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Sustainable Farming Methods

Modern agriculture is increasingly exploring sustainable farming methods that reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and fertilisers while protecting soil health, ecosystems, and human well-being. These approaches aim to work with natural processes rather than relying heavily on synthetic inputs.

1. Organic Farming avoids synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilisers. Instead, farmers use natural compost, manure, green manure, and biological pest control methods. Techniques such as crop rotation and the use of organic matter improve soil fertility and encourage beneficial microorganisms. As a result, the soil becomes healthier and more productive over time.

2. Crop Rotation involves growing different types of crops in the same field across different seasons or years. For example, farmers may alternate cereals with legumes. Legumes naturally add nitrogen to the soil, reducing the need for artificial fertilisers. Rotation also interrupts pest and disease cycles, which decreases the need for chemical pesticides.

3. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) combines biological, cultural, and mechanical methods to control pests. Farmers monitor pest populations and only intervene when necessary. Natural predators such as ladybirds, birds, and beneficial insects are encouraged to control pests. Traps, resistant crop varieties, and careful field management also help reduce pesticide use.

4. Agroforestry integrates trees with crops or livestock on the same land. Trees improve soil structure, reduce erosion, and provide shade and organic matter through fallen leaves. They also support biodiversity, which helps control pests naturally.

5. Composting and Natural Fertilisers: Instead of chemical fertilisers, farmers can use compost, animal manure, and plant residues. These materials enrich the soil with organic matter and nutrients, improving water retention and soil structure.

6. Cover Cropping: Cover crops such as clover or rye are planted between growing seasons. They protect the soil from erosion, suppress weeds, and add nutrients when they decompose.

In conclusion, sustainable farming methods such as organic farming, crop rotation, and integrated pest management help maintain soil fertility and biodiversity while reducing reliance on harmful chemicals. These practices promote long-term agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability

Published in the Peebleshire News on 27th March 2026

Categories
Column Environment Food Health

Negative Impact of Pesticides & Fertilisers

Pesticides and chemical fertilisers are widely used in modern agriculture to increase crop yields and protect plants from pests and diseases. While these chemicals help farmers produce more food, their excessive and improper use has serious negative impacts on soil quality and human health. One major problem caused by pesticides and fertilisers is soil degradation. Healthy soil contains microorganisms, insects, and nutrients that support plant growth. However, many chemical pesticides kill not only harmful pests but also beneficial organisms such as earthworms and bacteria. These organisms play an important role in maintaining soil fertility and structure. When they are destroyed, the soil gradually loses its natural productivity and becomes less fertile over time.

Chemical fertilisers also affect soil health. Continuous use of synthetic fertilisers can disturb the natural balance of nutrients in the soil. Instead of improving soil quality in the long term, they often lead to nutrient imbalances and increased soil acidity. Over time, this reduces the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients, making crops more dependent on artificial inputs. In addition to harming the soil, pesticides and fertilisers can also pose serious risks to human health. Residues of pesticides often remain on fruits and vegetables and may enter the human body through food consumption. Long-term exposure to certain pesticides has been linked to health problems such as hormonal disruption, neurological disorders, and even cancer.

Furthermore, these chemicals can contaminate groundwater and nearby rivers through runoff during rainfall. When people consume polluted water, it can lead to health issues such as digestive problems and other chronic illnesses. In conclusion, although pesticides and fertilisers help increase agricultural productivity, their excessive use damages soil health and threatens human well-being. Therefore, farmers and governments should encourage safer agricultural practices such as organic farming, crop rotation, and the use of natural pest control methods to protect both the environment and public health. In my next column we will cover sustainable farming methods that reduce the need for these chemicals.

Published in the Peebleshire News on 20th March 2026

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8th July 2022

This week Bosco Santimano founder and executive director of social enterprise You Can Cook, shares his thoughts on the UK governments easing of regulations around gene editing and has asked Scottish ministers to consider allowing gene-edited crops to be grown in Scotland.

Corporations and scientists in the pockets of big pharma are always on the lookout for a perfect opportunity to peddle their creations on an unsuspecting public. Brexit and the pandemic have given these capitalist opportunists a perfect situation to push for the loosening of legislation controlling the quality and safety of our food; both locally grown and imported from abroad. Westminster is hell bent on removing environmental and health safeguards that environmentalists fought for in this country for decades. So, what is happening now at Westminster? The Tory government in London has introduced a Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill which would set different rules from the EU following Brexit and has asked all devolved nations including Scotland to allow gene-edited crops to be grown. The Scottish governments environment secretary MSP Mairi McAllan dismissed the idea saying that Scotland will set its own food standards under devolution and will not accept any constraint placed on its food policies.


