scholarly journals A Critical Assessment of Organic Agriculture in Portugal: A reflection on the agro-food system transition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Salavisa ◽  
Mark Soares ◽  
Sofia Bizarro
Keyword(s):  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Food System ◽  
Product Placement ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Critical Assessment ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Retail Sales ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Agriculture Sector ◽  
Fresh Vegetables

Over the last few decades, the organic agriculture sector has experienced sustained growth. Globally, as well as in the European Union and Portugal, organic production accounts for just under 10% of total Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA) (FiBL, 2019; Eurostat, 2019; DGADR, 2019; INE, 2019; GPP, 2019). This growth has been seen in terms of production, number of producers, amount of retail sales, imports and exports. This article attempts to build on the multi-level perspective (MLP) of the socio-technical (ST) transitions theory by employing a whole systems analysis (Geels, 2018) of organic agriculture in Portugal, which defends an integrated vision of the systems, where multiple interactions occur within and among the niche, the regime and the landscape levels. This approach has been employed in order to develop a critical analysis of the current state of the Portuguese organic agriculture sector, stressing the multiplicity of elements that are contributing to the agro-food system´s transformation into a more sustainable one. In fact, the agro-food system is related with climate change but also has connections with other domains such as public health, water management, land use and biodiversity. Therefore, it is affected by shifts in these areas. This analysis considers developments in increasing domestic organic production, number of producers, amount of retail sales, imports, exports, market innovations, and the sector´s reconfiguration. The organic sector´s increase has been attributed to European regulation, institutionalization, standardization, farmer certification, external (government) subsidy support programs, incremental market improvements (visibility and product access), the emergence of new retailers, the rise of supporting consumers and a shift away from conventional agriculture (Truninger, 2010; DGADR, 2019; Pe´er et al, 2019). However, together with positive incentives, this sector also faces numerous barriers that are hindering a faster transformation. Difficulties for the sector to date have included: product placement; a disconnect between production, distribution and marketing systems; high transport costs; competition from imports; European subsidies focused on extensive crops (pastures, olive groves, and arable crops), entailing a substantial growth in the area of pasture to the detriment of other crops; the fact that the products that are in demand (fresh vegetables and fruit) are being neglected by Portuguese producers; expensive certification procedures; lack of adequate support and market expertise for national producers; the hybrid configuration of the sector; and price. Organic agriculture as a niche-innovation is still not greatly contributing to overall agricultural production. The low supply of organic products, despite its ever-increasing demand, suggests that a transition to increased organic production requires a deeper and faster food system reconfiguration, where an array of distinct policies are mobilized and a diversity of actions take place at different levels (Geels, 2018; Pe´er et al, 2019). This paper will attempt to contribute an overall critical assessment of the organic sector´s features and evolution and will identify some of the main obstacles to be overcome, in order to boost the sustainability transition of the agro-food system in Portugal.

A Comparative Analysis of the Organic Food Market in Turkey, EU, and US

2020 ◽  
pp. 454-483
Author(s):  
Bilge Ozturk Goktuna ◽  
Nazife Merve Hamzaoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Food Market ◽  
Eu And Us ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Agriculture And Food

Conventional agriculture has long been criticized about its negative externalities on issues like public health, environment, biodiversity, and all ecological systems on the planet such as environmental pollution, soil erosion, reduction of animal welfare, and negative impacts of GMOs. As an alternative production system to address these problems, organic agriculture has been developed worldwide since the 1970s. In this chapter, an overview of organic agriculture and food market is given and a comparative analysis between organic agricultural markets in EU, US, and Turkey is made after an outlook on the world organic food market. It is seen that EU and US are forthcoming leaders in the organic food market, whilst Turkey remains behind many developed countries in terms of organic production, per capita consumption, and retail sales.

scholarly journals Organic farming in Nepal: A viable option for food security and agricultural sustainability

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-230
Author(s):  
Sovit Parajuli ◽  
Jiban Shrestha ◽  
Sabita Ghimire
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
External Input ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Agricultural Sustainability ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
The Government

Increasing use of agrochemicals, higher production cost and deterioration of ecosystem health have advocated the need to change the traditional and external input using agriculture towards safe and sustainable organic production. The article reviewed on general overview of organic agriculture in Nepal. The article aims to put light on the current scenario of the dawdling-paced organic agriculture and the options to revive the pesticide dominated conventional agriculture. Promotion of organic agriculture was first appeared as a priority in the10th Five Year Plan of the Government of Nepal. Now it has been embedded in the national agricultural policy. Organic agriculture provides benefits in terms of environmental protection, conservation of nonrenewable resources, improved food quality, improve health status and the reorientation of agriculture towards areas of market demand. Various institutions, individuals and farmers are engaging in organic farming. Nepal is exporting organic products to international markets. The adoption of organic agriculture increases agricultural production and improves soil health and consumer health and seems a better option in countries like ours where fortunately integrated crop-livestock system is still prevalent. It is found to be viable option for better livelihood in the context of Nepal. Because the haphazard pesticide use has marred the conventional agriculture, all these contexts gesture this system to be scrutinize thoroughly and supplanted by organic farming system as a viable option towards food security and agricultural sustainability.

