Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Current Status of Advisory and Extension Services for Organic Agriculture in Europe and Turkey
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58541
At a global level, many countries have regulatory requirements similar to those in the EU,
and there are formal agreements covering trade in organic products between these countries.
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) has formulated
principles, sets international baseline standards, accredits national certification schemes to
facilitate international trade and collaborates with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisa‐
tion (FAO) and other international organisations to harmonise International Organic
Standards [35].
2. An overview on organic agriculture
Overall for organic farming, could be called the oldest forms of agriculture on earth. But today,
this definition has become quite complex. In this context organic agriculture is a holistic
production management or agricultural production system that uses matter, energy knowl‐
edge and natural life for its production and processes and for providing services. Organic
agriculture is a farming system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health,
including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It emphasizes the use of
management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that
regional conditions require locally adapted systems [15]. This is accomplished by using, where
possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic
materials, to fulfill any specific function within the system. The production factor natural life
is considered here a natural resource with particular sets of characteristics that in order to
function effectively has to be respected [18]. To assess the resilience of a farming system,
various elements that can build resilience are identified and the analysis shows that organic
farming has a number of promising characteristics building resilience [33]. In general, the
relative importance of agriculture has decreased in all European countries over last decades.
However, 28 countries of the EU have significant shares in both export and demand of
agricultural products in the world [8, 22]. As a result, organic agriculture is very important
production system for health of human, food, soils and ecosystem.
Albert Howard is often referred as the father of the modern organic agriculture because first
he applies the modern scientific knowledge and method to traditional agriculture. He worked
as agriculture advisor from 1905-1924 in Bengal India where they documented the traditional
Indian farming practices and came to regard them as superior to their conventional agriculture
science. In Germany Rudoff Steiner's development was probably first comprehensive system
of what we now call organic farming. Steiner emphasized the role of farmers in guiding and
balancing the interaction of the animals, plant and soil. Healthy animal depend on healthy
plant, health plant depends on healthy soil and health soil depends on healthy animal [24].
According to this, European organic agriculture emerged in 1924 based on the work of Rudolf
Steiner (1861-1925) delivered his bio-dynamic agriculture course (7-16 June 1924), at Koberwitz
in Silesia. His courses, the first known to have been given on organic agriculture. After Steiner,
was delivered by other persons on bio-dynamic agriculture in the 1930s and 1940s. Organic
agriculture was developed in Switzerland by Hans Mueller, in Britain by Eve Balfour and
Albert Howard and in Japan by Masanobu Fukuoka.