What is gene-editing? Gene editing basically allows scientists to change a plant or animal’s DNA. Many experts would consider it one step before GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organism) which is currently banned in Europe and the UK as a whole. Since Brexit, the UK government is hell bent on eroding all our food and environment safety laws that we as a country fought so hard to achieve over the past many decades. I have previously in my columns highlighted citizens to be vigilant against corporations, lobbyists and greedy politicians who are now convinced that the only way to grow and feed the population in the UK post-Brexit is via gene-edited or GMO foods!


Under the UK’s internal market legislation, introduced by the Tory government at Westminster, anything approved for sale in one part of the UK must be available across the whole of the UK. This legislation basically undermines “Devolution” in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We are already seeing the chaos caused by the “Northern Ireland Protocol Bill” and its hasty signing off as an election promise in their manifesto by the Tories in the 2019 general elections. MSP Mairi McAllan has written to her Westminster counterpart saying: “If the UK government is determined to press ahead with this legislation, it must take steps to ensure that its revisions to the definition of a GMO (genetically modified organism) do not force products on Scotland which do not meet standards here without the consent of the Scottish Parliament”. Simultaneously, also raising concerns about the impact of the bill on Scotland’s food exports to the European Union which currently still has a ban in place for GMO’s.


So, what can we do in Scotland to stop this mad onslaught on our food and its impact on Scottish soil and water in the coming decades if this bill is passed? Once again be informed about the technology that is being promoted, ask questions to your elected MSP/MP and try to understand the link between corporations like Monsanto, politicians and large-scale food producers. The citizens always pay the price when things go wrong, let’s make sure this does not happen to Scotland’s land, water, air and health of its population.

*Originally written & published in the Peeblesshire News and WION.

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6th May 2022

This week Bosco Santimano founder and executive director of social enterprise You Can Cook, shares his thoughts on the cost-of-living crisis in the 5th richest country in the world according to GDP.

In my previous columns I have tackled specific aspects of the state of this country since 2010 and the deliberate and callous attitude by the Tories at Westminster to undermine and reduce the welfare state, first created by Labour after World War II. Since the pandemic began and lockdowns were first initiated in March 2020, we at You Can Cook were stopped right in our tracks by the inability to deliver any of our services to communities locally and across Scotland. A huge loss to many that relied on our services and the nutritious and delicious food that many accessed and enjoyed while learning to cook and eat healthy meals daily for themselves and their families.

We have seen a consistent rise in people and children going hungry because of benefit cuts and sanctions imposed via the DWP on parents; that due to unemployment, disability and lack of opportunities had their only source of income abruptly cut. Add the rise in energy costs since April and we are now in a perfect storm. In many cases we stepped in to provide extra food through our cookery classes so that participants could take home with them meals to share with their families. As an organisation we have been at the forefront of this crisis helping support struggling children and their parents who could not afford to buy food. I will never forget seeing children feeling tired and coming to school hungry because their parents could not feed them breakfast in the morning or even worse dinner the night before!

Since Brexit this problem only got worse due to rising costs of basic foods and putting a huge financial strain on many working-class families and those that have to rely on benefits for no fault of their own. The pandemic, job loses, reduction of benefits and now the unfolding energy crisis has already pushed millions into debt, poverty, homelessness and mental health problems. We have just started to deliver our cookery sessions this year and have already seen a huge increase in the prices of essential commodities like milk, bread, fresh vegetable and fruits, meats, and many other staple foods. The ability to provide extra support has been jeopardised due to high price increases. Children unfortunately are facing the brunt of this situation as they are left feeling vulnerable, hungry and desperate for some relief. The Scottish government is doing it best to mitigate the shambolic rolling out of Universal Credit which is the root of the problem and forcing even more citizens on to foodbanks like never before.

As an organisation we have been in a unique position to help and support the most vulnerable in our community and we have spoken truth to power. Our organisation is not funded by local or national governments. This gives us leverage to raise difficult issues with politicians and bureaucrats albeit at a financial cost to ourselves. Trying to raise awareness about nutritious foods and how to access fresh produce is in jeopardy as the massive price increases in the last few years is making it impossible to convince and motivate people to swap their ready meals for some fresh home cooked meal. Foodbanks are here to stay and have become part of the welfare state.

A sad state of affairs in modern Britain.

*Originally written & published in the Peeblesshire News.