scholarly journals SIGNIFICANCE OF COOPERATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-32
Author(s):  
Olha Alieksieieva
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Cooperative Movement ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of the article is to study the impact of the basic principles and benefits of the development of cooperative movement on the development of organic agricultural production, as well as to determine the role of cooperation in the development of organic entrepreneurship. Methodology. The author has used the methods of analysis and synthesis, the method of statistical grouping and comparison, induction and deduction, structural and functional approach to solve the problems and achieve the goals. The study is based on the comparative analysis and synthesis of scientific literature. Results. Organic food is increasing in popularity. The growing demand is mainly attributable to consumer concerns about negative implications of conventional agriculture for human health and the environment. Organic agriculture has a great potential to neutralize a negative impact of agricultural intensification on the environment. The article describes the concept and analyzes the current state of cooperation in agriculture. It is found that during the period under the research, the number of registered cooperatives has increased by almost 45%. The concepts of organic agriculture and organic production are clarified. The dynamics of agricultural lands engaged in organic production and the number of certified organic farms in Ukraine are studied. It is indicated that the consumption of organic products in Ukraine is much lower than in the European countries and the United States. The advantages of introducing a cooperative movement in the field of organic agriculture are identified. Being part of a cooperative helps small farms to be able to produce enough to generate profits and ensure their substance, which is an opportunity to compete with larger companies. Risks arising in the process of establishing organic cooperatives are outlined considering the international experience. It is concluded that efficient organic farming cooperatives can support local and export markets, stimulate production efficiency and promote local logistics. Practical implications. The advantages of consolidation of enterprises and entrepreneurs in the field of organic agriculture on the basis of cooperation can be used for the development of state programs to support the cooperative movement in organic farming. Value/originality. Views on the organization of production, processing and logistics activities of organic agricultural producers through the introduction of cooperatives have been expanded.

scholarly journals Financial competitiveness of organic agriculture on a global scale

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (24) ◽  
pp. 7611-7616 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Crowder ◽  
John P. Reganold
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Benefit Cost

To promote global food and ecosystem security, several innovative farming systems have been identified that better balance multiple sustainability goals. The most rapidly growing and contentious of these systems is organic agriculture. Whether organic agriculture can continue to expand will likely be determined by whether it is economically competitive with conventional agriculture. Here, we examined the financial performance of organic and conventional agriculture by conducting a meta-analysis of a global dataset spanning 55 crops grown on five continents. When organic premiums were not applied, benefit/cost ratios (−8 to −7%) and net present values (−27 to −23%) of organic agriculture were significantly lower than conventional agriculture. However, when actual premiums were applied, organic agriculture was significantly more profitable (22–35%) and had higher benefit/cost ratios (20–24%) than conventional agriculture. Although premiums were 29–32%, breakeven premiums necessary for organic profits to match conventional profits were only 5–7%, even with organic yields being 10–18% lower. Total costs were not significantly different, but labor costs were significantly higher (7–13%) with organic farming practices. Studies in our meta-analysis accounted for neither environmental costs (negative externalities) nor ecosystem services from good farming practices, which likely favor organic agriculture. With only 1% of the global agricultural land in organic production, our findings suggest that organic agriculture can continue to expand even if premiums decline. Furthermore, with their multiple sustainability benefits, organic farming systems can contribute a larger share in feeding the world.

scholarly journals SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF BULGARIAN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (Suppl.1) ◽  
pp. 603-606
Author(s):  
G. Aleksiev
Keyword(s):  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Social ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
The Common ◽  
Major Factors

Bulgarian organic agriculture is developing rapidly ever since the accession of the country to the European Union. The major factors affecting its growth are the accumulated professional experience in the sector as well as the social support available through the Common agricultural policy funds. The organic production as part of Bulgarian agriculture has been developing even faster than the average for the sector. In the latest years, the sector has reached its limits and the question about its sustainability must be further researched. The goal of this study is to analyze the sustainability of Bulgarian organic agriculture and its impact on the development of the sector overall. In order to achieve its goal, the study must focus on a few important topics: to analyze the base for the development of organic agriculture in the country; to study the productive capacity of Bulgarian organic agriculture and its development; to draw conclusions and offer development policies focused on sustainability.

