The Organic Farming Sector and the History of Organic Farming - Term Paper Example

Table of Contents Introduction 2 Organic Agriculture 3 History of Organic Farming 4 Different Certification Standards in Organic Farming 6 Current Market Condition 8 Strengths & Weakness 9 Conclusion 11 References 12 Introduction The importance of food, textile and other resources from plants and animals has been one of the issues which have been a concern for the human society since its inception. The growth in agriculture has intensified the negative effects which arise due to agriculture. The different type of agricultural damage which takes place is air pollution due to the effect of greenhouse gas, land deregulation due to cultivation, water pollution due to the use of pesticides, fertilizers and other biological and ecological losses (Norse & Tschirley, 2003). The magnitude of damage which might have arisen might be a topic which is not agreed by all still some of the economies have implemented a formal process which aims at removing the impacts and developing a proper balance through which the world economies gain (OECD, 2001). Some of the policies which have been developed in the direction is having ban on the use of certain tyre of pesticides, fertilizers and other and giving importance to organic farming so that better sustainability for the future can be generated (Chang & Kristiansen, 2006). Organic farming will help to gain sustainability as it can be adapted to the local farming which includes social, geographical and climatic factors thereby helping to develop an environment where better functioning becomes possible. Different economies have adopted a different model to determine the form of organic farming which will be most appropriate fro them. For example, it is known that certain crops cannot be grown sustainably using the organic method because the climate, soil and other factor don’t support the growth of such agriculture which thereby has to be shifted to places which have a comparative advantage so that proper organic farming becomes possible (OECD, 2003). This thereby requires the ability to take rationale decisions so that the overall effect on agriculture helps to provide the most productive result. The impact of organic farming has been so strong that it has resulted in the creation of direct to customer farm process which has led towards the growth of small organic enterprise around the world which focuses on supplying better food products (Stokstad, 2002). Organic agriculture thus forms a very small part of the entire agribusiness world and is different from the normal manner in which agriculture activities was carried out. The development of the organic farming is shaped by the global market and politics which has brought the required transformation and has made the entire process of farming undergo changes. This report analyzes the organic farming sector by concentrating and understanding the history of organic farming; the different certification which is used in the organic farming sector and the importance the certification has for the consumers. the current market size, key products which are being traded, countries which are involved in organic farming which will thereby help to understand the present market situation; and the brief understanding of the different strengths and weakness related to production, supply chain, trade issue and government role along with other factors to understand the manner in which organic farming is being viewed. This will thereby help to provide a complete outlook about the organic farming sector and help to understand the manner in which he organic farming sector performs. Organic Agriculture The use of the word “organic” while pertaining to the agriculture sector has some strong requirement and some certification agencies have clearly stated the different parameteres which must be fulfilled before being called organic (Lotter, 2003). Organic farming method is close to traditional farming methods which were used previously and is defined as a process where the process of farming looks to use products which promotes agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity and reduces the use of different synthetic materials which has an ill effect on the ecosystem and affects the overall long term fertility of the soil (FAO, 1999). The definition of organic farming has further been expanded and looks to include full organic and biodynamic supply chain so that the different social and cultural aspects can be understood and its impact on biodiversity can be well understood. Organization which follow and use the model of organic farming are provided certification from bodies which keeps on changing as new additions to the requirements of the being organic makes the different institutions to continuously change so that better biodiversity can be created. The growth of the organic farming has resulted in many farmers using mineral fertilizers and green manures and avoid pesticides so that they look to work on move towards organic farming as it is a niche market and helps to provide food products which is superior and better for human consumption due to a large variety of vitamins, minerals and other importance nutrients that the product carries and also helps to maintain biodiversity within the soil (Carruthers and Tinning, 2003). History of Organic Farming The origin of modern organic agriculture can be based because of both the development in industrialization and agriculture which has thereby transformed the organic farming methods. Previously in the earlier decades when there was non availability of synthesized fertilizers, biocides, medicines, mechanization and fossil fuels farmers had to rely on the traditional method of farming and looked to have a process of organic farming for their farm produce. With no option before the farmers as those recourse were not available farmers had to rely on biological and ecological system for farming. For example, to keep the soil fertile the only option that farmers had was to use human and animals manure and leguminous plant so that fertility in the soil could be restored and the process of farming could be continued. This required that crops were rotated so the pests don’t develop in the soil and provided an opportunity through which fertility in the soil was restored. This shows that organic farming has its presence since the medieval times and is one of the practices which have been followed since its inception. The industrial revolution in the 19th century brought a complete turnaround to the organic farming as the development of different type of fertilizers which could replace human and animal manure because of the fact that it had better minerals and could increase the production and efficiency in the agriculture sector started to dominate the entire scene. The change started in 1840 when commercial advertisement for different pesticides and fertilizers started to come up (Grigg, 1989). Despite the availability of fertilizers and