Organic Agriculture Flashcards
Organic Agriculture is based on principles of
health
ecology
fairness
care
Organic Agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of
soils
ecosystems
people
Organic Agriculture relies on
ecological processes
biodiversity
local conditions
Organic Agriculture is agriculture that fits into and benefits from
nature’s system
Theme of Organic Culture
Produce high quality, safe food in a manner that tends to preserve the integrity and stability of the biotic community and builds, or at least sustains the inherent productive capacity of the soil and biological resources used in the production process
History of Organic Movement
1915-20s Rudolf Steiner - anthroposophy - spiritual science, later biodynamic farming
1940, Sir Albert Howard published An Agricultural Testament, advocating that Britain preserve the ‘cycle of life’
50s, J.J. Rodale (US) health and nutrition
1960s, the Soil Association opened selling organic produce (England)
60s saw an interest in organic techniques grow throughout Europe and the United States
1990, Federal government set standards for the production, processing, and certification of organic food in the organic food production act of 1990
National Organic Standards Board established by this act
Recent years have seen impressive economic growth
Organic Production Today
106 million acres in production worldwide, sales $72 billion
2 million producers in 170 countries
rise in demand 10% per year
Top 10 Organic Producing Countries
Australia Argentina China USA Spain Italy Uruguay France India Germany
Organic Farming Trends
one of the fastest growing sectors of American agriculture
provides ~2% of food supply, occupies <0.5% of cropland
fruits and vegetables = 43% of market
meat, fish and poultry = 1% but is fastest growing (+30%/year)
44% of sales at grocery stores, 47% at independent stores, 9% at farmer markets, restaurants
organic dairy sales are growing segments
What drives the appeal of organic farming
environmental concerns health concerns economic concerns ethics sustainability of food systems
Why might organic foods be better
pesticide residues in foods antibiotic drug residues food safety genetically engineered foods the environment loss of rural societies
Principles of Sustainable Agriculture are Basis of Organic Farming
Preserve the capacity of the land to meet the needs of humans and other species (ecology)
preserve farming as an economically viable occupation and a rewarding lifestyle (economy)
preserve the integrity of rural communities (society)
Soil characters are Basis of Organic Farming
soil quality = plant health, yield and quality
-strong relation to soil biology and crop
soil is a “organism”, living soil
-eats
-breathes
-circulates fluids and nutrients
-reproduces itself
Five Principles and Practices in Organic Production
Biodiversity Diversification and integration Natural plant nutrition Natural pest management Integrity
Biodiversity in Organic Agriculture
“hedges your bet” on pests, climate, etc.
with diverse crop mixes and animal diversity
intercropping, companion planting, rotation, beneficial habitats
balanced ecosystem
pollination, pest management, nutrient cycling, disease suppression, tilth, nitrogen fixation
Diversification and Integration of Enterprises
Biodiversity encourages diversity among enterprises
- ties needs of crops and livestock together
- forage/grain needs of livestock = diverse crop mix
- legume forages for feed … legumes in rotation leads to nitrogen fixation for subsequent crops
- animal manure is recycled back to crop fields
Natural Plant Nutrition in Organic Agriculture
Begins with proper care and nourishment of organisms responsible for soil digestive processes in the rhizosphere = quality soil
- minimize tillage and soil degradation
- add organic matter and natural rock materials
- result in healthy plants that absorb appropriate amounts of vitamins, minerals and other useful compounds from the living soil
- reduced need to apply external inputs for growth
Natural Pest Management for Organic Agriculture
Pests as indicators of problems
-poor soils, unhealthy plants, unbalanced ecosystem
Could be because of
-low species diversity, natural predators, parasites & disease agents leads to routine pest outbreaks which worsen with time
-leads to reliance on costly control measures (pesticides)
-organic growers believe that pesticides are the cause of ecosystem imbalances
Integrity of Organic Agriculture
systems in place and actions taken to assure that organic products are organic
- organic methods used
- no commingling
- record keeping
- buffers and barriers
- seeds, seedlings and no GMOs
Major differences between organic and conventional
pesticides - no synthetics allowed fertilizers - no synthetics allowed chemical residues in food - some vs. none food - tastier and healthier GMOs - none permitted environmental - sustainable questions
National Organic Program
organic food protection act of 1990
managed by USDA - National Organic Program and they establish standards for producers and processors
Production Standards of USDA
land requirements - must be certified
soil fertility and crop nutrient management
seeds and planting stock standards
crop rotation required
crop pest, weed, and disease management, no synthetic chemicals
wild-crop harvesting is regulated
Labeling Standards of USDA
USDA makes no claims that organic food is better than other food
When buying food, you can tell organic from conventionally produced by package labeling and signs in supermarket
USDA Organic sell products at least 95% organic
Summary of Organic
produced using renewal resources conservation of soil no antibiotics or hormones used no use of synthetic chemicals no use of petroleum based fertilizers no use of sewage sludge based fertilizers no bioengineering of crops of livestock no use of ionizing radiation organic label only from certified farms handlers and processors must be certified