scholarly journals Features of Organic Agricultural Products Functioning in EU and Ukraine

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-68
Author(s):  
Alina Burliai ◽  
Oleksandr Burliai ◽  
Yulia Nesterchuk ◽  
Alla Revutska
Keyword(s):  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
World Market ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Ecological Agriculture ◽  
Organic Products ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of

Abstract Organic agriculture ensures a balanced state of the ecosystem, which is the key to sustainable development of the economic and social spheres of society. European countries are in the process of historical development reached an understanding on the need for its further ecological progress. That is why the world market for organic products has formed. Studies show that the development of organic production began in the 20‘s of the twentieth century. Since then, markets for organic products began to grow rapidly in many countries. Among the world‘s regions, the largest areas of organic land are located in Oceania and Europe. The article is devoted to the study of foreign experience in the development of ecological agriculture. The variety of names of ecological systems of management in the countries of the world and the principles which are included in the concept “ecological agriculture“ are studied. The history of the emergence of organic agriculture has been explored. The analysis of the development of organic agricultural production at the world level, the countries of Europe and the European Union (EU) and individual countries has been analyzed. A grouping of organic farms in Europe has been organized in terms of size. Ukraine, with its significant natural and economic potential in the future may also be one of the important subjects that will form a proposal in this market. The environmental policy of the country has an important influence on the efficiency of organic farms.

scholarly journals Towards a Common Agricultural Data Space in the European Union: A Sustainable Development Perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 65-89
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Kosior
Keyword(s):  
Food System ◽  
Data Access ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Agriculture Sector ◽  
Data Space ◽  
Intervention Measures ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
The Common ◽  
Framework Conditions ◽  
The Eu

In February 2020 the European Commission announced a new strategy for data in which an innovative proposal to create a single European data space composed of many sectoral common data spaces, including the agriculture sector, was presented. It is expected that the common agricultural data space will provide support for delivering a smart, innovative and sustainable agri-food system from farm to fork. Based on the analysis of framework conditions for pooling and sharing agricultural data in the EU and the Commission’s initiatives in this area, this article aims to discuss how and to what extent the common data space in agriculture could contribute to environmental, economic and social sustainability in the EU. It was concluded that the achievement of sustainability goals with the help of the planned common data space remains challenging, particularly in the context of rapid, but uneven pace of digital transformation in the agri-food sector in the EU. Overcoming legal, technical and other barriers to data sharing in the EU will not remove the fundamental problems of limited representativeness of current agricultural data assets in the EU. The design of the common data space in agriculture as well as the rules for data access and use should therefore be carefully considered. Also, specific and datarelated intervention measures, e.g. under the CAP, would be needed both to decrease the problem of a fragmented farm data landscape and to respond to the growing needs to collect and share private farm data that are highly relevant to achieving broader social goals and sustainability.

Current soybean feed consumption in Luxembourg and reduction capability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphanie Zimmer ◽  
Sabine Keßler ◽  
Laura Leimbrock-Rosch ◽  
Marita Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Agricultural Area ◽  
Feed Consumption ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Organic Dairy Production

