Organic Agriculture: A Global Perspective

Contents......Page 6
Foreword......Page 14
Preface......Page 16
Acknowledgements......Page 17
Contributors......Page 18
The search for sustainability......Page 34
The origins of organic agriculture......Page 37
The principles of organic agriculture......Page 45
Challenges for organic agriculture......Page 50
References......Page 52
Introduction......Page 58
Components of soil fertility......Page 59
Managing soil fertility in organic farming systems......Page 63
Conclusions......Page 75
References......Page 76
Introduction......Page 86
Crop rotations......Page 87
Nutrient management......Page 88
Green manures......Page 89
Designing rotations......Page 91
Cultural strategies used in organics......Page 94
References......Page 104
Introduction......Page 116
Organic no tillage – oxymoron or opportunity?......Page 117
Non-inversion tillage tradeoffs......Page 120
Conclusions and recommendations......Page 122
References......Page 123
Introduction......Page 126
Pest and disease management case studies in organic versus conventional agriculture......Page 137
Conclusions......Page 145
References......Page 147
Introduction......Page 156
Variety characteristics......Page 159
Seed production......Page 161
Plant breeding......Page 163
Genetic modification, in vitro techniques and ethics......Page 165
Conclusion: research for organic breeding concepts and strategies......Page 168
References......Page 169
General principles in biodynamic farming......Page 174
Background – what are the roots of biodynamic farming?......Page 177
Research – what are the main questions faced by biodynamic farmers and researchers?......Page 178
References......Page 180
Introduction......Page 184
Housing......Page 185
Breeding......Page 190
References......Page 196
Introduction......Page 200
Organic livestock production and animal disease patterns – an overview......Page 201
Animal nutrition and feeding: the challenges of organic farming......Page 204
Health promotion and the human role in organic animal herds......Page 208
Animal disease treatment in organic animal husbandry......Page 210
From organic livestock production to organic animal food production: the whole food chain......Page 212
Conclusions and future perspectives......Page 213
References......Page 214
Animal welfare and ethics......Page 220
Organic values......Page 221
Is animal welfare an issue according to organic values?......Page 222
The organic understanding of animal welfare......Page 224
Is there a general welfare problem in organic production systems?......Page 225
Future research needs......Page 228
References......Page 229
Introduction......Page 234
History of the development of organic standards and certification......Page 235
Organic standards and standards setting processes......Page 236
Conformity assessment processes (international verification processes)......Page 237
Key challenges for the future of organic regulation......Page 240
References......Page 249
Philosophical history of organic farming......Page 254
Modern definitions of organic farming......Page 255
Permanent versus productive agriculture......Page 256
The challenge to organics of increased demand......Page 257
Sustainability......Page 259
References......Page 261
Economic management......Page 264
SWOT analysis......Page 271
References......Page 274
Introduction......Page 278
The demand for organic foods......Page 279
Why people do or do not consume organic foods......Page 281
Marketing organic foods......Page 283
Expanding the ‘market’ for organic foods......Page 286
References......Page 288
Introduction......Page 292
Biodiversity......Page 293
Landscape......Page 298
Soil......Page 299
Ground and surface water......Page 304
Climate and air......Page 307
Energy......Page 310
Conclusions......Page 312
References......Page 315
When tillage is important in organic agriculture......Page 328
When over-reliance on tillage can be troublesome......Page 329
Environmental impact of tillage......Page 330
Conceptualising tillage management in organic agriculture......Page 331
Conclusions and future perspectives......Page 333
References......Page 334
Introduction......Page 338
Definitions of production systems and food qualities......Page 340
Safety from pathogens......Page 343
Safety from toxic substances......Page 345
Beneficial nutritional properties or other positive impacts on health......Page 350
References......Page 355
Introduction......Page 362
Social responsibility in the organic context......Page 363
A framework for approaching social responsibility in organic agriculture......Page 369
Learning and social responsibility......Page 372
A three-pronged approach to social responsibility......Page 379
Conclusions......Page 380
References......Page 381
Introduction......Page 384
The traditional production level......Page 385
Extension is technically oriented......Page 386
The organic approach: sustainability as a subject of extension and participation as an extension method......Page 387
Voice from Northern Ghana: organic farming and participatory extension......Page 389
References......Page 392
History and status of organic research......Page 394
Researching organic systems......Page 396
Future perspectives on research approaches......Page 407
References......Page 411
Overview of Ecological Farming and Education......Page 418
Emerging university programs and resistance to change......Page 420
How ongoing research informs education......Page 421
Experiential learning......Page 423
Programs and courses in organic farming and agroecology......Page 424
Development of a curriculum......Page 428
Key information resources......Page 430
Future perspectives in designing educational programs......Page 432
Conclusions......Page 436
References......Page 437
Introduction......Page 440
Characteristics and challenges of organic farming......Page 441
Perspectives for learning......Page 443
Using a learning tool in organic vegetable farming (Finland)......Page 445
Networking in organising educational activities (Norway, USA)......Page 447
Discussion and conclusions......Page 449
References......Page 450
Introduction......Page 454
Opportunities and challenges......Page 457
Looking to the future......Page 459
Supply chain technology......Page 461
Farming systems technology......Page 464
Summary......Page 468
References......Page 469
Index......Page 476