I am an organic tennant dairy farmer in Scotland. We have diversified into added value dairy and beef products and tourism, exporting as far as Sth. Korea.
Over the past 10 years we have developed and implemented a sustainable foood model which has been independantly assessed and relative to an average UK dairy, cuts soluble fertiliser, weed-killers and vaccines by 100%, anti-biotic and pesticide use by 90%, GHG emissions and energy use per unit of product by 50%, enhances biodiversity by 300% and substantially cuts diffuse pollution while doubling the productive lifetime of the cows.
The model requires 20% less hours per worker and achieves award-winning animal welfare standards, while delivering a net gain to the global food supply. By its nature it relies substantially less on purchased inputs and as such displays a greatly enhanced robustness against global commodity price fluctuations.
The model is a management-based system and has been developed around the principles of Lean Production - waste minimisation, simplification and cost internalisation, and applies the techniques used by agri-ecology, agri-forestry and renewable energy systems.
It is profitable, even at current prices.
The major hurdle against achieving full implementation is the cost of conversion. We have sought assistance from funding bodies and research organisations to no avail. We have taken the model to the industry, agricultural journalists, research organisations and consumer groups. Apart from the consumers, the reaction has ranged from dis-belief through dis-interest to out-right hostility.
We have achieved 80% of the model targets and need the funding to achieve the final, but most difficult, part of the model.
It seems to us that the only way forward is to raise the funding required through some kind of crowd-funding/private share-issue approach. The industry is clearly disinterested in what seems to me to achieve the elusive goal of sustainable intensification.
The reason for the industry reaction, I fear, is that we have a consumption-based food system and, let's face it, its over-consumption that is driving all the issues arising from western agriculture. Our management-based model flies in the face of that mantra.
So, I'm afraid, your search for sustainable farming systems is not going to be seriously helped by the existing agricultural establishment.
I hope this example might help you in formulating your approach to this crucial issue.
Good luck!
David Finlay