But it does not mean that it is non-scientific. Equal subsidization is not available to organic farmers. News Often this is for political reasons, such as trade disputes or civil war. How does a farm get certified as Organic? SustainThe Green House244-254 Cambridge Heath RoadLondon E2 9DA, 020 3559 6777 The term ‘Do Nothing Farming’ originated because the farmer is considered only to be a facilitator – the real work is done by Nature herself. We are all exposed to pesticides on a daily basis in our diet and the cumulative, long-term effects of this are unknown. There are many advantages of organic farming, some of which are outlined here: Before starting an organic farming procedure, there are certain things which must be    verified thoroughly to maintain the quality of the produce. His/her farm is inspected after submitting an application and if the conditions are met, then a certificate is issued by the certifier for the farm. Thus an OF practitioner does not need many cattle for every ha area for making compost. Organic farming is agriculture that makes healthy food, healthy soils, healthy plants, and healthy environments a priority, along with crop productivity. While customers may pay more upfront for an organic product, society pays, both literally and metaphorically, in turn for conventional agriculture’s unintended consequences including eroded. About 30 percent of the global adult population is overweight or obese, and around 30 percent of food produced worldwide is lost or wasted. Data privacy & cookies, Sustain home Improve the soil structure over a certain period of time. Who should I contact for more Organic Farming FAQs. But during conversion period chemically untreated seeds can be used. No substance that contaminates the soil should be used. What are some of the Organic pesticides used for farming? Similarly, following the above cultural practices can control diseases to a certain extent. Therefore, it is a key part of Europe's bioeconomy. 5. Which state in India is the first Organic farming state? What are some of the key issues for Organic farming in India? Farmers, certification bodies, policy makers and companies have some common issues for organic farming in India and these could be outlined as: Conversion is possible field by field, but for this conversion to happen a field should have distinct, defined boundaries and buffer zones so as to protect it from runoff and other unwanted contamination. These evidences suggest that an opportunity is available to think and explore why high yields could be harvested without agro-chemicals and develop those technologies for wider use to meet the to-day‟s requirements in at least less endowed rain-fed areas. Pest and disease control should be done using mechanical or non-synthetic control measures. GMO crops may simplify food production, requiring fewer people to manage more acres, but the short term gain comes at cultural and spiritual costs. We need to create policies for food and agriculture taking all common concerns of humankind into consideration. Changes in planning laws could also allow them to process their meat products on the farm. These plans should be updated annually to maintain a perfect organic status. But this fact should go in favour of countries and situations where labour is cheap and plenty e.g. Organic farming works to ensure that animals are provided with adequate and high quality feed; regular exercise; free-range access to appropriate pasture; adequate and appropriate housing in hygienic conditions; and appropriate stocking densities both outside and inside, when the animals need to be housed. According to a recent analysis, only 1% of the $700bn a year given to farmers is used to benefit the environment. EU Regulations EC/834/2007 and EC/967/2008 deal with the production and labeling of organic products. What is the amount of nutrition provided by Organic manures? Organic Sector Development / Archive: Organic Targets Campaign / Organic Targets: Campaign documents. Organic farming should be adopted so as to increase genetic diversity, promote the use of natural pesticides, ensure cultivation on the right soil at the right time, to build good soil structure and make it fertile and to control the unwanted things on the farm in a natural way. In another definition FAO suggested that “Organic agriculture is a unique production management system which promotes and enhances agroecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity, and this is accomplished by using on-farm agronomic, biological and mechanical methods in exclusion of all synthetic off-farm inputs”. Chemical farming has many hidden costs, which we pay for through our taxes and utility bills. The standards of NPOP are recognized by European and Switzerland committees, as they are similar to their standards. Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organisations - INOFO, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. Crop rotation on the farm should be essentially done using green manure crops of high standard. The results of the consultation, which received over 45,000 responses, will be published on the Commission's organic farming website. Download the PDF Version of this FAQ here. GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms, are living things that have had their genetic code altered. Uncover interesting stories about organic agriculture and the people working to build a more sustainable world. The major problems of our time — energy, the environment, climate change, food security, financial security — cannot be understood in isolation. To truly feed a growing population, we need strong, resilient agricultural systems that can withstand change and still produce. The EU Regulation is a base-line standard which all Member States must adhere to, but the relevant control bodies in some states may introduce stricter requirements. These are considered highly important for organic farming: What are the methods/ characteristics/key features of Organic farming? Only organically grown seeds or seedlings should be used for planting. Organic agriculture can be a pathway to addressing  not only hunger and malnutrition but also other challenges including poverty, water use, climate change, and unsustainable production and consumption. Home » Why Organic » FAQ. The initial one to three year period is needed to build the agriculturally beneficial microorganisms in soil that have been adversely affected by use of agro-chemicals in CA. What are the principles of Organic farming? The good news is that agriculture can also bring us solutions. Since introducing GMOs, we are using more herbicides than ever before, not less. Critics of organic farming suggest that it produces lower crop-yields than conventional methods, which take advantage of modern fertilisers and chemicals. Not only that polycrops are key requirement in OF, there is integration of annual-perennial plants trees and animals on a given piece of land. What breed of dairy cows do our farmers keep? