Biointensive agriculture

Biointensive agriculture is an organic agricultural system that focuses on achieving maximum yields from a minimum area of land, while simultaneously increasing biodiversity and sustaining the fertility of the soil. The goal of the method is long term sustainability on a closed system basis. It is particularly effective for backyard gardeners and smallholder farmers in developing countries, and also has been used successfully on small-scale commercial farms.

Many of the techniques that contribute to the biointensive method were present in the agriculture of the ancient Chinese, Greeks, Mayans, and of the Early Modern period in Europe, as well as in West Africa (Tapades of Fouta Djallon) from at least the late 18th century. Alan Chadwick brought together the biodynamic and French intensive gardening methods, as well as his own unique approach, to form what he called the Biodynamic-French Intensive method.

The method was further developed by John Jeavons and Ecology Action into a sustainable 8-step food-raising method officially known as "GROW BIOINTENSIVE® Sustainable Mini-Farming". The method now enjoys widespread practice and further development, and according to Ecology Action, has been used in over 140 countries around the world, in almost every climate and soil where food is grown. Components important to the biointensive approach include:

The biointensive method provides many benefits as compared with conventional farming and gardening methods, and is an inexpensive, easily implemented sustainable production method that can be used by people who lack the resources (or desire) to implement commercial chemical and fossil-fuel-based forms of agriculture.

Ecology Action’s research (Jeavons, J.C., 2001. Biointensive Mini-Farming Journal of Sustainable Agriculture (Vol. 19 (2), 2001, p. 81‐83) shows that biointensive methods can enable small‐scale farms and farmers to significantly increase food production and income, utilize predominantly local, renewable resources and decrease expense and energy inputs while building fertile topsoil at a rate 60 times faster than in nature (Worldwide Loss of Soil – and a Possible Solution Ecology Action, 1996).

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