Organic farming and food is a collective name for methods of farming and foods that meet certain requirements in terms of environment, nature and landscape, animal welfare and production. In the Netherlands is also the word used ecological and English word organic. These terms refer to the same agricultural methods, the minimum requirements for internationally agreed and recorded.
There are different requirements for organic farming and nutrition. These are the areas of:
certification and supervision
vegetable farming
livestock
prepared foods
import
restrictions in the use of plant protection products
Basic technical requirements in organic farming are made, are listed in European Regulations 834/2007 and 889/2008. In the European Member States may still occur due to differences in interpretations of this basic law. For the technical requirements stated in the Netherlands, see the website of Skal foundation [2]. For Flanders may be made to the websites of Department of Sustainable Agricultural Development of the Flemish government [3]. For general information on organic agriculture and food, see the website of the foundation Bionext [4] for the Netherlands and the websites of Veltman [5] and Bioforum [6] for Flanders.
There are several variations on organic farming, all of which in practice are practiced. More or less in order of seniority:
Biodynamic agriculture - based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner (1923), the first founder of organic farming.
Nature Farming - the dominant form of Japanese organic farming, founder Mokichi Okada (1935): similar to biodynamic agriculture by focusing on soil preparations.
Permaculture - developed in Australia in the 70's, aimed at precisely engineered ecosystems.
Fukuoka farming - based on the ideas of the Japanese Masanobu Fukuoka (1975), which aims to minimal intervention in natural processes.
Organic farming - ecological agriculture as in European and Dutch legislation (SKAL, 1985) is recorded.
Forest agriculture - based on the book "The Forest Garden" of the Englishman Robert Hart in 1987, closely related to Permaculture.
Synergistic Agriculture - developed by Emilia harelip in the U.S., building on the ideas of Fukuoka - not published in book form.
Anastasia agriculture - recently originated in Russia, following the books of Vladimir Megre, with a strong "spiritual" character.
All these varieties have the common characteristic that they are based on ecological principles and reject the chemical-industrial approach. Although they sometimes differed, they all strive for as much "cooperate" with nature. Only organic agriculture is enshrined in international laws and regulations. For other forms exist only private labels - and often not.
In some cases one can say that organic farming as much as possible using techniques and methods from before 1900 when fertilizers and chemical pesticides were in the ascendant. In other cases, however, organic farming is very very modern and innovative. Examples are the use of parasitic wasps for combating pests in greenhouses, and the use of burners for weed control in place of chemical herbicides.
Characterized in that agricultural practices is that attempts are made to work with as little as possible polluting agents and methods. Here, the central soil, which, at least disturbed, if not destroyed by fertilizer (or manure) and pesticides, hence the ban on its use. The organic matter plays an important role, and must (in most cases) be increased. An estimated biological or ecological farming up to the 'sustainable agriculture' because although the ecological efficiency is increased, it seeks synergies with the (stimulus) soil maximized so that agriculture can be maintained long. When properly applied, improves soil fertility, and hence the yield, year after year, after the conversion (and soil recovery) period. In the vegetable farming are the following major differences from conventional agriculture:
There are no chemical-synthetic pesticides. Permitted materials are:
soap
mineral oil
Iron (III) phosphate
bacterial preparations
sulphate (forbidden in the Netherlands, but in other countries allowed)
pyrethrin
plant pesticides
Fifteen pesticides (insecticides, antifungals) allowed, usually natural toxins from plants or bacteria. [7] Thus, by EU Regulation No 404/2008 the insecticide (of bacterial origin) spinosad allowed. Furthermore, the regulation also legitimizes the use of potassium bicarbonate and copper octanoate in the fight against various fungal diseases.
There are a number of maturation promoters allowed. Thus, by this regulation, the use of ethylene in some cases permitted, including the citrus ripen.
About half of the 2,900 organic farmers in the Netherlands occasionally uses pesticides. [7].
The use of genetically modified crops under the (non statutory) criteria of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and the (statutory) European regulation on organic farming is not allowed.
Methods used in organic farming and horticulture to the use of pesticides to avoid include a choice of resistant varieties and crop rotation with crops less frequently on the same plot are grown. A rotation schedule of five to seven years is used. The occurrence of crop diseases or pests are sometimes used. It is important to work on the resistance of plants by avoiding excessive fertilization. Sometimes organic growers apply biological methods.
With the exception of fertilizer kieserite should not be used, manure from livestock other systems, such as a conventional free-range zootechnics as little as possible. Weeds are to a large extent by hand or mechanically controlled.
Many organic farmers are also in other ways other than conventional farmers with agricultural progress. They have often a mixed farm (both crops and livestock) and spend more time and labor to nature conservation on the farm.
