Assessment of the environmental sustainability of organic farming: Definitions, indicators and the major challenges

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (6) ◽  
pp. 981-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Halberg
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Agricultural Sustainability ◽  
Functional Integrity ◽  
Intensive Farming ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Improved Performance

Halberg, N. 2012. Assessment of the environmental sustainability of organic farming: Definitions, indicators and the major challenges. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 981–996. The debate over agricultural sustainability continues due to the challenges of reducing externalities of intensive farming methods and preserving vital natural capital, but many definitions of sustainability are too wide to allow for a prioritized assessment. This paper uses a more narrow definition of agricultural sustainability focusing on the functional integrity of a system to highlight specific aspects of vital importance for the long-term resilience and reproducibility of agricultural systems. Key areas of resource sufficiency are also identified. Based on a review of scientific literature the relative sustainability of organic agriculture is assessed with a focus on environmental impact and resource use in Europe and North America. While there are many examples of organic agriculture with improved performance in terms of soil fertility and preservation of biodiversity, in other aspects – such as resource use per kilogram product – the difference to conventional farming is less important. The paper presents a framework for selection of indicators based on the principles of organic agriculture which may be used to monitor and improve the performance of organic agriculture with respect to functional integrity and resource sufficiency. The differences between comparable organic farms may be used for improving farm practices through a benchmarking process.

scholarly journals Pertanian Organik sebagai Salah Satu Konsep Pertanian Berkelanjutan

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-132
Author(s):  
Yuriansyah Yuriansyah ◽  
Dulbari Dulbari ◽  
Hery Sutrisno ◽  
Arief Maksum
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Alternative Farming ◽  
Organic Farming System

Excessive use of inorganic chemicals results in adverse impacts on land and plants. In the midst of the community, there is anxiety about the high content of pesticide residues in agricultural products. There is a need to develop alternative farming systems that are able to produce quantities and quality of healthy products in a sustainable manner. One agricultural system that supports the concept is the organic farming system. The basic principles of organic farming are: (1) Keeping the ecosystem healthy, (2) Applying the principle of efficiency to the cultivation system, (3) Conducting production activities with the concept of sustainable agriculture, (4) Producing pesticide-free products, and (6) Maintaining environmental sustainability. Food Crop Production Study Program Lampung State Polytechnic makes Organic Agriculture as one of the leading competencies for its graduates. The establishment of the Organic Agriculture Business Unit on campus will increase student competencies, foster entrepreneurship, be a place for competency internships, and as an independent source of income.

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.

Philosophy of organic agriculture: background, history and modern concept

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-44
Author(s):  
Veronika T. Turchanova ◽  
Stanislav N. Nekrasov
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Green Revolution ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Modern Concept ◽  
Organic Movement ◽  
Intensive Farming ◽  
Literary Sources ◽  
Background History

The purpose of the work is to reveal the concept of organic agriculture in a temporary aspect. Methodology and objects of the research are a comparative analysis of literary sources: the works of foreign and domestic scientists in the field of organic farming, foreign legislative acts, statistical data of FiBL and IFOAM. The result is the discovering of that the prerequisites for the emergence of organic production is the “green revolution”. Intensive farming led to the appearance of the opposite – organic movement. The authors considered the ideas of R. Steiner, A.T. Bolotov, V.I. Vernadsky, H. Muller, O. Mokiti, 4th Baron Northbourne, E. Balfour, A. Howard, R.L. Carson and M. Fukuoka. They laid foundation for the modern concept of organic farming. It includes four principles: health, ecology, justice, care. Authors of this article give a brief description of the state of organic agriculture in Russia and worldwide.

scholarly journals Sustainable Development of an Organic Agriculture Village to Explore the Influential Effect of Brand Equity from the Perspective of Landscape Resources

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7416
Author(s):  
Ching-Cheng Shen ◽  
Yen-Rung Chang ◽  
Der-Jen Liu
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Brand Equity ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Natural Landscape ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Village