<p>Soybeans (Glycine max (L) Merr.) are an important protein source in animal feed. In Luxembourg, 100% of soybeans are imported and soybean feed consumption is unknown. This study aims to calculate the Luxembourgish soybean needs for 2018 for its predominant livestock (cattle, poultry, pigs) in conventional and organic agriculture, respectively, and to assess the reduction potential of soybeans.</p><p>Luxembourg has an agricultural area of 131,844 ha of which 51.4% is grassland and 47.3% is arable land. In 2018, 5.4% of the farms and 4.4% of the agricultural area were managed organically. Livestock data in 2018 indicates that 196,093 suckler and dairy cows are being raised in Luxembourg, whereof 4,050 are organic. Pigs add up to 91,745 (organic: 892) and poultry to 123,502 animals (organic: 31,318).</p><p>Soybean feed consumption was calculated per animal and year using two different approaches: SoyaMax is based on common feeding rations and SoyaMin represents a minimized soybean use in feeding rations. SoyaMin equals the potential for soybean reduction in Luxembourg. Based on the crude protein need of monogastric animals and ruminants, the consumption of soybean extraction meal is calculated for each animal category.</p><p>For rearing piglets, a SoyaMax of 46.2 kg is calculated and for fattening pigs SoyaMax is 99.4 kg (SoyaMin: 55.3 kg). For sows SoyaMax is 134.0 kg (SoyaMin: 68.5 kg). In organic pig production SoyaMax equals SoyaMin for all pig categories and is 56.0 kg.</p><p>For laying hens SoyaMax results in 10.2 kg (SoyaMin: 5.6 kg), whereas in organic agriculture SoyaMax is 9.3 kg (SoyaMin: 5.6 kg). Broilers are fed with a SoyaMax of 12.5 kg which also equals SoyaMin. In organic broiler production SoyaMax equals SoyaMin and is 6.9 kg.</p><p>SoyaMax for milk cows is based on different feed rations with various proportions of grass and maize silage, resulting soya extraction meal (SEM) for energy compensation and a protein surplus of 1.5 kg. SoyaMax in conventional agriculture is 287.0 kg (SoyaMin: 207.0 kg). In organic dairy production feeding in winter contains soybean, whereas feeding in summer is soybean-free. SoyaMax in organic production is 90.0 kg (SoyaMin: 66.0 kg). Both, conventional and organic suckler cows are not fed with soybean. For cattle less than one year SoyaMax is 49.0 kg (SoyaMin: 0 kg) and for male beef cattle between one and two years, SoyaMax is 219.0 kg (SoyaMin 33.0 kg). No soybean is fed to organic cattle under two years old, and the same is true for conventional and organic heifers and breeding bulls.</p><p>In 2018, the calculated national consumption was 27,453 t of SEM. Feeding rations of ruminants accounted for 69%, and organic agriculture accounted for 1.3% of total SEM. Based on SoyaMin, the consumption could be reduced to 15,886 t. Luxembourg has a high potential of using grassland for feeding of dairy cows. Regarding high self-sufficiency with farm-grown fodder, SoyaMin and the lower livestock density in organic compared to conventional agriculture, organic agriculture could act as a role model to lower soybean needs and reach a higher protein-autarky in Luxembourg.</p>

scholarly journals Influence of germination temperatures on the chemical composition of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 143-148
Author(s):  
Hnilička František ◽  
Hejtmánková Alena ◽  
Orsák Matyáš ◽  
Hniličková Helena
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Total Lipid Content ◽  
Soxhlet Extraction ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Germination Temperature ◽  
Wheat Seeds ◽  
Germinated Seeds

The content of saccharides and lipids in wheat seeds from both conventional and organic agriculture was determined based on the length of germination (0, 2, or 5 days) and germination temperature (10 and 22°C). The content of saccharides was determined by HPLC, and the total lipid content was detected by Soxhlet extraction in the course of germination. While the non-germinated seeds had the highest content of glucose (6.95 mg/g) and fructose (4.37 mg/g), in conventionally grown seeds sucrose (5.03 mg/g) and maltose (3.62 mg/g) were at the highest level. In organically and conventionally produced seeds the contents of fructose, glucose, and maltose increased due to germination. While the content of lipids increased in the seeds from organic production on the second day from 0.46 g/10 g to 0.51 g/10 g (at 10°C) and 0.64 g/10 g (at 22°C). Differences in the content of saccharides and lipids between seeds from organic and conventional agriculture were not unequivocally confirmed.

Research on subsoil biopores and their functions in organically managed soils: A review

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timo Kautz
Keyword(s):  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Nutrient Acquisition ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Water Runoff ◽  
Micro Computed Tomography ◽  
Conventional Agriculture

AbstractThe living soil is the basis for crop production in organic agriculture. Biopores are voids in the soil which were formed by the activity of soil life. The first scientific studies on biopores were published in the 1870s–90s by Victor Hensen who stated that earthworms were opening channels to the subsoil and coating them with humus, thus creating a beneficial environment for root growth. His work was originally widely recognized, but then research on biopores was neglected for many decades and was only revitalized with the rise of ecological concerns in the 1960s. In recent times, biopores have attracted the attention of agronomists with a focus on organic agriculture. New visualization techniques, such as X-ray micro computed tomography, in-situ endoscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging have been applied. Biopores contribute to air transport through the soil, increase water infiltration, reduce water runoff and soil erosion, serve as preferential pathways for root elongation and can facilitate the acquisition of water and nutrients from the subsoil. The relevance of biopores for nutrient acquisition can be pronounced particularly in organic production systems, where crops are more dependent on nutrient acquisition from the solid soil phase than under conditions of conventional agriculture. Organic land-use strategies should aim to increase number, stability and quality of biopores. The biopore density can be increased by the share of dicotyledons in the crop rotation and by cultivating perennial crops with taproot systems. Moreover, density and—in particular—the quality of biopores, e.g., the nutrient contents of pore walls, can be influenced by anecic earthworms which can be promoted by adapted tillage practices.

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