pesticides the use of the same didn’t become prominent until the second world war after which the agricultural farms started to use fertilizers and pesticides to increase the production and efficiency in the agriculture sector. The manner in which the agriculture sector was witnessing the intense use of pesticides and fertilizers which were not organic attracted the attention of the people during the year 1924. It was for the first time that concerns regarding the manner in which the agriculture was performing was highlighted and resulted in the creation of the first organic certification called “Demeter” due to the different actions which were taken against the growing concern towards agriculture sector (Rundgren, 2002). This period also brought forward important findings from India as it highlighted that people leaving in India were prone to less disease than compared to the people living in the Western part. The reason for the same was searched and identified as a diet which was wholesome food and included fresh food and grains which were grown organically from manures and has no pesticides. This thereby made people understand the importance of having wheat grain which were grown on farms which uses organic matter to be better for human consumption as it provides better energy and helps in the overall growth of an individual which thereby reduces the amount of disease that the person carries. The field of organic sector witnessed a second wave during the 1940’s when scientist and researchers from USA and UK started to present some useful information regarding the fertility of soil through organic manure and the manner it helps to improve productivity and efficiency. This helped in the development of organic farming techniques which encouraged biodynamic agriculture and promoted a more formalized approach through which special concerns and efforts were being laid to understand the manner in organic farming process would help mankind. People started the importance to preserve and restore the natural health of the soil so that human health can be improved as growing agriculture through organic manure would prove beneficial and provide better outlook for the society to improve and ensure better products for all. Different Certification Standards in Organic Farming The development and rising concern towards organic farming has led towards the development of different institutions and certification which looks to overlook the entire manner in which operations are carried out. IFOAM is the key organization which defines and determines the different principles of organic agriculture which has to be followed and lays down different principles which have to be followed. It was for the first time that concerns regarding the manner in which the agriculture was performing was highlighted and resulted in the creation of the first organic certification called “Demeter” due to the different actions which were taken against the growing concern towards agriculture sector (Rundgren, 2002). The principles up to the period have been stated in IFOAM which lays down the basic standards which have to be followed and aims to clarify and clearly state the different standards which have to be followed (Woodward and Vogtmann, 2004). The process was started through seven principles which have been further developed and more and more new principles have been intertwined. This has helped to strengthen the entire process of monitoring the organic farming sector but still highlights different gaps and concerns which have to be taken care of so that better reforms and standards can be developed which will help to understand the customer and the market better so that better standards can be developed (IFOAM, 2002). This has further led towards development of different standards as the Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming initiated a new standard and looked towards identifying the different principles of organic farming which will help to reduce the uncertainties which is present in the present principle and will thereby help to strengthen the overall working style and develop the organic sector (DARDOF, 2000). The overall aspect looks at the holistic aspect and aims at preserving the environment and the health of the society by ensuring that the food quality which is grown is organic and helps in the overall development of the individual and protects the society from different diseases. The development of the different certification and institutions thereby looks towards understanding the customers and the society and aims to provide agricultural products which are better and has no pesticides. This will thereby have a positive impact as it will reduce the chances of disease and will help to ensure that the nutrient of the soil is preserved which will help the future generation to be able to procure the required materials and have a healthy food. Current Market Condition The process of organic farming has caught the attention of the mainstream media now as the growth and development of pioneer code and conduct and methods have ensured that the overall productivity of the soil is laid emphasis on. This has helped in the development of niche market which is based on trust and goodwill and has helped to ensure that the organic farming style becomes prevalent and helps to maximize the community based schemes which looks towards enhanced organic farming. The growth in the organic farming is seeing its presence in every corner of the world which includes the developed, developing and the poor countries. Some of the countries where organic farming is being heavily relied is India, Australia and Spain and other world economies have started to understand the importance of organic farming and have started to use it as one of the most prominent methods through which the needs and requirements of the society can be better met. It is identified that the process of organic farming is slowly gaining relevance and is seen to function in Europe, North America, Oceania, Central and South America, Asia and Africa. It shows that the growth of organic farming is seen all around the globe and has increased the concern of the people towards the sector as it helps to improve the overall condition and ensures that the society is supplied with better products which are fitter for consumption. The present market condition highlights that approximately 26 million hectares of land is presently used for organic farming and the global marketing value of the same is estimated at US$25 billion (Willer and Yussefi, 2005). Further out of the total food grain business in terms of agricultural production it is estimated that around 2% of the agricultural products are organic in nature. This requires a huge change so that the world economies looks to focus on developing the organic sector in such a manner the production increases which will thereby benefit in the production of more organic food. Further, a breakdown of the different commodities which is traded includes most agricultural