The number of square meters that an animal has at his disposal is greater, there are restrictions on the stable and pigs, cows and chickens have daylight and head out. Routine burning of beaks in chickens and tail docking in pigs is not allowed. The castration of pigs is also prohibited.
Animals should, wherever possible, be fed with organically produced foods. Only if there is not enough organic feed is available, the farmer other vehicle be purchased, this is rare. Herbivores must always be fed 100% organic.
As well as in non-organic farming is the use of growth hormones during the production process is prohibited. Also preventive antibiotics should not be administered only when an animal is sick. A pig may during his life but once treated with medication, pregnant sows for two different conditions each year. For cows that also applies for two different conditions may be treated per year. Homeopathic medicines in organic livestock enjoy priority over the regular funds and may be used without restrictions even if their effect is not proven.
Companies that wish to prepare organic foods must be in possession of proper certificates. A clear records are kept of organic raw materials that come in, and organic products delivered to such shops or other businesses. Organic foods must be stored separately from non-organic food, and the production must be thoroughly cleaned so that no contamination occurs in the organic food with conventional food.
Organic food may no chemical or synthetic fragrances colorings and flavorings and no preservatives. There are also strict requirements regarding the labeling. As an exception to the general rule, organic wine is also sulphites. In fact, there is no organic wine but the wine from organically grown grapes. The vinification is this use of sulphite. [8]
Organic farming is the world's fastest growing sector within the food industry. Worldwide sales for organic products has doubled since 2001. The group of consumers who buy organically produced food is increasing. Besides health food stores, supermarkets also offer an expanding range of organic products.
The former Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) strove to consumer spending on organic food to grow to 5% of total expenditure on food in 2007 and the organic farming area to 10% of the total agricultural area in 2010.
In 2004 the market share of 1.8% organic food and farming area 2.5% (48,155 hectares) of the total. [9] Since 2004, organic acreage gradually decreased to 47,019 ha by the end of 2007 to in 2008 to grow to 50,435 acres. [10] In 2010, the market share of organic products rose to 2.5 percent. [11]
Dairy: Netherlands had in 2010 about 325 organic dairy farmers. The increasing demand for organic dairy shortage is created. There is organic milk imported from Germany and Denmark. [11]
Research on whether or not healthier organic products versus products from conventional agriculture is still in its infancy. In part this is because the science of nutrition is still in its infancy, research into long-term effects has necessarily takes many decades. That means for example that a survey showing that a biological crop grown more antioxidants have not proven that this crop is therefore healthier, because the role of antioxidants on health is in itself controversial.
Here, indeed any scientific results. In 2005, research conducted by the Louis Bolk Institute, obvious that organic milk contains more health-promoting substances than milk from conventional agriculture. A long-term research at the University of California found that organic tomatoes contain almost twice as many flavonoids as conventionally grown tomatoes (average 97% more 79% more quercetin and kaempferol). [12] Organically fed chickens differ in immunoreactivity, metabolism and gene expression with conventional feed animals. [13] This does not necessarily mean that the meat of this chicken is healthier for humans.
On the other hand, eg the consumers after comparison of 15 vegetables to the conclusion that organically grown crops hardly any benefit to health. [14] The British Food Standards Agency in 2009 did an extensive literature review of all scientific research in this area and concluded that there is currently no scientific basis for organic foods as healthier than non-organic to criticize. [15]
Moreover, not all consumers of organic products to do to improve the quality of the products or possible positive health effects, some of them buy organic because of the sustainable production or because of the animal husbandry practice. The guarantee that the products do not contain genetically modified crops or organisms are used for many plays a role.
After the great epidemics among cattle, pigs and goats in the past decade and the associated massive 'culling', there are many consumers who buy organic "on the assumption that organic livestock production is less sensitive to such epidemics. Scientifically this is difficult to demonstrate directly because there is not (yet) major areas where organic farming / livestock is applied, while organic operating companies as well 'cleared' are. However, it is much indirect evidence. For example, it is generally the monitoring of the quality of the feed as one of the crucial prevention. Also limit the number of animals per hectare. plays an important role. [16] The rules with regard to animal feed in organic livestock sharper and better defined and the number of animals per hectare. is significantly lower. Therefore it is likely that organic livestock indeed less susceptible to epidemics. It goes without saying that these averages, there are non-organic farms, which in this respect to the same conditions, one can here not an inherent advantage of the organic livestock speak. Against this, however, about that because animals in organic livestock production get out more and more opportunities to scavenge certain animal diseases that have long been gone may come back. Some worm infections in pigs, for example. In addition, in place of fertilizer animal manure on the land in which there are more germs are located.
