The Sustainability Flower guidelines require a transparent reporting on
- Strategies, current actions and future plans for managing biodiversity
- Actions taken to prevent loss of animal species
- Steps taken to ensure a wide variety of animals in and around the farm
- Treatment of animals (if kept on the farm)
Organic Farming and Biodiversity / Animal Welfare
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. When the term biodiversity is used in the context of organic farming, it doesn’t just mean more plants and animals, but also that more of the plants and animals native to a particular area grow in a natural way. Particular emphasis is also given to the preservation of native and endangered species of animals and plants.
Furthermore, no system of farming has higher levels of animal welfare standards than organic farming. When you buy certified organic meat and dairy products, you can be sure that the animals have been fed a healthy diet, there is no factory farming, they have had access to the outdoors, and have been cared for in ways that reduce stress and disease. Under organic rules, all aspects of animal welfare are tightly controlled, including rearing, shelter, feeding, transportation and slaughter. Ensuring good health is better than relying on drugs to treat disease, which is why so much emphasis is placed on practices that encourage healthy farm animals. Organic farmers do this in many practical ways, such as keeping numbers down to reduce stress, providing appropriate nutritious feed, and ensuring easy access to the outdoors. Organic animals cannot be given growth promoting hormones, regular doses of antibiotics or genetically modified (GM) feed.