Katana VentraIP

Organic farming

Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,[1][2][3][4][5] is an agricultural system that uses fertilizers of organic origin such as compost manure, green manure, and bone meal and places emphasis on techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting. It originated early in the 20th century in reaction to rapidly changing farming practices. Certified organic agriculture accounts for 70 million hectares (170 million acres) globally, with over half of that total in Australia.[6] Biological pest control, mixed cropping, and the fostering of insect predators are encouraged. Organic standards are designed to allow the use of naturally-occurring substances while prohibiting or strictly limiting synthetic substances.[7] For instance, naturally-occurring pesticides such as pyrethrin are permitted, while synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are generally prohibited. Synthetic substances that are allowed include, for example, copper sulfate, elemental sulfur, and veterinary drugs. Genetically modified organisms, nanomaterials, human sewage sludge, plant growth regulators, hormones, and antibiotic use in livestock husbandry are prohibited.[8][9] Organic farming advocates claim advantages in sustainability,[10][11] openness, self-sufficiency, autonomy and independence,[11] health, food security, and food safety.

Organic agricultural methods are internationally regulated and legally enforced by transnational organizations (as European Union) and 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.[12] Organic agriculture can be defined as "an integrated farming system that strives for sustainability, the enhancement of soil fertility and biological diversity while, with rare exceptions, prohibiting synthetic pesticides, antibiotics, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, and growth hormones".[13][14][15][16]


Since 1990, the market for organic food and other products has grown rapidly, reaching $63 billion worldwide in 2012.[17]: 25  This demand has driven a similar increase in organically managed farmland that grew from 2001 to 2011 at a compounding rate of 8.9% per year.[18]
As of 2022, approximately 96,000,000 hectares (240,000,000 acres) worldwide were farmed organically, representing approximately 2% of total world farmland.[19]


Organic farming can be beneficial on biodiversity and environmental protection at local level. However, because organic farming has sometimes lower yields compared to intensive farming, additional agricultural land is needed elsewhere in the world, which means that natural and forest land has to be converted into agricultural land. This can cause loss of biodiversity and negative climate effects that sometimes outweigh the local environmental gains achieved. This lower yields does not include dry lands.[20] Food waste of industrial agriculture must be taken into account.

- Turning the soil between crops to incorporate crop residues and soil amendments; remove existing weed growth and prepare a seedbed for planting; turning soil after seeding to kill weeds, including cultivation of row crops.

Tillage

Mowing and cutting - Removing top growth of weeds.

Flame weeding and thermal weeding - Using heat to kill weeds.

- Blocking weed emergence with organic materials, plastic films, or landscape fabric.[57]

Mulching

is used as an insecticide (LD50: 2660 mg/kg).

Boric acid

is used as a fungicide and is also used in conventional agriculture (LD50 300 mg/kg). Conventional agriculture has the option to use the less toxic Mancozeb (LD50 4,500 to 11,200 mg/kg)

Copper(II) sulfate

(aka calcium polysulfide) and sulfur are considered to be allowed, synthetic materials[177] (LD50: 820 mg/kg)

Lime sulfur

is used as an insect repellant in India;[178][179] since it contains azadirachtin its use is restricted in the UK and Europe.[180]

Neem oil

comes from chemicals extracted from flowers of the genus Pyrethrum (LD50 of 370 mg/kg). Its potent toxicity is used to control insects.

Pyrethrin

Many organic farms have sprouted, growing produce ranging from mangosteen to stinky bean.

Some of the farms have also established education centres to promote and share their organic farming techniques and knowledge.

In Chiang Mai Province, there are 18 organic markets. (ISAC-linked)

Ableman, M. (April 1993). From the Good Earth: A Celebration of Growing Food Around the World. HNA Books.  978-0-8109-2517-5.

ISBN

Avery, A. The Truth About Organic Foods (Volume 1, Series 1). Henderson Communications, L.L.C. 2006.  0-9788952-0-7

ISBN

Committee on the Role of Alternative Farming Methods in Modern Production Agriculture, National Research Council. 1989. . National Academies Press.

Alternative Agriculture

Guthman, J. Agrarian Dreams: The Parodox of Organic Farming in California, Berkeley and London: University of California Press. 2004.  978-0-520-24094-0

ISBN

Lampkin, N. and S. Padel. (eds.) The Economics of Organic Farming: An International Perspective, CAB International. 1994.  9780851989112

ISBN

. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. 1 January 2003. ISBN 978-92-64-10150-0.

Organic Agriculture: Sustainabiblity, Markets and Policies

Beecher, N. A.; et al. (2002). "Agroecology of birds in organic and nonorganic farmland". Conservation Biology. 16 (6): 1621–30. :10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.01228.x. S2CID 83914793.

doi

Brown, R. W. (1999b). "Margin/field interfaces and small mammals". Aspects of Applied Biology. 54: 203–210.

Emsley, J. (April 2001). . Nature. 410 (6829): 633–634. Bibcode:2001Natur.410..633E. doi:10.1038/35070632. S2CID 31532351.

"Going one better than nature"

Gabriel, D.; Tscharntke, T. (2007). (PDF). Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 118 (1–4): 43–48. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.04.005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2013.

"Insect pollinated plants benefit from organic farming"

Kuepper, G. and L. Gegner. , ATTRA — National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. August 2004.

Organic Crop Production Overview.

Wheeler, S. A. (2008). "What influences agricultural professionals' views towards organic agriculture?". Ecological Economics. 65: 145–154. :10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.05.014.

doi

Wickramasinghe, L. P.; et al. (2003). . Journal of Applied Ecology. 40 (6): 984–93. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2003.00856.x.

"Bat activity and species richness on organic and conventional farms: impact of agricultural intensification"

at Curlie

Organic Farming

Media related to Organic farming at Wikimedia Commons