S T U D E N T MA R C I A N B A C I U

F A C U L T Y O F E N V I R O N ME N T A L P R O T E C T I O N O R A D E A



Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as
crop rotation, green manure, compost, and biological pest control.
Depending on whose definition is used, organic farming uses fertilizers
and pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides) if
they are considered natural (such as bone meal from animals or pyrethrin
from flowers), but it excludes or strictly limits the use of various methods
(including synthetic petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides; plant growth
regulators such as hormones; antibiotic use in livestock; genetically
modified organisms; human sewage sludge; and nanomaterials.) for reasons
including sustainability, openness, independence, health, and safety.
ORGANIC FARMING?
Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that
promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological
activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management
practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony."

Since 1990 the market for organic food and other products has grown rapidly,
reaching $63 billion worldwide in 2012. This demand has driven a similar
increase in organically managed farmland which has grown over the years
2001-2011 at a compounding rate of 8.9% per annum. As of 2011,
approximately 37,000,000 hectares (91,000,000 acres) worldwide were farmed
organically, representing approximately 0.9 percent of total world farmland
(2009).
ORGANIC FARMING?



Organic Farming was the original type of agriculture.
Forest gardening, a fully organic food production system which dates
from prehistoric times.
The organic movement began in the mid-1920s in central Europe.

HISTORY OF ORGANIC FARMING
There are several organic farming systems.
Biodynamic farming is a comprehensive approach, with its own international
governing body.
The Do Nothing Farming method focuses on a minimum of mechanical
cultivation and labor for grain crops.
French intensive and biointensive, methods are well-suited to organic
principles.
Other examples of techniques are holistic management, permaculture, SRI
and no-till farming (the last two which may be implemented in conventional
or organic systems).
ORGANIC FARMING SYSTEMS


"An organic farm, properly speaking, is not one that uses certain methods and
substances and avoids others; it is a farm whose structure is formed in
imitation of the structure of a natural system that has the integrity, the
independence and the benign dependence of an organism"

Wendell Berry, "The Gift of Good Land"
ORGANIC FARMING METHODS
Organic farming methods combine scientific knowledge of ecology and
modern technology with traditional farming practices based on naturally
occurring biological processes. Organic farming methods are studied in the
field of agroecology. While conventional agriculture uses synthetic pesticides
and water-soluble synthetically purified fertilizers, organic farmers are
restricted by regulations to using natural pesticides and fertilizers. The
principal methods of organic farming include crop rotation, green manures
and compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation. These
measures use the natural environment to enhance agricultural productivity:
legumes are planted to fix nitrogen into the soil, natural insect predators are
encouraged, crops are rotated to confuse pests and renew soil, and natural
materials such as potassium bicarbonate[25] and mulches are used to control
disease and weeds. Hardier plants are generated through plant breeding rather
than genetic engineering.
ORGANIC FARMING METHODS


conventional farmers can actually reduce production cost by over 25%.
eliminating the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
minimizing soil erosion by up to 50% and increasing crop yields up to five-
fold within 5 years.
free from harmful chemicals, artificial flavors and preservatives.
Eating organic foods may in fact, reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and
cancer.
ADVANTAGES OF ORGANIC
FARMING:

Yield
Energy
Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change
Water use
Localisation
Pesticides
Ecosystem impact
Nutritional benefits
Seed-saving
Job creation

BENEFITS OF ORGANIC FARMING:
SOIL- building practices such as crop rotations, inter-
cropping, symbiotic associations, cover crops, organic
fertilizers and minimum tillage are central to organic practices.
WATER- In many agriculture areas, pollution of
groundwater courses with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is
a major problem.
AIR&CLIMATE- Organic agriculture reduces non-renewable
energy use by decreasing agrochemical needs. And contributes
to mitigating the greenhouse effect and global warming
through its ability to sequester carbon in the soil.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
OF ORGANIC FARMING
Crop diversity is a distinctive characteristic of organic farming.
Conventional farming focuses on mass production of one crop in one
location, a practice called monoculture.
The science of agroecology has revealed the benefits of polyculture (multiple
crops in the same space), which is often employed in organic farming.
Planting a variety of vegetable crops supports a wider range of beneficial
insects, soil microorganisms, and other factors that add up to overall farm
health.
Crop diversity helps environments thrive and protect species from going
extinct.
CROP DIVERSITY
Biological research into soil and soil organisms has proven beneficial to
organic farming.
Varieties of bacteria and fungi break down chemicals, plant matter and animal
waste into productive soil nutrients.
In turn, they produce benefits of healthier yields and more productive soil for
future crops.
Fields with less or no manure display significantly lower yields, due to
decreased soil microbe community, providing a healthier, more arable soil
system.
SOIL MANAGEMENT
Organic Agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal, human
and planet as one and indivisible.