The balance between supply and demand is difficult: farmers who wish to sell their organic products are sometimes on a waiting list or to sell their organic products as common at lower prices. At other times, threatened by a growing demand and lagging production shortages occur.
Various studies have shown that people often have a natural and animal friendly farming needs, which they declare that one is willing to pay a premium here. Consumer behavior is often behind it: how often wants a product at the lowest possible price and we therefore prefer to choose cheaper products from conventional agriculture. Nevertheless, a growing market for organic products significantly, especially when these sales growth against the climate in supermarkets where the strong focus on price has shifted. Current figures on the market of organic products can be found on the website of Biologica.
Often simply assumed that organic farming is the only way for an environmentally friendly way to obtain food. Organic farming is in some ways be less stressful for animals and the environment than conventional agriculture. Critics are comments on organic farming.
Critics of organic farming set:
Fertilizer should not be used, and the farmer is only manure and compost available. In order to obtain manure is much additional land is needed. Agriculturalist, even organic farmland is much less rich in species, for example, tropical rainforests or swampy Holland.
By using natural fertilizers, it is difficult to tune the dosage to what the crop needs. At times when the crop needs lots of nutrients leads to a deficiency which the yield is lower. On the other hand, there is a surplus of fertilizer at the moment when the crop is growing more slowly. These fertilizers wash off the soil and end up in groundwater and surface water, where it has a polluting effect.
Organic farming is not efficient enough to the whole world of food.
The above elements by proponents countered with facts like:
The common agricultural biodiversity breaks more sharply than the organic agriculture, because soil, wild plants and insects are slain. The sharp decline in biodiversity in the Netherlands since the beginning of the 20th century (still 15% of what it was, according to Monitor Sustainable Netherlands [17]) is attributed to the intensive, chemical-industrial agriculture.
In organic farming is not the approach to the plant to feed, but the ground. By living processes in the soil the nutrients are gradually released to the plant. Fertilizer washes faster than organic manure, and impoverishes the soil. Furthermore, farmers do not take risks: they use, especially in the U.S., often twice as much fertilizer as necessary: farmers are talking about "crop insurance".
For the production of compost is not more than land required for the production of fertilizer. There is only a fraction of the energy needed for fertilizer production, and transportation is required.
A report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) from 2008 reports that in 114 projects in 24 African countries crop yields more than doubled by the use of organic production [18]. Fertilizers and pesticides are often priceless for small farmers in developing countries, while labor - literally - enough is available.
The problem of hunger in the world is not a question of deficits, but a problem of distribution and distribution. According to UN figures, as expressed by rapporteur Jean Ziegler, in 2006 in principle to produce enough food to feed 12 billion people.
The conventional agriculture have recognized more and more the so-called 'nursery function of organic farming (ie a method in which new techniques and methods can be tried) and observes now techniques and methods on to achieve a more environmentally friendly conventional agriculture to come. [19]
In the Netherlands there are two courses for organic farmers, the Warmonderhof in Dronten and Kraaybekerhof in Driebergen. There is also at Wageningen University, an MSc Organic Agriculture (Organic Production Sciences MSc) course that focuses on organic products. In Flanders, a 2-year course biological and bio-dynamic farming given by Country Guide from Antwerp. It also provides also a 1-year course "care in organic farming" to.
In newspapers and magazines are often the terms 'organic' and 'biodynamic' confused. Apart from the differences in definition, the biodynamic agriculture in terms of acreage very much smaller than organic farming.
Moreover, the ecological and biological concepts both also associated with scientific disciplines, which sometimes leads to misunderstandings.
The abbreviation 'bio' organic sometimes causes confusion with biofuels (fuels plant or other organic basis), bio-lubricants and even farming (intensive farming).
It is better to use the word 'organic' does not abbreviate. Optionally, the term 'EKO' (always capitalized) as an abbreviation used as the label in the Netherlands has a dominant market position.
Since July 1, 2010 European organic products carry a new label. [20]
The EKO label is issued by EKO Foundation. [21] This label indicates that a company works according to biological criteria, briefly said that no pesticides or fertilizers are used.
The Demeter label indicates that it operates according to biodynamic principles, based on anthroposophy of Rudolf Steiner.
Ecolabel is a label based on Dutch regulations less stringent than, say, organic farming.
The Belgian BIOGARANTIE label is controlled by TÜV NORD INTEGRA and CERTISYS.
The Better Life hallmark of the Dutch Animal Protection and fills the gap between meat products from the farming and organic farming [22]Berkeley organic food company Annie's opens up 64% in IPO
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