Overview

Organic farming is an approach to agriculture where the aim is to create integrated, humane, environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural production systems. Organic farming systems rely on ecologically-based practices, such as cultural and biological pest management, and prohibits the use of synthetic chemicals in crop production and use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock production. Many producers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers specialize in growing, processing, and marketing an ever widening array of organic food products.

As defined by the UK-based Institute of Rural Sciences, the key characteristics of organic farming include:

• protecting the long-term fertility of soils by maintaining organic matter levels

• encouraging soil biological activity and careful mechanical intervention

• providing crop nutrients indirectly using relatively insoluble nutrient sources which are made available to the plant by the action of soil micro-organisms

• nitrogen self-sufficiency through the use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation, as well as effective recycling of organic materials including crop residues and livestock manures

• weeds, diseases and pest control rely primarily on crop rotations, natural predators, diversity, organic manuring, resistant varieties and limited (preferably minimal) thermal, biological and chemical intervention

• the extensive management of livestock, pays full regard to their evolutionary adaptations, behavioural needs and animal welfare issues with respect to nutrition, housing, health, breeding and rearing

• careful attention to the impact of the farming system on the wider environment and the conservation of wildlife and natural habitats.

Organic farming is gaining momentum due to the increasing concerns of global food crisis, global warming and health concerns from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). The world market for organic food has shown consistent growth for over 15 years. Growth of retail sales in North America is predicted to be 15%-20% per year over the next few years. Organic farming has become one of the fastest growing segments of US agriculture. Producers in the US are turning to certified organic farming systems as a potential way to lower input costs, decrease reliance on non-renewable resources, capture high-value markets and premium prices and boost farm income.

This book “Organic Farming – Perspectives and Experiences” discusses in detail the concepts of organic farming and its growth potential in India and globally. This book comprises three sections. The first explains the concepts, techniques and sustainable development of organic farming. The second focuses on its growth, issues and challenges, followed by the global experiences of organic farming in the third section.

Section I: Perspectives

The curtain raiser article in the section titled “Overview of Organic Agriculture” by Paul Kristiansen, Acram Taji and John Reganold provides an outline of the history and development of the organic movement from its roots in the early 1900s; to its current position in global agriculture. Organic agriculture is a holistic/whole system approach to land management and agricultural production. This is demonstrated by the approach to pest control; whereby it is the design and interaction of the farm as a whole that controls pests, compared to industrial agriculture where pests are viewed in isolation and are controlled by pesticides. The article answers questions related to sustainability and productivity of organic agriculture and whether organic agriculture can feed the world.

Second article “Two Concepts of Sustainability: Evaluation of Organic Farming” by Ki-Hueng Kim discusses how to evaluate organic farming via two concepts of sustainability, namely, capability sustainability (which includes environmental, social and human aspects) and economic sustainability by highlighting the experiences of organic farming in Japan, Korea and Thailand. The article discusses two types of organic farming – large-scale and profit-oriented and small-scale and environmentally aware. It focuses on the problem of the small-scale farmers, as their income is economically less sustainable. In the age of globalization, the economically sustainable organic farming is growing against growing concerns of environment.

The next article titled “How Organic Agriculture Contributes to Sustainable Development” by Lukas Kilcher emphasizes on how organic agriculture can contribute to meaningful socio-economic and ecologically sustainable development, especially in poor countries. The market for organic products at local and international level has tremendous growth prospects, and offers creative producers and exporters excellent opportunities to improve their income and living conditions. The article focuses on the constraints faced by poor farmers on the road to organic agriculture. To realize the benefits of organic farming, there is a need for greater investment in practice-oriented research, capacity-building and extension, accessible local certification schemes and harmonized standards, organic market initiatives, fair trade relationships and inspiring partnerships within the movement which can help overcome these constraints.

The fourth article “Organic Agriculture Requires Process Rather than Product Evaluation of Novel Breeding Techniques” by E T Lammerts Van Bueren, H Verhoog, M Tiemens-Hulscher, P C Struik and M A Haring analyzes two novel breeding techniques which molecular scientists have recently tailored gene technology by developing techniques that increase the efficiency of modern plant breeding, cisgenesis and reverse breeding. It claims that these techniques warrant less strict oversight than ‘conventional’ transgenics, because the ecological risks of the products are allegedly absent or very minor. The EU Regulation for organic agriculture prohibits the use of GMOs and the products obtained through the use of GMOs in organic produce. With the shift to breeding at cellular and DNA level; the intrinsic ethical arguments disappear, together with the role of the farmer in the breeding process. For convenience, the whole process is ignored, whereas this is a relevant aspect for those who use intrinsic arguments: organic farmers and their customers. These intrinsic ethical arguments against GMOs also apply to cisgenesis and reverse breeding.