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When compared to chemical fertilizers, organic manure is considered to have low nutrient content, i.e. You can download it here. Healthy soil encourages the growth of healthy crops, and healthy crops will have increased resistance to disease. The produce is expensive when compared to the produce from conventional farms. Regenerative organic agriculture instead encourages an expansionist method that puts power in the hands of as many farmers as possible. In the absence of mechanization, several protocols of organic farming can be labour intensive. It is believed that the use of synthetic fertilizers containing petrochemicals is a non-sustainable method of farming and it disrupts the natural cycle, pollutes the environment, leaves toxic residues in the soil, etc. Focus of research in CA is on killing the pests using synthetic pesticides while OF depends more on natural allies in managing them. certified as organic under Regulation (EC) No 834/2007. Sometimes it is also called as ‘open list’. Organic farmers, for instance, have trouble finding local abattoirs that can separate organic and 'conventional' meat supplies. Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history. Needs specific knowledge about the farming system. Though organic farming is growing in popularity, it is unlikely to replace conventional farming methods. Why restrict pesticides when India is a low user? Together with our affiliates in over 100 countries and territories as well as our regional bodies and sector platforms, we are leading change, organically! The fracturing of rural communities in which younger generations see no future is a direct consequence of this type of industrial agriculture. Organic farming is not about just discarding the use of pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics and growth hormones. The soil should be treated such that its characteristics improve over the years. The new reform proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) include incentives for farmers to pursue environmentally friendly farming methods. Events Mostly used integrated pest management and integrated nutrient management practices. Major studies conducted by the UK's Food Safety Authority in 2009, and Stanford University in 2012, revealed no significant differences in terms of safety or nutrition, though the latter concluded that eating organic foods can limit exposure to pesticides and antibiotic resistant bacteria. Is Organic Farming non-scientific and unproven? Publications It is widely believed that when crops are grown without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides crop yields reduce. About IFOAM - Organics International       Membership Directory. All the allowed synthetic and prohibited non-synthetic substances are listed here for reference. It means all these elements or nutrients are needed and are taken-up by the plants during its growth process. There are some permitted synthetic substances, which can be used as extra supplemental nutrients for the organic farms. Only then it certifies the produce as ‘organic’ and such products are termed as certified organic products. Whereas, natural food has no restrictions on its cultivation procedures, no proof of its quality and are minimally processed such that they are prone to fraud and misuse. Many of our policies only exacerbate the issues. The farm should have defined boundaries and buffer zones to prevent the application of unintended substances. Registered charity (no. Although, there may be dispute that how much superior and whether this quantity will have some significant impact on overall health scenario or not, but trends indicate their superiority over conventional products. What is an Organic Systems Management plan? To obtain Organic plans the farmer can take the help from organic certifiers to know about the norms and standards. Mr. Reddy was born in farmer's family and was into 'IT' profession where he was not happy with his activities. Please note that the content on this page has been archived and is not actively reviewed at present. Under non-certified system seeds not treated with chemicals are ideal option. More than 800 million people go hungry and about 2 billion are malnourished. Marketing and distribution is inefficient and handling small volumes of produce is charged extra thereby increasing the cost of the produce. Also, Microorganisms with ability to kill/suppress crop pests occur in nature and some are available commercially. Organic is a system of food production that is subject to federal standards for environmental protection and animal welfare. Publications on Organic Sector Development, Organic Targets: Potential positive effects. India. Organic agriculture is an accessible, affordable and empowering system for most smallholders given that its largely based on the use of local biodiversity and resources and incurs little external costs – particularly important for cash poor subsistence farmers. The produce needs a rigorous certification process. But recent research studies have indicated that high or comparable yields are possible in organic farming. In conventional agro practices importance of this plant biomass (fallen leaves or lopped branches of trees) that can be harnessed by recycling, is not honored/recognized.