products like wheat, grains, fruits, vegetables and so on. The 2% of the global market in terms of agricultural production is achieved through the production of most goods and services which are organic in nature and helps to serve as a corner stone through which the production of organic products is bound to increase. Strengths & Weakness Many of the weakness which is being felt despite the manner in which organic farming and ist importance is growing is ecological justice, animal welfare, fair trade, supply chain development, productivity limitation, and regional adaptation and harmonization of trade. The fact that all the issues are looked through a single lens has complicated the matter as it has led towards raising new concerns is issues. This has been further strengthened by the fact that the government rules and regulations which have been adopted and developed are aimed towards for their own nation and not for the global economy (Willer and Yussefi, 2005). Despite the efforts of the different institutions which aims to achieve better organic productivity thereby has been slight growth and momentum towards the direction as economies look to use fertilizers and pesticides to increase their production and while looking to do so don’t give the required importance that organic farming should be given. On the other hand organic farming has its importance as it helps to simplify the entire process and ensures that the society is better benefitted from production. The reason for the same was searched and identified as a diet which was wholesome food and included fresh food and grains which were grown organically from manures and has no pesticides. This thereby made people understand the importance of having wheat grain which were grown on farms which uses organic matter to be better for human consumption as it provides better energy and helps in the overall growth of an individual which thereby reduces the amount of disease that the person carries. The fact that organic food is better and helps the human body as well as reduces the environmental impact has thereby resulted in an increase use of organic manures (Norse and Tschirley, 2003). The process also helps to ensure that the different level of pollution which the earth surface has to face is reduced and helps to bring about the required change through which organic farming gains its importance. The other important issue which organic farming sector has to look at is to develop the required supply chain which will ensure the easy availability of manure and other fertilizer which is organic. This will require an increased role from the government and the development of steps which helps to remove the bottlenecks and makes people understand the benefit of organic farming. This has to be matched by strict rules and regulations which aims to highlight the importance of organic farming and makes the farmer look at this direction through the adoption of ways and methods through which the overall productivity and efficiency will increase. Conclusion The growth in agriculture has intensified the negative effects which arise due to agriculture and has increased the importance of organic farming. Organic farming will help to gain sustainability as it can be adapted to the local farming which includes social, geographical and climatic factors thereby helping to develop an environment where better functioning becomes possible. This has made different economies in fact nearly the whole world to adopt the principles of organic farming and have brought the required changes through which the benefits for the society multiply. Previously in the earlier decades when there was non availability of synthesized fertilizers, biocides, medicines, mechanization and fossil fuels farmers had to rely on the traditional method of farming and looked to have a process of organic farming for their farm produce. With no option before the farmers as that recourse were not available, farmers had to rely on biological and ecological system for farming. This helped to ensure that organic farming was used over longer period and after which the world became commercialized and started to use pestisicdes and fertilizers to produce more. Slowly, the world is again witnessing changes have resorted to organic form of farming which will further help to improve the overall style of production and will help to reduce the amount of pollution and increase the productivity by ensuring that the farm produce are better and fitter for consumption. This will thereby have a positive impact and make organization look towards adopting organic farming in the near future. References Chang, H.-S. and Kristiansen, P. (2006). Selling Australia as ‘clean and green’. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 50(1): 103–113 Carruthers, G. and Tinning, G. (2003). Where, and how, do monitoring and sustainability indicators fit into environmental management systems? Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43(3): 307–323 DARCOF (2000). Principles of Organic Farming. Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming, Foulum. FAO (1999). Organic Agriculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. H Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/unfao/bodies/COAG/COAG15/X0075E.htm Grigg, D. (1989). English Agriculture: An Historical Perspective. Blackwell, Oxford IFOAM (2002). IFOAM Norms – IFOAM Basic Standards + IFOAM Accreditation Criteria 2002. International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, Bonn. IFOAM (2005). 2002–2005 IFOAM World Board Made Impressive Gains for the Organic Sector. International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, Tholey–Theley, Germany Lotter, D.W. (2003). Organic agriculture. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 21(4): 59–128 Norse, D. and Tschirley, J. (2003). Agriculture and the environment: changing pressures, solutions and trade-offs. In: Bruinsma, J. (ed.) World Agriculture: Towards 2015/2030. An FAO Perspective. Earthscan Publications and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United OECD (2001). Improving the Environmental Performance of Agriculture. Policy Options and Market Approaches. Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Paris. OECD (2003). Organic Agriculture Sustainability, Markets and Policies. Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development, ParisNations, London. pp. 331–356 Rundgren, G. (2002). History of organic certifi cation and regulation. In: Rundgren, G. and Lockeretz, W. (eds) IFOAM Conference on Organic Guarantee Systems – Reader. International Harmonisation and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture. 17–19 Stokstad, E. (2002). Organic farms reap many benefi ts. Science 296: 1589 Woodward, L. and Vogtmann, H. (2004). IFOAM’s organic principles. Ecology and Farming 36: 24–26. Willer, H. and Yussefi , M. (eds) (2005). The World of Organic Agriculture 2005 - Statistics and Emerging Trends. 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