Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Definition of organic agriculture
Organics, or the 'O-word' as Mark Lipson (1997) has wryly called organic agriculture in recog-
nition of the ambiguous nature of the word, is a problematic label that can be interpreted to
mean a wide range of things. The term 'organic' was first used in relation to farming by North-
bourne (1940) in the topic
Look to the Land
: 'the farm itself must have a biological complete-
ness; it must be a living entity, it must be a unit which has within itself a balanced organic life'.
Clearly, Northbourne was not simply referring to organic inputs such as compost, but rather to
the concept of managing a farm as an integrated, whole system (Lotter 2003).
The use of 'organic' in reference to agricultural production and food is legally constrained
in many countries, and some certification agencies have more stringent compliance require-
ments than others. Many farmers in less developed countries may practice organic agriculture
by default based on their traditional methods of production. However, it is useful to provide a
general definition of organic agriculture to indicate brief ly what the production systems are
designed to achieve.
The international food standards, Codex Alimentarius, state:
Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which promotes
and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and
soil biological activity. It emphasises the use of management practices in preference
to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions require
locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic,
biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to
fulfil any specific function within the system. (FAO 1999).
The term 'organic agriculture' as used here is based on the Codex definition just given.
However, the term is expanded to include the full organic and biodynamic supply chain from
inputs to final manufactured goods, as well as cultural and social aspects of the movement, not
just the on-farm production aspects. The phrase 'organic movement' may be no longer appli-
cable and that the appropriate term is 'organic industry' (Cornish and Stewart 2002). However,
the continued existence of a major social and political role for organic agriculture suggests that
it is more than just an industry. Conservation farming (reduced tillage) also continues to be a
social movement (e.g. WANTFA 2004) even after an industry has been created in the commer-
cial arena.
Organic standards are not static, with revisions of certification standards commonly occur-
ring every few years. Certification agencies usually have some form of certification review
committee that considers new materials that become available for use, new information about
existing allowed inputs, or new production and processing techniques that are introduced.
The commonly used term 'conventional agriculture' refers to the standard, dominant
farming approaches promoted and researched by most government and agribusiness groups
and practiced by farmers and growers throughout the world. Usually, conventional agriculture
imposes no restrictions on management other than those required by law. To some extent,
organic and conventional agriculture define each other. Organic agriculture could not exist as
a concept until an alternative agricultural paradigm came into being allowing a distinction to
be made. Indeed, the term 'organic' only became dominant from the 1960s onwards. It is
acknowledged that the term 'conventional' masks the great diversity of management strategies
used; for example, a conventional grain grower may use mineral fertilisers but also use green
manures and avoid pesticides, or a permaculture orchardist may choose to use herbicides to
control woody weeds in sloping land. The growing adoption of EMS indicates the recognition
from various points along the supply chain of the need for improved monitoring of agricul-
tural impacts (Carruthers and Tinning 2003).