Luoshan Organic Agriculture Village was the first organic agriculture village in Taiwan, and it focuses on organic farming and cultivation. The village is developed through community empowerment and the utilization of existing tourism resources. In this study, tourists to the village were selected to participate in a survey. The findings indicated that country landscape resources scored the highest, followed by experience of organic farming and natural landscape resources. The results revealed that this travel destination enjoys high brand equity, with the factor of environmental sustainability scoring the highest, followed by the uniqueness of organic farming and the image of healthy tourism. This study suggested that landscape resources were positively correlated with brand equity; moreover, access to environmental information had a significant effect on the relationship between landscape resources and brand equity. Subsequently, the top three factors affecting landscape resources were identified—natural landscape resources, experience of organic farming, and experience of farm stays. In addition, the two factors influencing brand equity of quality and unique resources were derived. This study’s results can help related organizations effectively establish landscape resources, thereby extending their brand equity and building the sustainable development competitiveness of tourist destinations.

scholarly journals Enhancing Yields in Organic Crop Production by Eco-Functional Intensification

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Steen Jensen ◽  
Laurent Bedoussac ◽  
Georg Carlsson ◽  
Etienne-Pascal Journet ◽  
Eric Justes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Efficient Tool ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Cereal Grain

<p>Organic agriculture faces challenges to enhance food production per unit area and simultaneously reduce the environmental and climate impacts, e.g. nitrate leaching per unit area and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit mass produced. Eco-functional intensification is suggested as a means to reach these objectives. Eco-functional intensification involves activating more knowledge and refocusing the importance of ecosystem services in agriculture. Organic farmers manage agrobiodiversity by crop rotation (diversification in time). However, sole cropping (SC) of genetically identical plants in organic agriculture may limit resource use efficiency and yield per unit area. Intercropping (IC) of annual grain species, cultivar mixes, perennial grains, or forage species and forestry and annual crops (agroforestry) are examples of spatial crop diversification. Intercropping is based on eco-functional intensification and may enhance production by complementarity in resource use in time and space. Intercropping is based on the ecological principles of competition, facilitation and complementarity, which often increases the efficiency in acquisition and use of resources such as light, water and nutrients compared to sole crops, especially in low-input systems. Here we show that IC of cereals and grain legumes in European arable organic farming systems is an efficient tool for enhancing total grain yields compared to their respective sole crops. Simultaneously, we display how intercropping of cereals and legumes can be used as an efficient tool for weed management and to enhance product quality (i.e. cereal grain protein concentration). We discuss how intercropping contributes to efficient use of soil N sources and minimizes losses of N by nitrate leaching via <em>Ecological Precision Farming</em>. It is concluded that intercropping has a strong potential to increase yield and hereby reduce global climate impacts such as GHG kg<sup>-1</sup> grain. Finally, we discuss likely barriers and lock-in effects for increased use of intercropping in organic farming and suggest a roadmap for innovation and implementation of IC strategies in organic agriculture.</p>

Theori and practice of the current state and development of organic agriculture in Russia [

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. I. Belenkov ◽  
◽  
I.V. Krivtsov ◽  
A.A. Kholod
Keyword(s):  
Organic Farming ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Current State

The article provides information on the possibility of assimilating and developing organic farming in Russia, the tasks and problems arising in this case, and possible ways of solving them are discussed.

Reviving the consumption of insects in Japan: a promising case of hebo (Vespula spp., wasps) by high school club activities

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Nonaka ◽  
H. Yanagihara
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
New Development ◽  
School Research ◽  
Recent Initiative

