Students:Kateřina Racková: Difference between revisions

== Topic: Organic farming in Germany and Czech Republic ==

Nowadays increasingly more people are interested in “green” lifestyle. Desire to return back to the roots, back to nature, stems from the fact that people start to realize that conventional lifestyle in developed countries is neither sustainable nor healthy. Eating healthy and sustainably produced food is definitely part of alternative “green” lifestyle.  

The most important difference between organic and conventional farming is that organic farming uses methods friendly to environment, animals and human health! Artificial fertilizers and chemicals such as pesticides are forbiden! Animals can live in a way that does not stress them, they can live together with other animals of the same kind, with enough space around them, with possibility to spend some time outside etc.

When Germany and the Czech Republic are compared, in both countries farmers need to produce crops and breed animals in an organic way for three years and only after they can gain "bio" certifications for their products. In Germany it is easier to sell products directly to customers who are willing to buy them despite the fact bio products are more expensive compared to non-bio. In the Czech Republic it is more difficult for farmers to sell directly to customers so they have to sell part of the production to shops thus gain less profit. Czech people also hesitate to buy bio as it is too expensive and they cannot afford buying bio. Moreover some of them doubt bio products are more healthy and think they are the same but only with a stick on them. In both countries organic farming represents only a few percent of total production.

In conclusion, situation for bio products and organic farming is more favorable in Germany. However in both countries there still remains a long way to be gone towards sustainable food production.