Is Nature-Friendly Farming The Future?

0–5 min | Starter Activity – Think & Pair

Question on board:

How do farmers help crops grow and protect them from pests?

• Students write 2 ideas – Pair and share

Teacher briefly lists ideas (like pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers) and distinction between agrochemicals – a category of synthetic substances widely used in modern intensive agriculture and organic/natural products, or biological alternatives used in organic farming or agroecology, which focuses on fostering natural processes, biodiversity, and soil health.

5–20 min | Section 1: What is Organic Farming vs Vegan Organic Farming?

1️⃣ What is Organic Farming?

To explain what organic farming is watch: FuseSchool – [3:50] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhOrIUlrnPo

Pros and Cons of ORGANIC farming: FuseSchool [3:58] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpkKW45cHaA [increase in land use/ methane particularly a problem if raising animals.]

Explain:

• Uses natural fertilisers (e.g. manure, compost)
• Avoids most synthetic chemicals
• Uses natural pest control where possible and encourage biodiversity
• May still use animal by-products and raise farmed animals
• Often an overlap with permaculture and regenerative farming.

👉 Farmed Animals are part of the system

2️⃣ What is Vegan Organic Farming?

To explain what vegan organic growing is watch: What is Animal Free Farming?  Permaculture magazine [4:33] Benjamin Zephaniah talks to Iain Tolhurst vegan farmer in Oxfordshire  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac7-tpIhDhs

Explain: Also known as “veganic”, “stockfree organic”, “biocyclic”, “plant-based”

• A type of organic farming without farmed animals
• Uses plant-based compost, green manures, crop rotation
• No animal manure, bone meal, or other animal inputs
• Focuses on soil health, biodiversity, and ethics
• Aligns with permaculture and regenerative farming’s ecological principles.

👉 Plants feed the soil – not farmed animal by-products. Encourages wildlife

Check for understanding:

What is the key difference between organic and vegan organic farming?

20–25 min | Section 2: What is a Fertiliser?

What is a fertiliser?

A fertiliser is a substance added to soil to:

• Help plants grow, replace nutrients plants remove from the soil

Why are fertilisers needed?

• Crops use nutrients as they grow, without fertiliser soil can become poor over time

Natural vs Synthetic Fertilisers

Natural fertilisers:

• Green manure crops, compost, animal by products -manure, slurry, bone meal, fish meal

Pros: ✔ Improve soil structure ✔ Support soil life✔ Lower pollution risk

Cons: ✖ Slower nutrient release ✖ Can still cause pollution if misused

Synthetic fertilisers:

• Made in factories, Contain concentrated chemicals

Pros: ✔ Fast plant growth ✔ Easy to measure

Cons: ✖ Can damage soil ✖ Water pollution ✖ High carbon footprint

25–35 min | Section 3: Pesticides

What are pesticides?

Pesticides are substances used to:

• Kill or control insects, weeds, or fungi that harm crops

Why are they used?

• Protect crops, increase food yields, reduce crop loss

Natural vs Synthetic Pesticides

Natural pest control:

• Companion planting, Encouraging predators (ladybirds), Plant-based sprays

Pros: ✔ Safer for wildlife ✔ Less pollution

Cons: ✖ Slower ✖ Not always fully effective

• Chemical sprays

Pros: ✔ Very effective. ✔ Fast results

Cons: ✖ Harm insects (including bees) ✖ Can affect human and animal health ✖ Pollute soil and water

35–42 min | Section 4: Chemicals Used in Animal Production

Examples:

• Antibiotics, Growth hormones (in some countries), wormers, disinfectants

Pros: ✔ Prevent disease in crowded conditions, ✔ Increase food production

Cons: ✖ Antibiotic resistance, ✖ Pollution from waste, ✖ Animal welfare concerns ✖ Chemicals enter soil and water through manure ✖ Can affect animal and human health

42–52 min | Section 5: Comparing Farming Systems

Quick Comparison –Ask pupils to jot down pros and cons of industrial and organic types of farming whilst watching: BBC Teach: Bitesize [7:42] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxh5N_HDCQ

Intensive Farming – Crops

• Selective breeding of Crops, Synthetic fertilisers & pesticides, Manure/slurry from factory farms, Single crop production (monoculture cropping), High yields, High environmental impact

Intensive Farming – Animals

• Large Scale animal confinement, Selective Breeding of animals, Routine use of antibiotics and medicines, Aquaculture – overcrowded fish farms, High yields, High environmental impact

Extensive Farming – Organic Farming

• Natural fertilisers & pesticides
• Better animal welfare if raising animals
• Uses animal manure and by products [must not be from factory farms]
• Fewer chemicals
• Emphasis on sustainability, biodiversity & low environmental impact

Extensive Farming – Vegan Organic Farming

• Plant-based fertilisers only
• No confined animals or use of animal by-products
• Focus on soil health & ecosystems
• Emphasis on sustainability, biodiversity & low environmental impact

52–55 min | Plenary – Exit Question

Students answer one:

• Which farming system do you think is most sustainable? Why?
  OR
• Name one benefit and one drawback of using chemicals in farming.