The concluding article in this section “A Role for Small and Medium Size Enterprises in a World Market Demanding Certified Organics” by Susanne Møller Andersen, Tine Breinholt and Henrik Egelyng focuses on an integrated approach for certified organics such as supporting the establishment of regional/national certification bodies and the creation of Internal Control Systems at the level of farmers. To achieve this, it requires institutional strengthening which ensures active cooperation and involvement of stakeholders. These initiatives can help increase the contributions of the agricultural and business sectors to drive economic developments, along an environmentally and socially sustainable pathway. Such an approach may also help increase the earnings and/or livelihoods of small-scale farmers and SMEs.

Section II: Organic Farming in India

The first article in the second section “Issues and Challenges in Financing Organic Agriculture” by E V Murray emphasizes that banks need to prepare for the emerging business opportunities, funding of large amounts for commodities having high price volatility and risk of spoilages, and calls for developing/structuring innovative financing instruments. The lesson the banking system must get from this is that organic agriculture is going to benefit the farmer by securing him a surplus, and this in turn will help de-risk the agricultural portfolio of the bank.

The subsequent article “Organic Farming in India: Developmental Issues and Challenges” by N Janardhan Rao and Amit Singh Sisodiya focuses on Indian agricultural policies which are not favorable for organic agriculture in India and also discusses major issues, and suggests remedial measures which are required for the upliftment of organic farming.

The third article “Organic Farming: Solution to Starvation?” authored by C S Murty explains about biotechnology which has the potential to increase agricultural productivity through intensification, rather than the exploitation of additional resources. These methods contribute to an increase in productivity because of the tolerance of genetically produced seeds to pests and diseases. The main aim of biotechnology is to benefit the poor farmers and consumers. It is imperative that the Government should provide the right technology to the poor farmers.

The following article “Organic Farming: Empowering Farmers” by N Janardhan Rao highlights that organic farming has the potential to create job opportunities for rural people and symbolizes a novel opportunity for small farmers who lack the resources (fertilizers and pesticides) to do conventional farming. India has a tremendous potential to grow crops organically and emerge as a chief provider of organic products in the international market.

The last article “Towards a Smoother Transition to Organic Farming” by Kasturi Das discusses the growth of organic farming mainly for export markets, which made a significant progress in many parts of India. It also discusses the conversion period from conventional farming into organic which may turn out to be a difficult phase for the farmers owing to several direct and indirect costs involved in the process.

Section III: Global Experiences

The first article “The US Organic Industry: Important Trends and Emerging Issues for the USDA” by Dawn Thilmany talks about rapid growth of organic production in the US which had been a net exporter of organic foods for many years. By 2002, imports of organic products exceeded organic exports by a ratio of at least 8 to 1, primarily due to the rapid increase in domestic demand. Although organic agriculture has a fairly long history in the world, recent increasing demand for organic products has led to concerns about the organic food supply chain. The article highlights that for organic agriculture to keep pace, producers must be given incentives and support to convert acres of land and meet the requirements of consumers and the food processors.

Next article “Policies Supporting Organic Farming and Food Markets in the EU” by Daniela Vairo, Anna Maria Häring, Stephan Dabbert and Raffaele Zanoli focuses on the current situation of policies related to the organic food market in Europe, a large international effort made for the development of policies for organic food and farming. The article highlights policy recommendations for the development of the organic food and farming sector.

Third article “Organic Agriculture: Glocalisation Options for the South?” by Henrik Egelyng throws light on the smallholders of the developing world. Of late, those who wish to take opportunity of the global market for certified organics are slowly overcoming the “entry barrier” of an often high-cost certification. Once the hurdle is overcome, the next challenge of surviving “transition” – the period when the farmer has to carry out soil conservation and abstain from chemical pest management – is perhaps a lesser constraint for farmers.

The concluding article of this book “An Analysis of Organic Agriculture in Turkey: The Current Situation and Basic Constraints” by ZEYNEP ÖZBILGE focuses on the Turkish organic agriculture. In Turkey, the level of state recognition and the financial support for fast development of organic agriculture are really insufficient. Regarding the production constraints, the unfavorable Turkish agricultural policy is the most serious problem. The basic constraints in consumption are the lack of consumer recognition and the high retail prices of organic products in Turkey.