organic food production global food production & food quality module 1

Organic Food Production

Global Food Production & Food Quality Module

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What is organic food production?"Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It emphasises the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfil any specific function within the system."

(FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1999).

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What is organic food production cont...

“The organic farm is a place where people live together with plants and animals while they produce tasty food and drinks for you and your family.

Animals including cows, pigs, chickens, goats and sheep have sufficient space on organic farms and are fed feed suited to their needs.

Organic farmers also work hard to make plants grow strong and healthy using mainly inputs found on the farm, like soil, water and manure” (http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/the-farm_en)

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History and Development

Organic agriculture is the oldest form of agriculture on earth. Farming without the use of petroleum-based chemicals (fertilisers and pesticides) was the sole option for farmers until post-World War II.

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History and Development cont....

The first half of the 20th century saw big developments in agriculture......

• Introduction of the internal combustion engine tractors and

other mechanised farm equipment. There were over 3,000,000

tractors in the US by 1950

• After World War II, large-scale irrigation, fertilisation, and the use of pesticides became common practice.

In particular, two chemicals that had been produced for use in warfare were put to use in farming:

Ammonium nitrate, used in munitions, became an abundantly cheap source of nitrogen.

DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) which had been used to control disease-carrying insects around troops, became a general insecticide, launching the era of widespread pesticide use.

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• Research in plant breeding led to the production of hybrid seeds.

• Fields grew bigger and farm crops became more specialised to make more efficient use of machinery.

• In 1944, an international campaign called the Green Revolution was launched in Mexico with private funding from the US. It encouraged the development of hybrid plants, chemical controls, large-scale irrigation, and heavy mechanization in farms around the world

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History and Development cont.... But a few individuals in agriculture began to speak out against these farming trends........ they believed that this type of intensive farming would erode the productivity of the land and damage the environment by reducing wildlife.

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) an Austrian philosopher and scientist

developed a form of organic agriculture known as biodynamic, which

means “moving with life”.

In 1924 he gave a series of eight lectures on agriculture to a group of

farmers who noticed poor soil conditions and a deterioration in the

quality of crops and livestock resulting from the use of chemical fertilisers.

Every biodynamic farm aims to become self-sufficient in compost, manures

and animal feeds.

An astronomical calendar is used to determine planting, cultivating and harvesting times

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Rachel Carson, an American marine biologist

and nature writer

In 1963 made a huge impact with her book Silent Spring.

The book made many people aware for the first time of the destructive effects of the pesticides in widespread use at that time.

The book argued that pesticides, including DDT, were poisoning both wildlife and the environment and were also endangering human health.

Public reaction to it launched the modern environmental movement in the United States

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Lady Eva Balfour was a leading pioneer of organic farming in the

UK. She was one of the first women to study agriculture at an

English university, graduating from the University of Reading.

In 1939, she launched the Haughley Experiment, the first long-term, side-by-side scientific comparison of organic and chemical-based farming.

In 1943, she published the organics classic, The Living Soil, a book combining her research with the initial findings at Haughley.

In 1946, she co-founded and became the first president of the Soil Association, the main organic farming association in the UK today. She continued to farm, write and lecture for the rest of her life.

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In 1972 Lady Eve Balfour and a number of others formed the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), recognising the international nature of organic farming. Their aim was to bring together the various movements and to share information

. IFOAM produced its first ‘basic’ standards - for information and education, not certification - in 1980.

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Principles and Practices of Organic Farming

6 Key Principles:

•1. A closed system

•2. Soil fertility and structure

•3. Pollution and the use of fossil fuels

•4. Food quality

•5. Appropriate technology

•6. Animal welfare

(Source: Elm Farm Organic Research Centre)

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Organic Farming Globally

Organic Farming Globally cont..

• The regions with the largest areas of organically managed agricultural land are Oceania (12.1 million hectares), Europe (8.2 million hectares) and Latin America (8.1 million hectares).

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Organic Farming Globally cont...• The highest shares of organically managed agricultural land are in the

Falkland Islands (35.9%, 36.9%), Liechtenstein (27.3%, 29.8%) and Austria (15.9 percent).

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Organic Farming Globally• About one third of the world’s organic agricultural land –12.5 million

hectares - is located in developing/transition countries and in emerging markets.*

• Most of this land is in Latin American countries, with Asia and Africa in second and third place.

• › 1.3 million producers are in these countries.• The countries with the most organic agricultural land are Australia,

Argentina, and the United States• 34% of the world’s organic producers are in Africa, followed by Asia

(29%), and Europe (18%). • The countries with the most producers are India (400,551), Uganda

(188,625), and Mexico (128,862).

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Organic Farming UK

• The UK’s organic land area decreased by 2.8% to 718,345 hectares i.e. 4.2% of farmland.

• The rate of conversion to organic production slowed down but the fully organic land area increased by 16%.

• The proportion of land that is farmed organically varies widely within the UK, 10.7% in south-west England and 8% in Wales to 1.5% or less in Northern Ireland, the East Midlands, eastern England, and Yorkshire and Humberside.

• The number of organic producers and processors fell by 4% to 7,287, from 7,567 the previous year.

Soil Association Organic Market Report 2012

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Source: Soil Association Organic market report 2012

Legislation• The use of the term organic, when applied to food, has a legal meaning. It means the

food has been grown and processed according to certain rules.

