Healthy food is worth a fortune

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The head of the ministry reminded us that our responsibility is huge, since the soil will be just a scenery if we don’t take care of it. Farmers and science must therefore jointly provide answers to the challenges facing agriculture. István Nagy said that in recent years, similarly to other countries in the world, the size of the controlled area under organic cultivation and the number of farms engaged in organic farming have increased significantly in Hungary. Our country achieved the third largest development among the European Union member states. In 2020, organic farming accounted for more than 6 percent of domestic agricultural land, which is much higher than the previous 2.5-3 percent. He explained that organic farming, as a food production system, simultaneously aims to preserve the integrity of soils and wildlife, as well as the health of people. A complex system that combines tradition with the results of scientific research and innovation. Organic farming also appears as a model and goal to be followed in the new Common Agricultural Policy, he added.

These are our most important tasks now

The head of the ministry emphasized that one of Hungary’s most important tasks is to double the size of the domestically cultivated areas under organic cultivation by 2027, thereby reaching the 10 percent rate. Among other things, the fact that the ministry will launch a new 5-year program from 2025 on the basis of the Strategic Plan contributes to this objective, among other things. The minister also touched on the fact that agricultural production must also be adapted to the changed environmental conditions. An important tool for this is the application of environmentally and climate-conscious management practices, which develop the mosaic of the landscape and the diversity of biodiversity, improve the condition of the soil and water balance, or the more sustainable use of pesticides. In the process of developing environmentally and climate-conscious agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture can put this into practice by putting even more emphasis on voluntary and incentive programs instead of mandatory and restrictive rules, stressed István Nagy.

AM