It is a general principle of organic farming that every living organism should be held in high regard: from the tiniest micro-organism living in the soil to the mightiest tree towering above it. For this reason, every link in the organic food supply chain is geared towards maintaining and, wherever possible, increasing the diversity of plants and animals.
Many practices that increase productivity in organic agriculture (like pineapple production at Bio Exotica) have the natural knock-on effect of increasing plant and animal life and maintaining natural biodiversity. For example:
• Using natural compost increases the concentration of micro-organisms, earthworms, spiders and beetles in the soil
• Prioritising indigenous breeds of plants and animals maintains the natural diversity of different areas
• Introducing natural enemies of weeds and pests, rather than using chemical synthetic pesticides, helps to increase animal life