Organic Agriculture - Presentation PDF

Organic Agriculture Romy Chammas MSc. Fall 2024 WHY ORGANIC? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRy XlvIJFWI  Organic Agriculture Organic agriculture is a sustainable farming system that produces healthy crops and livestoc...

Organic Agriculture Romy Chammas MSc. Fall 2024 WHY ORGANIC? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRy XlvIJFWI  Organic Agriculture Organic agriculture is a sustainable farming system that produces healthy crops and livestock without damaging the environment. This system relies on ecosystem management rather than external agricultural inputs. Organic agriculture considers potential environmental and social impacts by eliminating the use of synthetic inputs, such as: Synthetic fertilizers & pesticides, veterinary drugs, genetically modified seeds and breeds, preservatives, and irradiation.  Organic Agriculture There are few research studies that examine the effect of organic agriculture on human health. However, there are many studies that have shown the heavy negative impacts of non-organic food and conventional farming on human health.  Pesticides Pesticides are chemical substances that are meant to kill pests, which are insects or other organisms that are harmful to cultivated plants or animals. Most pesticides are intended to serve as crop protection products, which in general, protect plants from weeds, fungi, insects, or other pests that feed on crops. Pesticides can be grouped according to the types of pests they kill: Insecticides: kill insects Herbicides: kill plants (weed- herbs) Fungicides: kill fungi Bactericides: kill bacteria Rodenticides: kill rodents (rats and mice) Larvicides: kill larvae  Pesticide s Although pesticides protect crops, they could cause serious harm to human health. DDT is carcinogenic and was banned in the U.S. in 1973. There are over 400 chemical pesticides that are regularly used in conventional farming. Some crops are sprayed up to 16 times with 36 different pesticides.  Pesticide s Organophosphates The most dangerous and the most widely used. They account for about ½ of the pesticides used in the U.S. Cheap cost and broad spectrum of uses Almost 30,000 tons are applied annually Very poisonous and were used in World War II as nerve agents Headache, dizziness, muscle twitches, nausea, stomach pain, weakness, shortness of breath, anxiety, diarrhea, convulsion, coma  Pesticides Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) A number of pesticides are suspected or proved to act as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs); EDCs interfere with the steps of hormone signaling. They may affect genes in a way similar to estrogen and have been also known as “gender benders.” Even small doses can affect the sexual characteristics of animals. EDCs have been suspected to be associated with altered reproductive function in males and females, increased incidence of breast cancer, abnormal growth patterns,  Environmental Impact- Water In addition to the harmful Pollution effects of chemically-infused crops on human health, non-organic conventional farming has harmful impacts on the environment. Conventional agriculture is the largest source of water pollutants (pesticides & fertilizers) Pesticides from every chemical class have been detected in groundwater and especially beneath agricultural areas. They are also widespread in the surface waters Eutrophication and “dead zones” due to nutrient runoff affect many rivers, lakes, and oceans. Reduced water quality impacts agricultural production,  Environmental Impact- Climate Change Synthetic fertilizers used in conventional agriculture produce more greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming. Conventional agriculture relies on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, whose production results in the release of nitrous oxide, an extremely potent greenhouse gas, with a much greater warming potential per unit released than carbon. Organic farming fights climate change by:  Reducing greenhouse gas emissions  and traps temperature-raising carbon in soil, keeping it from contributing to the greenhouse effect.  Environmental Impact- Climate Change Soil from organic farms is 26% better at retaining carbon (for longer periods of time) than soil that's farmed with conventional methods and synthetic fertilizers. Reason: The matter that organic farmers use (compost, green manure, animal matter… as well as the living things in healthy soil, such as microorganisms, earthworms, and other components— give soil humic acids. Humic acids provide the soil with the ability to retain carbon over the long-term better than conventionally farmed soil. Organically farmed soil contains 44% more humic Environmental Impact- Climate Change Organic farming not only acts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it actually acts as a sink for carbon by sequestering CO2.  