Organoponicos
One representative organoponico was studied in detail while complementary information was collected from ten others
Intensive urban horticultural production systems
Cultivation takes place in container beds filled with an organic matter and soil mix
Cultivation techniques include crop rotations, intercropping, use of beneficial insects, organic fertilizers (worm compost, sugar-cane waste), manual weeding and biological control
Results
It was determined that the organoponico operations practise a form of ecological agriculture that is “functionally organic” since the major flows are organic and the system is ecologically sound
To meet internationally recognized organic marketing standards some practices would have to be changed such as the use of prohibited inputs and the lack of production records
Future of organoponicos?
There are concerns that under changing economic conditions farmers may abandon ecological production methods in favour of cheap chemical inputs
One representative organoponico was studied in detail while complementary information was collected from ten others
Intensive urban horticultural production systems
Cultivation takes place in container beds filled with an organic matter and soil mix
Cultivation techniques include crop rotations, intercropping, use of beneficial insects, organic fertilizers (worm compost, sugar-cane waste), manual weeding and biological control
Results
It was determined that the organoponico operations practise a form of ecological agriculture that is “functionally organic” since the major flows are organic and the system is ecologically sound
To meet internationally recognized organic marketing standards some practices would have to be changed such as the use of prohibited inputs and the lack of production records
Future of organoponicos?
There are concerns that under changing economic conditions farmers may abandon ecological production methods in favour of cheap chemical inputs