• The demand for Governmental and EU regulation of organic standards grew in the 1980s, following the formation of IFOAM.

• It was not until 1991 that common standards were introduced across the EU. Initially these standards only covered crop production. These standards now cover every stage of organic food production, from farm to shop.

• The EC Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 sets out the minimum rules for the production, processing, inspection, labelling and marketing of organic products in the EU. It also covers import of organic products from non-member countries.

• Under the Regulation, any person or company that produces, packs, imports (from outside the EU) or processes organic food destined for human consumption, must be licensed to do so by an approved EU certification body

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UK Certification Bodies

There are 9 approved Certification Bodies in the UK:

• Organic Farmers & Growers GB-ORG-02 • Scottish Organic Producers Association GB-ORG-03 • Organic Food Federation GB-ORG-04 • Soil Association Certification Ltd GB-ORG-05 • Demeter/ Bio-Dynamic Agricultural Association GB-ORG-06 • Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association GB-ORG-07 • Organic Trust Limited GB-ORG-09• Quality Welsh Food Certification Ltd GB-ORG-13 • Ascisco Ltd GB-ORG-15

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• The word 'organic' and the certification logo mean the farm and processor have been inspected every year to ensure they comply with the Standards.

• In addition, all processed organic food must carry the new EU Organic logo

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Organic Processed Food In organic food, there are 4 types of food ingredients:

•Agricultural ingredients are animal or vegetable i.e. they have been grown or raised.

Only agricultural ingredients can be designated “organic”. They include the cereals, meat, poultry, eggs, vegetables, fruits, oils, herbs & spices.

•Non-agricultural ingredients include water & minerals such as salt

•Food additives include pectins, gums, acids & lecithins. They perform a function in a food e.g. thickening, stabilising or emulsifying.

•Processing aids perform a function during the manufacture of the product but they do not have a function in the finished product eg vegetable oils are used for greasing bread tins.

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Organic Processed Food cont...

• When making organic products, it’s preferred that 100% of the agricultural ingredients are organic but at least 95% must be.

The remaining 5% can only be from the list of approved non-organic agricultural products in EC 834/2007.

• Non-agricultural ingredients can be used in any quantity, but must be from the approved list

• Additives can be used but must be from the approved list

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Organic Food Processing Rules

• Composition – non-organic ingredients & additives may be used as long as they are from the Approved Lists in EC834/2007.

• Genetically modified ingredients are not allowed;• Organic status - there must be proof of organic status for all organic ingredients

used;• Segregation - organic ingredients must be clearly identified & segregated from non-

organic ingredients at Intake, Storage; Processing & Packing; Transport• Cleaning - wet cleans must be followed by a final water rinse to remove traces of any

cleaning chemicals;• Pest Control - licensed rodent baits are allowed but spraying of any kind is strictly

controlled;• Processes – must be approved. Certain processes such as solvent extraction, or use

of ionising radiation are not permitted;• Labelling & Marketing Literature – there are very specific labelling rules for organic

products.

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Where do we buy Organic Food?


Multiple retailers/supermarkets 73.7%

Independent retailers 13.8%

Box schemes / home delivery / mail order 8.4%

Farm Shops 1.8%

Farmers Markets 1.0%

Catering 0.9%

No one retail outlet has escaped the downturn with organic sales down by between 10-20% in each case

Who is the Organic Consumer?

• The majority of households in the UK buy organic produce at some point during the year –in 2009, 88.3% of households made an organic purchase

• However a committed group of customers account for a large proportion of overall sales.

• Only 9% of households who purchase organic are doing so more than once a fortnight on average, yet this group account for 56% of all organic sales.

• At the other end of the scale, 14% buy organic just once a year and as such only account for 1% of sales


Who is the Organic Consumer cont...

• Shoppers aged 35-64 account for 61% of organic food sales

• Households without children account for almost

• three-quarters (74%) of organic sales

• In 2009 those in the C2, D and E social groups – which cover manual

and casual workers, pensioners, students and people

on benefits – accounted for 33% of spend

• Consumers on higher incomes – those from the A, B and C1 socioeconomic groups –accounted for 65 to 67%.


Where is the Organic Consumer?

3 areas in the UK account for over half (54%) of all organic sales:

•London (28%),

•South (13%) and

•Midlands (13%).


MOTIVATIONS TO BUY ORGANIC PRODUCE



Value Statements by Organic Shoppers



Barriers to Buying Organic Food

• Price!!• Availability of organic produce • Scepticism over claimed benefits of health • Scepticism over claimed improved taste • Scepticism over claimed environmental benefits • Preference for local produce over imported organic

produce• Suspicion over authenticity of supermarket organic food

• http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/NPD/Tesco-Pricing-structure-on-organics-is-all-over-the-place


Is Organic Food Better For You ?

• There has been a lot of debate

• There are no clear differences in nutritional value between organic and conventional produced foods

• Contain fewer chemical pesticides

18/10/10 34Joanna Gleeson

Organic and Sustainability

• http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/organic/

• http://sbc.ucdavis.edu/files2/Liefeld-How%20sustainable%20is%20organic%20farming-AgEcosysEnv-2012.pdf


organic food production global food production & food quality module 1

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