Organic Agriculture: Definition and Principles

Definition of Organic Agriculture

• Organic means of plant or animal origin

• Organic agriculture can be thought of as an organizational aspect of organization

• Organic agriculture is based on organic manures or inputs like minerals or pesticides of plant origin

• Organic agriculture follows the principles and logic of a living organism

• In organic agriculture, all elements like soil, plants, farm animals, insects, and farmers are closely linked

• Organic agriculture requires a thorough understanding and clever management of interactions and processes

• Organic Agriculture is defined by organic standards which explain principles, methods, and permitted inputs

• While organic agriculture standards define a minimum common ground, they may not provide guidelines for an ideal system

• Organic agriculture is one among methodologies, which are supportive of environmental protection

• Organic production systems are based on specific standards and aim to achieve optimal, socially, ecologically, and economically suitable agro ecosystems

• Executive Order 481 and Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, includes agricultural systems promoting environmentally, socially, and economically sound production while focusing on soil fertility

• Organic agriculture aims to optimize quality in agriculture and environment by respecting the natural capacity of plants, animals, and the landscape

• Organic agriculture encompasses all aspects of production systems

• Integrating all agriculture aspects is necessary to achieve sustainable development

• Current production systems may neglect aspects of the food chain like soil, water, air, and overall environmental health

• Current agricultural practices are unsustainable, according to scholars and organizations

• Human development and agricultural activities lead to environmental degradation affecting current and future generations

• Almost 2 billion hectares of land (15% of vegetated soils) worldwide have been degraded since 1945

• Around 15 million hectares of forest land are cut due to opportunistic farming

• WHO estimated that 3 million people are exposed to short-term pesticide poisoning, leading to death and chronic disease

• In the Philippines, NAST-PCARRD recorded scenarios like:

  • Soil erosion is the most common form of land degradation, affecting 45% of arable land
  • Approximately 40.8% of land is affected by low fertility
    • Around 50 of the 421 rivers are biologically dead due to contamination
    • Declining agro-ecosystem productivity is evident in pest and disease outbreaks
    • Heavy fertilizer application has polluted surface and groundwater resources

• Organic Agriculture was developed to address these issues

• The need to optimize health and productivity from soil life, plants, animals, and people

Historical Development of Organic Agriculture (OA)

• Traditional farming practices evolved into more sophisticated, scientific approaches, leading to detrimental health and environmental effects

• Organic agriculture emerged to embrace more sustainable farming practices

• Organic agriculture principles relate to traditional farming methods that are self-sufficient and sustainable

• The early Romans, Greeks, and tribes in Israel practiced composting

• Arab scholars in the 10th and 12th centuries wrote about soil fertility management through composting blood, bones, waste wool, ashes, and organic matter

• In the 20th century, composting became an essential part of Organic Agriculture

• Albert Howard is considered the "father of modern composting method"

• Albert Howard spent three decades in India developing an organic concept of soil fertility through composting

• Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian, outlined the principles of biodynamic agriculture

• Steiner's philosophy: "Matter is never without Spirit, and Spirit is never without Matter"

• Steiner Interpretation: Agricultural production should be in harmony with nature and its spiritual dimensions

• Lady Eve Balfour authored "The Living Soil" in the UK, presenting a sustainable approach known as organic farming

• Lady Eve Balfour helped establish the Soil Association of UK in 1946

• J.I. Rodale developed practical methods for rebuilding natural soil fertility

• Rodale's theory in crop production aimed is to preserve and improve health by restoring and protecting soil

• Rodale founded the Soil and Health Foundation, the forerunner of the Rodale Institute

• Masanobu Fukuoka was a Japanese farmer who developed and practiced "no-plowing, no fertilizing, no-weeding, do-nothing of natural farming"

• Fukuoka grew cereal with yields comparable to intensive cultivation using the "DoNothing" method

• The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) was created in 1972

• A French farmers' organization president, Roland Chevriot, initiated it with worldwide appeal to organize a future for Organic Agriculture

• Roland Chevriot was inspired by the need for organic agriculture sharing of scientific data

• IFOAM initial member countries were India, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and Canada

• By the 1980s, IFOAM had leaders in the US and attracted membership from Africa, Latin and South America, and Asia

• In 1997, the Philippines became a member of IFOAM

• In 2008, IFOAM has 750 organizations and 108 countries

• In 2005, IFOAM formulated principles for Organic Agriculture development

• Since then, Organic Agriculture development is evident in data from 138 countries

• According to data, 30.4 million hectares were managed by 700,000 farms in 2006

• Oceania holds 42% of the world’s organic land, followed by Europe (24%) and Latin America (16%)

• In 2006, countries with the greatest organic areas: Australia (12.3 M ha), China (2.2 M ha), and the US (1.6 M ha)

• 33 million hectares were certified for products harvested from wild areas that same year

• Certification organizations were developed across the board during the late 1970s and 1980s

• In the mid-1980s, more specialized organizations for certification were developed:

  • Skal (Netherlands)
  • KRAV (Sweden)
  • Farm Verified Organic (US)

• With European regulations, commercially driven certification companies became interested in organic certification in the 1980s

History of Philippine Organic Agriculture

• In the Philippines, on December 7, 2005, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Executive Order 481 (EO481) - Development and Promotion of Organic Agriculture in the Philippines

• Executive Order 481 has sections on compliance with organic standards, certifying body accreditation, and labeling of organic products

• On April 6, 2010, President Arroyo signed the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010

• State policy promotes organic agriculture practice

• Development of Organic Agriculture (OA) has progressed tremendously

• Government pro-active initiatives and policies include the creation of RA 10068 and giving the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) to manage Organic Agriculture certification activities

• Local certifiers for exporting include the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP) and Negros Island Certification (NICERT)

• There are research activities of state universities and the existence of Organic Agriculture Research Center in USM (University of Southern Mindanao)

• Increase Organic Agriculture training opportunities with the inclusion of Organic Agriculture Production NC II in TESDA

• Organic Agriculture subjects are included in the BSA curriculum

• Joint venture initiatives of private sector and the government

• Increasing supply and diversity of organic produce domestically outside of Metro Manila

• Increased export of organically certified produce and products

• Through BAFS, standards for producing organic crops, farm animals, and aquatic resources were crafted in 2016

• This development is considered important for unified, consistent, and harmonious organic agriculture activities and promotion in the country.

• Through initiatives of the Agricultural Training Institute, the farmers' cooperatives and community was trained in Organic Agriculture production

• It is important to continually promote Organic Agriculture and build technical capability to improve organic production system competitiveness for the benefit of the whole nation and rural communities