NITRATE LEACHING, FARMING SYSTEMS AND DIET - COMPARATIVE-EVALUATION AND RESEARCH

Nitrate contamination of ground and surface waters by leaching has inc reased over the past four decades. ?he productive capacity of intensiv e farming has become a problem and the environmental and social conseq uences are unacceptable. 'Alternative' approaches to food production a re increasingly important. Organic farming systems represent the most well defined alternative with inherent characteristics which can limit the potential disruption which is the inevitable consequence of 'conv entional' farming. Nitrate leaching is the result of intensification o f agriculture involving regionalisation and specialisation of farming systems reliant on fertilisers, other agrochemical inputs and animal f eedstuffs. Rotational cropping within mixed farming systems dependant on a low external input of nitrogen has largely been replaced. Nationa l and international diets dictate food production priorities which hav e been met by sophisticated food - and agri-businesses. Nitrate leachi ng is one cumulative consequence of these interrelated developments, E valuation of alternative farming system solutions to any perceived pro blem requires methodologies appropriate to the system and objectives o f study. It is suggested that insufficient attention is paid to the ho listic nature of the problem and the required solutions.