This principle points out that the health of individuals and communities cannot be
separated from the health of ecosystems - healthy soils produce healthy crops that foster
the health of animals and people.

Health is the wholeness and integrity of living systems. It is not simply the absence of
illness, but the maintenance of physical, mental, social and ecological well -being. Immunity,
resilience and regeneration are key characteristics of health.

The role of Organic Agriculture, whether in farming, processing, distribution, or
consumption, is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the
smallest in the soil to human beings. In particular, organic agriculture is intended to
produce high quality, nutritious food that contributes to preventive health care and well -
being. In view of this it should avoid the use of fertilizers, pesticides, animal drugs and
food additives that may have adverse health effects.
PRINCIPLE OF HEALTH
Organic Agriculture should be based on living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them
and help sustain them.

This principle roots Organic Agriculture within living ecological systems. It states that production is to be
based on ecological processes, and recycling. Nourishment and well -being are achieved through the ecology of
the specific production environment. For example, in the case of crops this is the living soil; for animals it is
the farm ecosystem; for fish and marine organisms, the aquatic environment.

Organic farming, pastoral and wild harvest systems should fit the cycles and ecological balances in nature.
These cycles are universal but their operation is site-specific. Organic management must be adapted to local
conditions, ecology, culture and scale. Inputs should be reduced by reuse, recycling and efficient management
of materials and energy in order to maintain and improve environmental quality and conserve resources.

Organic Agriculture should attain ecological balance through the design of farming systems, establishment of
habitats and maintenance of genetic and agricultural diversity. Those who produce, process, trade, or consume
organic products should protect and benefit the common environment including landscapes, climate, habitats,
biodiversity, air and water.
PRINCIPLE OF ECOLOGY
Organic Agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common
environment and life opportunities

Fairness is characterized by equity, respect, justice and stewardship of the shared world, both among people
and in their relations to other living beings.

This principle emphasizes that those involved in Organic Agriculture should conduct human relationships in a
manner that ensures fairness at all levels and to all parties - farmers, workers, processors, distributors, traders
and consumers. Organic Agriculture should provide everyone involved with a good quality of life, and
contribute to food sovereignty and reduction of poverty. It aims to produce a sufficient supply of good
quality food and other products.

This principle insists that animals should be provided with the conditions and opportunities of life that accord
with their physiology, natural behavior and well -being.

Natural and environmental resources that are used for production and consumption should be managed in a
way that is socially and ecologically just and should be held in trust for future generations. Fairness requires
systems of production, distribution and trade that are open and equitable and account for real environmental
and social costs.
PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS
Organic Agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to
protect the health and well-being of current and future generations and the environment.

Organic Agriculture is a living and dynamic system that responds to internal and external
demands and conditions. Practitioners of Organic Agriculture can enhance efficiency and
increase productivity, but this should not be at the risk of jeopardizing health and well -
being. Consequently, new technologies need to be assessed and existing methods reviewed.
Given the incomplete understanding of ecosystems and agriculture, care must be taken.

This principle states that precaution and responsibility are the key concerns in management,
development and technology choices in Organic Agriculture. Science is necessary to ensure
that Organic Agriculture is healthy, safe and ecologically sound. However, scientific
knowledge alone is not sufficient. Practical experience, accumulated wisdom and traditional
and indigenous knowledge offer valid solutions, tested by time. Organic Agriculture should
prevent significant risks by adopting appropriate technologies and rejecting unpredictable
ones, such as genetic engineering. Decisions should reflect the values and needs of all who
might be affected, through transparent and participatory processes.
PRINCIPLE OF CARE
As of 2001, the estimated market value of certified organic products was estimated to be
$20 billion. By 2002 this was $23 billion and by 2007 more than $46 billion. By 2012 the
market had reached $63 billion worldwide.

