Organic farming

About: Organic farming is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7254 publications have been published within this topic receiving 138030 citations. The topic is also known as: pertanian organik & organic farming.

Organic Agriculture in a Global Perspective

Abstract: Organic agriculture is a tangible effort toward a more sustainable food production. However, modern European organic agriculture is faced with growing globalisation and it is undergoing a continuous technological and structural modernisation. And, even though there are large differences, the same is to some degree true for agriculture in developing countries. This chapter is the first step in an investigation of the role that organic agriculture may play in relation to sustainable development and global food security. We outline a global perspective on the development of organic food systems in consideration of different understandings of globalisation and sustainable development, as found in market liberalism, ecological economy and political ecology. This involves issues such as the place of non-certified organic agriculture, pros and cons of free trade, the possibilities for fair global trade with organic products, commons and ecological justice, and the need for a cooperative dialogue between North and South.

Approaches to pest management in organic agriculture: a case study in European apple orchards

Abstract: Although the European organic agriculture movement was founded by Rudolf Steiner and Hans Mueller in the years between 1924 and 1940, it was not until the 1980s that pest management researchers began to develop strategies to control pests in organic systems. Today, insect pest management in organic agriculture involves the adoption of scientificallybased and ecologically sound strategies as specified by international and national organic production standards. These include a ban on synthetic insecticides and, more recently, on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The first phase of an insect pest management program for organic systems is the adoption of cultural practices including diverse crop rotation, enhancement of soil quality by incorporation of specific cover crops and/or the addition of soil amendments, and choice of resistant varieties that help to prevent pest outbreaks. In the second phase, habitat management (e.g. incorporation of hedgerows and wild flower strips) is implemented to encourage populations of pest antagonists. Third and fourth phases of the program include deployment of direct measures such as biocontrol agents and approved insecticides. However, the strategies for pest prevention implemented in the first two phases often obviate the need for direct control measures. Approaches to pest management in organic systems differ from those in conventional agriculture conceptually in that indirect or preventative measures form the foundation of the system, while direct or reactive control methods are rare and must comply with organic production standards. The range of European research activities that support these concepts is illustrated by a case study of rosy apple aphid (Dysaphis plantaginea) control in organic apple production in Switzerland.

How Do Farming Systems Cope with Marketing Channel Requirements in Organic Horticulture? The Case of Market-Gardening in Southeastern France

Abstract: Organic market-gardening farming systems are extremely diverse, ranging from the extensive to the very intensive, although all follow organic standards. This study aimed to analyze the extent to which the diversity of farming systems in southeastern France may be explained by the marketing channels adopted by growers. Eighteen organic market gardeners were surveyed. Three types of growers were identified, differentiated by the way they combine farming and marketing systems: (1) growers selling a diversity of food products through local marketing channels, which allows them to increase plant species biodiversity and enhance natural regulations in accordance with agro-ecology principles; (2) specialized growers selling a limited number of food products through long marketing channels at the few periods most economically favorable with regard to the export-market, a questionable strategy in terms of environmental sustainability; and (3) intermediate growers combining short and long marketing channels, who po...

The adoption of organic rice farming in northeastern Thailand.

Abstract: The economic and environmental justification for certified organic farming could be considered strong enough to promote its adoption in the developing countries. Due to the problems facing conventional farmers, and reported benefits and opportunities derived from organic farming, questions may be asked about why organic agriculture is not adopted by a larger proportion of farmers. Contract and non-contract organic rice farms in northeastern Thailand versus their neighbouring conventional farms were used for this study. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate both organic and conventional farms and duration analysis was applied to investigate the factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of organic farming. The results reveal that important factors on decision of adoption of organic farming that were positively significant included water accessibility, farm-gate price and attitude to conventional production problems. This implies that the early organic adopter may have better access to water, the ability to seek and find higher prices, and have stronger attitudes toward conventional farming problems. This research may help to improve policy interventions by targeting policies on farmers who are most likely to remain in the sector.