The Fault is in Ourselves
Harvest Article – Autumn 2015
Farming landscapes and biodiversity conservation are linked; it’s time for us to treat them that way, argues David Wright
I started thinking about biodiversity in New Zealand because of changes to the Demeter Standards. They now require ten percent of a farm to be set aside as a biodiversity reserve. That can include hedges, streams, trees, shelterbelts, stone walls, headlands and a number
of other items. I think that many New Zealand farms, especially family farms, whether biodynamic or otherwise, would have little trouble passing this test. In fact, many farmers go much further than this in ways that I suspect many city folk are unaware of.