If all U.K. farming was converted to organic, at least 1.3 million tons of carbon would be taken up by the soil each year. That’s the equivalent of taking nearly 1 million cars off the road! Moreover, organic agriculture uses up to 50% less fossil fuel energy than conventional farming. Common organic practices—including rotating crops, applying mulch to empty fields, cover cropping and maintaining trees on farms—also stabilize soils and Cover cropping Composting Mulching  Organic Agriculture and Biodiversity Organic farming is beneficial for wildlife and biodiversity. Organic farms have 30% more species on average than non- organic ones. This greater biodiversity includes birds, insects, plants, and microbes. The use of pesticides has threatened wildlife and biodiversity.  For example, vast numbers of insects, including helpful  Organic Livestock Production Livestock are a major contributing factor to the success of organic agriculture. They play an important role in maintaining the fertility of grasslands. They feed on home-grown organic feed and their manure is returned to the crops around the farm (same land that produces the feed). A system involving grassland and livestock is likely to be the most sustainable system of organic production. Animal husbandry stabilizes the agro-ecological system.  Organic Livestock Production Organic livestock are fed organically produced grass and meals. Livestock must have access to free range exercise area and grazing (maximum access to pasture). Genetically modified organisms and crops are not compatible with organic production. Chemically synthesized medication is not permitted for use on the livestock, but sick and injured animals must be treated immediately because the well-being of the animal is more important than keeping the animal organic. Animal housing satisfies the needs of the animals, including  Organic Livestock Production In non-organic agriculture, antibiotics are added to the animal feed or drinking water of livestock to prevent infection/disease, to help them gain weight faster (speed up animal growth) or use less food to gain weight. The use of antibiotics in livestock can bring antibiotic-resistant bacteria to humans via consumption of meat and through airborne bacteria. Antibiotics are also sprayed onto fruit trees to prevent and treat infection. Traces of antibiotics that remain after the initial spraying may encourage emergence of resistant strains of bacteria.  Non-Organic, Conventional Agriculture Advantages of conventional, non-organic farming: Lesser costs, higher gains Unlike organic farmers, who use compost and animal manure which are expensive to ship, conventional farmers use synthetic chemical fertilizers and sewage sludge that are cheaper. Also, they can make use of a larger area of land to plant their crops. Increase in food production Since production costs of conventional farming are lower, farmers are able to produce more crops and as a result, meet the growing demand for food supply. Conventional farming produces larger quantities of food as  Non-Organic, Conventional Agriculture (Cont’d) Advantages of conventional, non-organic farming: Lower costs of produce Because of low production costs, conventional farmers are able to mass-produce their crops and sell them to consumers at lower prices. As an effect, there are more choices for the buying public because competitors are urged to lower their prices to be competitive. This becomes a win-win situation for both the farmers and the consumers.  The World of Organic Agriculture Statistics and Emerging Trends 2023 Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International Edited by Helga Willer, Bernhard Schlatter, and Jan Trávníček  Global Organic Production  The modern organic farming movement emerged in the 1950s-1960s, largely as a reaction to consumer concerns over the use of agrochemicals.  The period after World War II and through the 1950s is commonly known as the “Golden age of pesticides” because the use of agricultural chemicals was widespread and their effects were largely unknown.  As the health and ecological consequences of agrochemicals began to be understood, governments started to regulate their use and consumers started to demand organically certified foods  Global Organic Production  The latest available data on organic agriculture worldwide show that 2021 was another good year for global organic agriculture.  Organicfarmland and retail sales continued to grow and reached another all-time high.  