permaculture

Workshop Module 7: Farming 195

PR

ESEN

TATIO

N

FAC

ILITATOR

Presentation : About sustainable farming

Method : Facilitator presentation

Tools : Images of good farming practice, black/white board, markers

References : PC Book MOD 7 – Farming

Objective : Participants are introduced to sustainable farming concepts

Improvement of the sustainability and long-term productivity of farmland
is essential for the future prosperity of Indonesia. Protection of the natural
environment and its resources is also a key to sustainability. These two goals can be
achieved together if good plans and techniques are used.

Good plans and techniques follow Permaculture ethics and principles and include concepts
such as integration, diversity, following natural patterns, recycling and reusing energy,
and waste management.

The key issues to prioritize are:

• Maximizing production on agricultural land already in use in a sustainable and
  affordable way.


• Forming community cooperatives and farmers’ groups that share resources,
  costs, techniques, and knowledge.


• Improving storage, marketing, and transportation systems for produce.

Many current farming practices use chemical pesticides and fertilizers,
monoculture crops, and hybrid seeds. Farmland where these techniques are
practiced often experience serious problems with poor soil conditions and
serious pest and plant disease problems.

As well as experiencing these problems, many farmers are now very poor because they
have to purchase a great deal of their inputs for farming from commercial outlets. The
chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides, chemical herbicides, tractors, hybrid seeds, and
plastic mulch that is used can cost most of a farmers hard-earned profits.

Farming techniques which promote independence instead of dependence are much
better for farmers and their families, and are much more sustainable for the environment.

Techniques which promote independence include:

• Using local resources as much as possible.


• Using organic methods of farm management, including compost, liquid compost
  and mulch, and recycling of all farm wastes.


• Catching and storing rainfall and preventing erosion and soil loss by using
  terracing and swales.