For people who hunt and eat hebo (Vespula spp., wasps) it is more about culture than it is about food production or environmental sustainability in mountainous central Japan. Individuals who currently semi-cultivate hebo do not intend to industrialize hebo semi-cultivation. Semi-cultivation of hebo is a seasonal activity and it is a hobby for them. This paper focuses on the declining number of wasp hunters. The number declined because younger generations did not take up the hobby or moved to urban areas in search of jobs. Hebo hunters thus consisted of seniors only. The number further declined as those who reached old age were no longer able to practice hebo hunting. Very recently, initiated a promising new development at Ena Agricultural High School. The support to the Hebo Club initiative was quickly expanded and now covers the members belonging to the Japan Vespula Association, and academics involved in edible insect research. We present an overview of the efforts of hebo hunters to maintain and promote the use of Vespula spp. as food and we describe the Hebo Club, a promising recent initiative spearheaded by the students of Ena Agricultural High School. The information was collected between fiscal 2015 and 2017 (namely from September 2015 to March 2018) by participant observation and semi-structured interviews with hebo hunters collaborating with the Hebo Club activities. The Hebo Club uses a hands-on approach: students gain knowledge on edible wasps and their semi-cultivation by actively engaging in the semi-cultivation of the wasps. The club thus teaches the students about resource use by engaging in resource use. The students are taught by experienced wasp hunters how to find, collect, house, and raise hebo. The Hebo Club’s colonies are housed in a shed in the school research forest. By cooperating with the members belonging to various Hebo Associations of south-eastern Gifu and northern Aichi, the students experience the variation in employed techniques and equipment, and make observations of hebo biology and ecology in different environments. Other than the hebo season, the club practice develops their idea for local development and applying it to tourism according to the evaluation of their activities. The successful beginning of the Hebo Club, a well-organized cultural initiative spearheaded by youngsters who are backed by seniors, is indicative of how people caring about hebo culture in central mountainous Japan maintains and preserves its culture and identity.

scholarly journals 8.6. Analysis of the development trend of energy strategies of the BRICS member countries in the field of energy resources use

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ц. Чжоу
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Fossil Energy ◽  
Consumption Structure ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Development Trend ◽  
Energy Strategies

В данной статье авторы обозначили, что страны – члены БРИКС определили повышение эффективности использования ресурсов как одно из своих приоритетных направлений развития. Различие между странами состоит в том, что Российская Федерация как основной поставщик и экспортер энергии уделяет больше внимания увеличению использования ископаемой энергии за счет увеличения ее добавленной стоимости, остальные же страны – члены БРИКС (с дефицитом энергоресурсов) трансформируют свою структуру потребления энергии, сокращая использование угля за счет увеличения использования возобновляемых источников энергии. In this article, the authors indicated that the BRICS member countries have identified improving the efficiency of resource use as one of their priority areas of development. The difference between the countries is that Russia, as the main supplier and exporter of energy, pays more attention to increasing the use of fossil energy by increasing the added value of energy, while the rest of the BRICS member countries (with a shortage of energy resources) transform their energy consumption structure by reducing the use of coal by increasing the use of renewable energy sources.

scholarly journals TERMS RELATED TO PRACTICE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF ORGANIC BEEKEEPING PRODUCTION IN TURKEY

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 65-76
Author(s):  
Lale Taş
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Transition Process ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Artificial Nutrition

Organic farming production; To the extent permitted by the regulation, it is a production in which chemical drugs are used that are friendly to human health and nature, and do not harm the environment and human health; It is a form of production that gives priority to the quality of the product rather than the amount of manufacture, and every stage is checked and certified by control and certification. Organic Beekeeping, on the other hand, does not apply chemical drugs and artificial nutrition to bees at every stage from production to consumption, It is a production that is carried out on intact natural flora or organic farming areas and is controlled and certified by control certification companies. Beekeeping; producers with low income, especially in rural areas, both in European countries and in our country and it is an important source of income for producers who do not have land. With this aspect, it adds added value at the micro-level in the rural areas and at the macro level in the country's economy. The products obtained from bees are faced with the threat of risk factors that negatively affect food safety during the process of taking their place on the market shelves from production. For this reason, the importance of organic beekeeping increases as the aim is to increase the quality of organic beekeeping. According to the Organic Agriculture Information System (OTBİS) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in 2019, There are 249 enterprises engaged in organic beekeeping in Turkey. Organic beekeeping, the total number of organic hives is 50.100 and the total organic honey production is 576.76 tons. Moreover according to the Organic Agriculture Information System of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in 2019, 159 enterprises engaged in beekeeping in the transition process in Turkey present, it has a total of 21 484 hives in transition. To increase this potential of our country and to ensure its sustainability, It can be achieved by producing reliable and better quality organic beekeeping products. For this, the production and consumption of organic beekeeping products should be expanded.

