Organic+Farming

Organic Farming Organic farming is a form of agriculture, which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. History: -The organic movement began as a reaction of agricultural scientists and farmers against the industrialization of agriculture. Advances in biochemistry (nitrogen fertilizer) and engineering (the internal combustion engine) in the early 20th century led to profound changes in fanning. -In 1972, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) was founded in Versailles, France. IFOAM was dedicated to the diffusion of information on the principles and practices of organic agriculture across national and linguistic boundaries. - In the 1980's, various farming and consumer groups worldwide began pressing for government regulation of organic production. This led to legislation and certification standards being enacted beginning in the 1990's.  - Since the early 1990's, the retail market for organic farming in developed economies has grown about 20 % annually due to increasing consumer demand. While small independent producers and consumers initially drove the rise of organic farming, meanwhile as the volume and variety of "organic" products grows, production is increasingly large-scale. How: -A variety of methods are employed, including crop rotation, green manure, cover cropping, application of compost, and mulching. Organic farmers also use certain processed fertilizers such as seed meal, and various mineral powders such as rock phosphate and greensand, a naturally occurring form of potash. Pest control targets animal pests (including insects), weeds and disease. Organic pest control involves the cumulative effect of many techniques, including, allowing for an acceptable level of pest damage, encouraging or even introducing beneficial organisms, careful crop selection and crop rotation and mechanical controls such as row covers and traps. Why: -Organic farming differs from conventional farming in both its methods and its effects. Organic agriculture is considered by many policymakers in Europe, India, and China to be a beneficial activity with external benefits for society and thus there are some efforts to encourage it with subsidies, especially in Europe and China. Organic fanning is highly labor and knowledge intensive whereas farming generally produces somewhat lower yields but sustains better yields during drought years, allowing it to reap higher yields in some cases. Studies thus far have shown that organic farming requires less water, uses few and always natural pesticides, prevents soil erosion, leaches dramatically fewer nitrates, and has been shown to have improved nutrient qualities including as much as double the flavonoids, an important antioxidant Organic farming is now gaining popularity and is being accepted by people all over the world. In Deborah Koons Garcia's film The Future of Food, it is stated that the American Market for organically grown food amounted to $1 billion in 1994, and $13 billion in 2003.