Europe (2011: 10.6 million hectares, which is 5.4 percent of Europe's farmland and an
increase of 6% from the prior year; Europe has 29% of the worlds organic agricultural
land) and North America (2011: 2.8 million hectares, 7.5% of the worlds organic
agricultural land) have experienced strong growth in organic farmland. In the EU it grew by
21% in the period 2005 to 2008. However, this growth has occurred under different
conditions. While the European Union has shifted agricultural subsidies to organic farmers
due to perceived environmental benefits, the United States has not,[86] continuing to
subsidize some but not all traditional commercial crops, such as corn and sugar. As a result
of this policy difference, as of 2008 4.1% percent of European Union farmland was
organically managed compared to the 0.6 percent in the U.S.

As of 2012 the country with the most organic land was Australia (12 million hectares),
followed by Argentina (3.8 million hectares), and the United States (1.9 million hectares).
GROWTH
The decreased cost of synthetic fertilizer and pesticide inputs, along with the higher prices
that consumers pay for organic produce, contribute to increased profits. Organic farms
have been consistently found to be as or more profitable than conventional farms. Without
the price premium, profitability is mixed. Organic production was more profitable in
Wisconsin, given price premiums.

For markets and supermarkets organic food is profitable as well, and is generally even sold
at significantly higher rates than non-organic food

However, when the buyer compares prices and buys consciously, organic food is not always
more expensive for the buyer than non-organic food. For example, in 2000, Phillipe Renard
made his restaurant to switch to use 85% organic food, without increasing the cost for the
clients. In the documentary "Architects for Change", he also stated that since 2000, the cost
of organic products has come down even more, and at present, it is no longer a problem to
attain organic products at a price comparative to products of non-organic agriculture.
PROFITABILITY
Supporters claim that organically managed soil has a higher quality and higher water
retention. This may help increase yields for organic farms in drought years. Organic farming
can build up soil organic matter better than conventional no-till farming, which suggests
long-term yield benefits from organic farming. An 18-year study of organic methods on
nutrient-depleted soil, concluded that conventional methods were superior for soil fertility
and yield for nutrient-depleted soils in cold-temperate climates, arguing that much of the
benefits from organic farming are derived from imported materials which could not be
regarded as "self-sustaining".

In Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, geomorphologist David Montgomery outlines a
coming crisis from soil erosion. Agriculture relies on roughly one meter of topsoil, and that
is being depleted ten times faster than it is being replaced. No-till farming, which some
claim depends upon pesticides, is one way to minimize erosion. However, a recent study by
the USDA's Agricultural Research Service has found that manure applications in tilled
organic farming are better at building up the soil than no-till.
SOIL CONSERVATION
A wide range of organisms benefit from organic farming, but it is unclear whether organic
methods confer greater benefits than conventional integrated agri-environmental programs.
Nearly all non-crop, naturally occurring species observed in comparative farm land practice
studies show a preference for organic farming both by abundance and diversity. An average
of 30% more species inhabit organic farms. Birds, butterflies, soil microbes, beetles,
earthworms, spiders, vegetation, and mammals are particularly affected. Lack of herbicides
and pesticides improve biodiversity fitness and population density. Many weed species
attract beneficial insects that improve soil qualities and forage on weed pests. Soil-bound
organisms often benefit because of increased bacteria populations due to natural fertilizer
such as manure, while experiencing reduced intake of herbicides and pesticides. Increased
biodiversity, especially from beneficial soil microbes and mycorrhizae have been proposed
as an explanation for the high yields experienced by some organic plots, especially in light
of the differences seen in a 21-year comparison of organic and control fields.

Biodiversity from organic farming provides capital to humans. Species found in organic
farms enhance sustainability by reducing human input (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides).
BIODIVERSITY
"Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils,
ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and
cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse
effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to
benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good
quality of life for all involved..."

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
PROPONENTS OF ORGANIC
FARMING
There is no doubt that organic vegetables and other products are important these days. If
you value your health and those of your family you can buy these from the store or plant
it yourself
For those who dont have a big garden, they can try growing these organically
grown vegetables in containers. They require more water than those planted in the
soil so give doses frequently
For those who decide to buy organically grown vegetables, remember to
wash before cooking them. This will remove any harmful substances or
residue that may still be there which is invisible to the naked eye