Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Deep organic farming
Deep organic is analogous to deep ecology, a term first used by a Norwegian philosopher, Arne
Naess, in 1973 (Devall and Sessions 1985). Naess argued that the environmental movement
existed at two levels, 'shallow' and 'deep'. The shallow movement was concerned primarily
with human welfare issues such as pollution and depletion of natural resources. The deep
movement was more concerned with fundamental philosophical issues concerning how
humans 'should' relate to their environment. Naess argued that Western philosophy ref lects
an outdated view of the world, in which humans see themselves as separate from each other
and from their natural environment. A deeper understanding, however, reveals that humans
are not truly separate or isolated, but instead are integrally interconnected with each other and
with the world around them. Humans are 'part of the f flow of energy, the web of life'. The early
advocates of organic farming clearly understood farms, farmers and their social and natural
environment as parts of the same f flow of energy and web of life.
Eliot Coleman (Coleman 2004) wrote:
Deep-organic farmers, after rejecting agricultural chemicals, look for better ways to
farm. Inspired by the elegance of nature's systems, they try to mimic the patterns of
the natural world's soil-plant economy […] Shallow-organic farmers, on the other
hand, after rejecting agricultural chemicals, look for quick-fix inputs. Trapped in a
belief that the natural world is inadequate, they end up mimicking the patterns of
chemical agriculture.
Deep-organic farming, like deep ecology, is rooted in philosophy, which asks how we
'should' relate to each other and how we 'should' relate to our natural environment. Deep-
organic farming is based on the understanding that humans are not separate or isolated but,
instead, are integrally interconnected with each other and with the world around us. Health of
the soil, health of people and health of society are integral aspects of the same whole. However,
deep organics goes beyond holism and culture-based ethics: it ref lects a fundamental belief in
the moral and the spiritual, in a higher order of things, in a set of absolute laws of nature, of the
universe, to which all living things ultimately must conform. It assumes the existence of right-
ness and goodness in relationships, which give purpose and meaning to life. Deep-organic
farming is consistent with both the biological and spiritual roots of organic farming. Organic
farming for the purpose of permanence requires a deep, philosophical commitment to the
living principles of permanence.
The principles of permanence are the principles of sustainability. A sustainable agriculture
must meet the needs of the present without compromising the opportunities of the future. A sus-
tainable agriculture must be capable of sustaining an ever-renewing, regenerative, evolving,
diverse, holistic, interdependent human society, for as long as the Earth receives energy from the
Sun, the ultimate source of sustainability. A sustainable agriculture is a permanent agriculture.
Sustainability
The core principles of sustainability are ecological integrity, social justice, and economic via-
bility; in balance and harmony (Ikerd 2001). Sustainable systems need to be managed to
achieve balance and harmony between meeting the needs of the present and leaving opportu-
nities for the future. Ecological integrity depends upon harmony and balance between pro-
ductivity and regenerative capacity of living systems. Social justice depends upon harmony
and balance between individual liberty and justice for all. Economic viability depends upon
harmony and balance between short-run profits and long-term investments. Sustainable
systems must be managed to achieve balance and harmony among the ecological, social and
