The Principles of Organic Agriculture were established by the
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM - Organics International) is the worldwide umbrella organization for the organic agriculture movement, which represents close to 800 affiliates in 117 countries.
It declares i ...
(IFOAM) in September 2005. They are aspirations for
organic farming
Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...
. The Principles were approved by the General Assembly of IFOAM on September 25, 2005.
The General Assembly of IFOAM approved the Principles of Organic Agriculture on September 28, 2005. The principles were developed during an intensive two-year participatory process. The aim of the principles is both to inspire the
organic movement
The organic movement broadly refers to the organizations and individuals involved worldwide in the promotion of organic food and other organic products. It started during the first half of the 20th century, when modern large-scale agricultural pr ...
and to describe the purpose of organic agriculture to the wider world.
Background
The first set of principles of organic agriculture to be published by any organic association was a set of ten principles published by the
Australian Organic Farming and Gardening Society The Australian Organic Farming and Gardening Society (1944–1955) was founded in Sydney on 5 October 1944, during the closing months of World War II.Paull, Joh"The Lost History of Organic Farming in Australia" ''Journal of Organic Systems'', 2008, ...
(1944–1955).
[Paull, Joh]
"The Lost History of Organic Farming in Australia"
''Journal of Organic Systems'', 2008, 3(2):2-17.
The organic sector has grown significantly in recent years. Along with that growth have come opportunities and challenges. The IFOAM General Assembly concluded that there was a need to elaborate the basic values of organic agriculture.
The principles are intended to "apply to agriculture in the broadest sense, including the way people tend soils, water, plants and animals in order to produce, prepare and distribute goods. They concern the way people interact with living landscapes, relate to one another and shape the legacy of future generations
The principles
The four Principles of Organic Farming are:
*Organic farming should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plants, animals and humans as one and indivisible.
*Organic farming should be based on the living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them.
*Organic agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to common environment and life processes.
*Organic farming should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well being of current and future generations and the environment.
See also
*
Principles of Environmental Justice
References
External links
IFOAM Principles of Organic Agriculture*IFOAM (2005
(pdf)Accessed: 2013-11-04
{{DEFAULTSORT:Principles Of Organic Agriculture
Organic farming