Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control. Organic farming uses fertilizers and pesticides but excludes or strictly limits the use of manufactured (synthetic) fertilizers, pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), plant growth regulators such as hormones, livestock antibiotics, food additives, genetically modified organisms, human sewage sludge, and nanomaterials.
Organic agricultural methods are internationally regulated and legally enforced by many nations, based in large part on the standards set by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), an international umbrella organization for organic farming organizations established in 1972. IFOAM defines the overarching goal of organic farming as:
"Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved..." —International Federation of Organic Agriculture MovementsSince 1990, the market for organic products has grown from next to nothing statistically, reaching $55 billion in 2009 according to Organic Monitor (www.organicmonitor.com). This demand has driven a similar increase in organically managed farmland which has grown over the past decade at a compounding rate of 8.9% per annum. Approximately 37,000,000 hectares (91,000,000 acres) worldwide are now farmed organically, representing approximately 0.9 percent of total world farmland (2009) (see Willer/Kilcher 2011).
Read more about Organic Farming: History, Standards, Economics, Externalities, Sales and Marketing, Capacity Building, Critical Analysis
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... See also Sustainable agriculture Proponents of organic farming say that "conventional" farming is unsustainable, because it relies on artificial inputs (synthetic fertilizers ... In contrast, organic farming often utilizes intercropping, crop rotation, fallow periods, and integrated pest management to promote biodiversity and ... The main goal of organic farming is sustainability, so organic farms seek to minimize dependence on outside resources and be self-sufficient ...
... Organic produce makes up 1.5% of Israeli agricultural output, but it accounts for 13% of agricultural exports ... Israel has 70,000 dunams (70 km2) of organic fields Vegetable crops grown in open fields account for 65% of the land use, fruit orchards - 25%, hothouse vegetables - 6% and herbs - 4% ...
... Trewavas and other critics contested the notion that organic agricultural systems are more friendly to the environment and more sustainable than conventional farming systems ... Borlaug asserts that organic farming practices can at most feed 4 billion people, after expanding cropland dramatically and destroying ecosystems in the ... Borlaug and his co-authors advocated using organic matter in addition to inorganic fertilizers in soil fertility management, but opposed advocating ...
... Organic agriculture and gardens belong to most of the children's villages ... these are farmed in accordance with the national guidelines for organic agriculture ...
... Rodale became the force behind organic farming’s mainstream popularization and birth as a social movement in the United States ... practical advice in his startup magazine, Organic Farming and Gardening ... what is now the Rodale Institute to begin an era of regenerative, organic farm-scale research ...
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