The Intrinsic Value of Ethical Organic Food Production
The proper ethical production of organic food creates intrinsic value – it enhances the environment and biodiversity, and improves people’s long-term health (physically, socially, environmentally and economically). Any development, production and procedure should take into account the impact it will have on the environment and preserve the integrity of organic production.
Defining Organic Agriculture
Organic agriculture is an integrated farming system that strives for sustainability, the enhancement of soil fertility and biological diversity whilst, with rare exceptions, prohibiting the use of synthetic pesticides, antibiotics, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, and growth hormones.
The Origins and Characteristics of Organic Farming
Organic farming is an alternative agricultural system, which began early in the 20th century in reaction to rapidly changing farming practices. Organic agriculture continues to be developed by various organizations. The basic characteristics of such farming are fertilizers of organic origin such as compost, manure and green manure. Such farming places emphasis on techniques such as crop rotation, companion planting, biological pest control, mixed cropping and the fostering of insect predators. Although there are minor exceptions, organic standards are designed to allow the use of naturally occurring substances while prohibiting or strictly limiting synthetic substances.
Regulation of Organic Agricultural Methods
The agricultural methods of this system are internationally regulated and legally enforced in many countries, and in large part are based on the standards set by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), which is an international umbrella organization for organic farming established in 1972.
Understanding Organic Horticulture
Organic horticulture means growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants by following the essential principles of organic agriculture and can be considered a part of organic farming. Organic horticulture’s soil building, conservation methods, pest management, and heirloom variety preservation are all based on organic agriculture.
The Origins and Techniques of Horticulture
The term ’horticulture’ originates from two Latin words – hortus (garden plant) and cultura (culture). These words together form the definition: the culture of growing garden plants. Sometimes horticulture is also defined as “agriculture without the plough.” Instead, horticulture makes use of human labour and hand tools, although some small machines, like rotary tillers, are often used nowadays.
Organic horticulture, or organic gardening, is based on knowledge and techniques gathered over thousands of years. In general terms, organic horticulture involves natural processes, often taking place over extended periods of time using a sustainable, holistic approach.
Organic agriculture is a system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions that combine tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment.
Techniques and Processes in Organic Farming and Horticulture
Among the many processes of organic farming and horticulture, combining scientific knowledge of ecology and modern technology with traditional farming practices, are the principal methods of crop rotation, green manures, cover crops and composting (and also vermicomposting, mostly in horticulture), biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation, as well as the use of natural pesticides and fertilizers. Organic farming also uses animal manure, certain processed fertilizers such as seed meal and various mineral powders. Organic weed management promotes weed suppression rather than weed elimination by integrating cultural, biological, mechanical, physical and chemical tactics to manage weeds without synthetic herbicides.
In the chart below is a comparison of conventional and organic agriculture for many different elements of agriculture to have a clearer picture of the two approaches.
Conventional Agriculture | Elements | Organic Agriculture |
Maximise, determined by availability and affordability of inputs; Large-scale, often owned by or economically tied to major food corporations | Scale | Optimise, determined by natural limits of the system; relatively small-scale, independent operations e.g. the family farm |
Efficient part of the system, means of operating | Labour/communities | Integral part of the system, one of the reasons for operating |
Optimise | Quality of Products | Maximise |
Efficient part of the system; to be protected as an important resource, means of operating | Health of Environment | Integral part of the system; to be protected and enhanced as one of the reasons of operating |
Marginal role | Traditional/indigenous knowledge | Integral part of system design and development |
Considered as part of marketing | Health of consumers & producers | Integral part of the system, one of the reasons for operating |
Facilitate marketing and trading | Standards | Guarantee integrity of the productions systems and products |
Lessen dependency for economic reasons | External Resources (fossil fuels) | Lessen dependency for philosophical, environmental and economic reasons/ |
Optimise | Production per ecological footprint | Maximise |
Free trade with equal opportunities for those on an equal footing | Equity | Fair trade aiming at providing/creating/working on equity |
Marginal role | Quality of Life of producers, processors, traders and consumers | Integral part of system design and development, one of the reasons for operating |
Branding/trademark identity for marketing and trade | Identity of Products | Intrinsic values as part of product identity e.g. environmental and biodiversity benefits, consumer and community health, nutritional value (absence of contaminants and presence of nutrients, antioxidants etc.) |
Maximising for profit | End Goal | Optimising for all system benefits and reasons for operating |
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