In2021, the global organic production area amounted to approximately 76.4 million hectares. ◦ This constitutes an increase of almost 40 million hectares in 10 years. Global Organic Production  Global Organic Production  More than 76.4 million hectares of organic farmland in 2021: ◦ The regions with the largest organic agricultural land areas are: -Oceania (36 million hectares – almost half the world’s organic agricultural land, 47%), - Australia (35.7 million hectares), - Europe (17.8 million hectares, 23%), - Latin America had 9.9 million hectares (13%), - Asia (6.5 million hectares, 8.5%), - Argentina (4.1 million hectares), - Northern America (3.5 million hectares, 4.6%), - France (2.8 million hectares), - Africa (2.7 million hectares, 3.5%)  Global Organic Farming Organic Agricultural Land by Region (1999-2010) Willer and Kilcher, The World of Organic Global Organic Production Global Organic Production Organic Agricultural Land by Region (2021) Global Organic Production Organic Agricultural Land by Country (2021)  Global Organic Production  In 2021, 1.6% of the world’s agricultural land was organic. ◦ The highest organic shares of the total agricultural land were in Oceania (9.7%) and in Europe (3.6%; EU: 9.6%).  There were at least 3.7 million organic producers in 2021. ◦ 49% of the world’s organic producers are in Asia, followed by Africa (31%), Europe (12%), and Latin America (8%). ◦ The countries with the most producers are India (1,599,010), Uganda (404,246), and Ethiopia (218,175). ◦ There has been an increase in the number of producers of more than 170,000, or 4.9%, compared to 2020.  In 2022, 74 countries had fully implemented regulations on organic agriculture.  Global Organic Food Sales  Organic food sales reached nearly 125 billion euros in 2021.  The countries with the largest organic markets were the United States (48.6 billion euros), Germany (15.9 billion euros), and France (12.7 billion euros).  Growth in the global market for organic food slowed in 2021. ◦ Geopolitical conflicts and rising food prices exerted a negative impact on the global organic food market. ◦ After reporting record sales in 2020, market growth slowed in 2021. Lower growth is projected for 2022 as consumer demand weakens.  Inflation, especially high food prices, and food security concerns are affecting demand for organic foods. ◦ The European market has been the most adversely affected. Organic Agriculture: Key Indicators FiBL survey 2023, based on national data sources, data from certifiers and IFOAM – Organics International Organic Agriculture: Key Indicators FiBL survey 2023, based on national data sources, data from certifiers and IFOAM – Organics International Organic Agriculture Globally FiBL survey 2023  Organic Farming  Sustainable agricultural practices of organic farming are relatively labor-intensive and have the potential to contribute to long-term employment in rural areas.  Approximately 80% of the global organic farmers live in developing countries.  Organic Farming  While organic agriculture often produces lower yields, it can outperform conventional practices—especially in times of drought—when the land has been farmed organically for a longer time.  Conventional agricultural practices often degrade the environment over both the long-term and the short- term through excessive water use, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss.  However, increased yields alone in conventional farming are not meeting the needs of people around the world. ◦ Globally, approximately 1 billion people suffer from food insecurity—due to issues of distribution, individual purchasing power, storage, refrigeration, and market access, among others—with sub-Saharan Africa being the region most affected Organic Farming  Organic farming also reduces vulnerability to climate change and enhances biodiversity.  Organic farming in Africa is now being recognized as a way to address problems of food insecurity and climate change.  Organic farming is being used to restore soils, which in turn has resulted in higher food crop yields, greater household food security, and increased incomes.  A combination of traditional and organic farming techniques have allowed farmers in Burkina Faso to adapt to climate change and build resilience to weather shocks.  Organic Farming  In Ethiopia, organic farming methods have helped farmers use water more efficiently and restore soil health to better withstand harsh weather conditions like drought, while increasing crop yields and improving food security.  In Cambodia, on the other hand, negative impacts of conventional farming systems on the environment and on farmers have resulted in widespread conversion to organic agriculture.  Health indicators, such as a large reduction in pesticide poisoning-related symptoms, improved among Cambodian farmers who adopted organic techniques.  In Conclusion  Organic agriculture is a production system that relies on ecological processes rather than the use of synthetic inputs, such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  It promotes biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity (quality).  Organic farming focuses on optimization rather than maximization of production.  As a result, there are lower production levels than in conventional systems.