Agencja Konsultingu Rolniczego – Skuteczne Strategie i Nowoczesne Rozwiązania

We can distinguish several general approaches to agriculture and ways of managing production, and therefore quality. These definitions can be treated as reference points, as adopting certain practices does not exclude applying them within other farming systems. Each farming approach aims to achieve the highest possible yields while maintaining the highest possible quality.

This raises an important question: how should we understand quality in agriculture today?

I have selected some of the most widely recognized definitions of agricultural management systems. The descriptions are intended to highlight certain trends and challenges within individual systems rather than provide a complete overview. All the systems described in this article are voluntary, meaning that participation in a specific model is not imposed by regulators. However, in order to obtain, for example, an organic certificate, a carbon certification, or to be included on a list of sustainable producers, it is necessary to follow established methodologies. Certification systems aim to create added value beyond agricultural products themselves. This added value may include services provided for the benefit of the environment. Certification gives buyers confidence that a given plantation or farm was managed according to specific standards during the production process and that the final product will meet defined quality expectations. It is assumed that consumers will increasingly choose certified products and may even be willing to pay more for them, for example because of their lower carbon or water footprint. In this context, quality can be understood not only as the quality of the product itself but also as the quality of the production process. For instance, wheat produced using conventional or sustainable farming methods may meet the highest quality parameters defined in Polish standards (such as protein content, gluten content, falling number, bulk density, or the Zeleny sedimentation index).

The differences lie in factors such as the applied agronomic practices, the effectiveness of production inputs, environmental considerations, farming systems, and other elements. This demonstrates both how the systems described below overlap and how farming can be carried out more effectively by following specific methodologies. Defining quality as a process rather than solely as a product is driving increased interest from businesses in quality management within agriculture. In addition to a high-quality product, companies increasingly expect agriculture to guarantee the quality of the production process as well. This trend results partly from regulatory requirements and partly from growing market competition. Global companies aim to maintain the highest quality standards and therefore expect the same level of quality from their suppliers across all areas of production.

Sustainable agriculture - a broad approach based on the Sustainable Development Goals, which enables economic development of farms while avoiding excessive exploitation of natural resources by farmers.

Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, 9 are directly related to agriculture:

1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health and well-being
6. Clean water and sanitation
8. Decent work and economic growth
12. Responsible production and consumption
13. Climate action
15. Life on land
17. Partnership for the goals

An example is the FSA (Farm Sustainability Assessment) certification, which allows companies producing food and beverages to assess whether a given farm operates according to sustainable standards. It is a voluntary verification program developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform, designed to evaluate and support the implementation of sustainable practices on farms.

Integrated farming - an approach focused on using biological and technological progress in crop protection, cultivation, and fertilization. Certification is issued for a specific plantation in a given year. The methodologies of Integrated Production (IP) are approved by the State Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service. Currently, methodologies for Integrated Production have been developed for both horticultural and agricultural crops and are available on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. According to information published by the Ministry, Integrated Plant Production (IP) is a modern food quality system that combines technological and biological advances in cultivation, plant protection, and fertilization while paying particular attention to environmental protection and human health. Participation in the IP system makes it possible to obtain food of plant origin that meets strict safety standards, including compliance with permissible levels of plant protection products, heavy metals, nitrates, and other potentially harmful substances. The confirmation of the high quality of crops produced under the IP system is the IP certificate and the registered IP label.

Methodologies have been developed for both horticultural and agricultural crops. Among the guidelines for agricultural crops, recommendations are available for:

Sugar beet,
Spring barley,
Maize,
Millet,
Spring and winter wheat,
Winter rapeseed,
Soybean,
Potatoes.

Organic farming - an agricultural production system regulated by the European Union, covering crop production, livestock farming, and horticulture. It includes a regulated (though voluntary) certification system that guarantees environmentally friendly production methods.

The EU organic logo (the “Euro-leaf”) is a registered quality mark for organic products within the European Union.

Organic farming focuses on the use of organic fertilizers and biological and mechanical methods of plant protection. More information about organic production can be found on the European Commission’s website.

Regenerative Agriculture - a farming approach that focuses largely on improving the productivity of degraded soils or maintaining the high productivity of soils that are already in good condition. The regenerative model incorporates elements of sustainable, organic, integrated, and precision agriculture. Regenerative farming emphasizes the use of appropriate agronomic practices and natural processes to protect soil and increase the stability of crop yields on land managed under this system. Various methodologies and certification programs for regenerative agriculture are currently being developed.

One example is the 5C Code proposed by the Terra Nostra Foundation.

Carbon Farming - a farm management approach focused on minimizing emissions from agricultural production and, in the long term, even achieving negative emissions through carbon sequestration in soil. Carbon farming is the newest and least widespread of the approaches described in this article. It can result from implementing elements of precision agriculture and regenerative agriculture. In response to global ambitions for climate neutrality and the transformation of the agri-food sector, methodologies for measuring carbon sequestration and agricultural emissions are being developed. One of the most widely used examples is the VM0042 methodology developed by the certification organization Verra.

Conventional Agriculture - a business-as-usual approach, focusing on short-term economic gains without fully accounting for environmental costs or the full potential of natural resources in agricultural production. This approach relies on traditional cultivation methods and intensive fertilization (mainly mineral fertilizers) and does not adjust sowing or fertilization rates using digital technologies.

Precision Agriculture - it involves the use of computer-based systems to apply agricultural practices in the most optimized way. The use of digital tools allows resources to be used more efficiently in a specific place and at a specific time.

Precision agriculture focuses on analyzing current field conditions and providing farmers with recommendations, such as determining the appropriate fertilizer dosage, irrigation levels, crop density, or the need to apply plant protection treatments. Precision agriculture can support the implementation of the principles of each of the management systems mentioned above.

Further reading:

Sustainable farming - link to SAI Platform

Integrated farming - link to Metodyk Integrowanej Produkcji

Organic farming - link to description on the European Commission website

Regenerative agriculture - link to 5C Code

Precision farming - link to the book „Precision Agriculture”

Organic farming - link do opisu na stronie European Commission website

The quality systems described in this article often overlap, and their common objective is to increase farmers’ profitability. Each system is based on different values or technologies, but economic viability always remains a key goal.

Currently, new methodologies related to carbon farming are emerging. Integrated Production and regenerative agriculture place strong emphasis on additionality, meaning actions that go beyond standard production practices.

In addition to marketing benefits, quality systems can improve soil conditions, support biodiversity, increase the efficiency of input management, and facilitate access to funding for green investments.

These developments suggest that, in the near future, more precise business models, methodologies, and regulations will emerge to structure quality-oriented approaches not only for agricultural products themselves but also for the entire production process.

IS QUALITY IN AGRICULTURE ONLY ABOUT THE PRODUCT?