scholarly journals PENGEMBANGAN DESA SENTRA ORGANIC FARMING DI DESA RENDENG, GEBANG, PURWOREJO

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 295
Author(s):  
Budi Setiawan ◽  
Zulfanita Zulfanita ◽  
Didik Widiyantono ◽  
Sugeng Eko Putro Widoyoko
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Organic Agriculture ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Conventional Agriculture ◽  
Community Environment ◽  
Institutional Strengthening ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRAKKesadaran petani akan dampak dari penggunaan pupuk atau pestisida kimia dalam pertanian konvensional sangat rendah. Penurunan kualitas lingkungan seperti berkurangnya serangga, penurunan kesuburan tanah, penurunan kualitas air, udara dan polusi tanah disebabkan oleh penggunaan bahan kimia dalam pertanian konvensional. Salah satu yang dapat dijadikan solusi untuk mengatasi kondisi ini adalah pengembangan pertanian organik (organic farming). Program Pengabdian Masyarakat dilaksanakan di desa Rendeng, kecamatan Gebang, kabupaten Purworejo bertujuan untuk menjadikan desa Rendeng sebagai kawasan pertanian, peternakan dan perikanan berbasis organic farming. Mitra dalam pelaksanan pengabdian masyarakat ini adalah kelompok tani Ngudi Makmur dengan anggota 30 orang.  Metode yang digunakan adalah Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD) merupakan salah satu metode pengabdian kepada masyarakat yang berorientasi pada penyelesaian masalah pada lingkungan masyarakat. Metode EfSD menekankan pada 3 pilar yaitu ekonomi, ekologi atau lingkungan dan sosial. Program kegiatan yang dilaksanakan secara garis besar meliputi, 1) pemberdayaan masyarakat melalui penguatan kelembagaan dan peningkatan kualitas sumber daya manusia,2) Penumbuhan dan pengembangan budidaya pertanian, dan perikanan berbasis organic farming, 3) peningkatan produksi, pengolahan dan pemasaran hasil pertanian dan perikanan. Hasil pengabdian masyarakat ini berupa penguatan kelembagaan Kelompok Tani  Ngudi Makmur beraktifitas dengan aktif, adanya program kegiatan dan sosialisasi serta pelatihan serta pembinaan         pengetahuan dan pengalaman  kelompok  tani dalam pengembangan pertanian dan perikanan organik. Kata kunci : organic farming; pertanian; perikanan; education for sustainable development. ABSTRACTFarmers' awareness of the impact of using chemical fertilizers or pesticides in conventional agriculture is very low. Environmental quality degradation such as reduced DR, decreased air quality, air pollution is caused by the use of chemicals in conventional agriculture. One of the solutions to overcome this condition is the development of organic agriculture (organic farming). The Community Service Program implemented in Rendeng village, Gebang District, Purworejo Regency aims to make Rendeng village an organic agriculture-based agricultural, livestock and fishery area. Partners in implementing this community service are the Ngudi Makmur farmer group with 30 members. The method used is Education for Sustainable Development (EfSD), which is a community service method that is oriented towards solving problems in the community environment. The EfSD method emphasizes 3 pillars, namely economic, ecological or environmental and social. The program of activities carried out in outline includes, 1) community empowerment through institutional strengthening and improvement of the quality of human resources, 2) cultivation and development of agricultural and fisheries based on organic agriculture, 3) increasing production, processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products. The results of this community service are in the form of institutional strengthening of the Ngudi Makmur Farmer Group to be actively active, the existence of a program of activities and outreach as well as training as well as fostering knowledge and experience of farmer groups in developing organic agriculture and fisheries. Keywords : organic farming; agriculture; fishery; education for sustainable development.

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