need to

buy expensive chemicals and fertilizers.

~END~