Scribd
Upload
58 views

Principles and Related Concepts of OA-Module 2

Organic agriculture is based on four main principles: health, ecology, fairness, and care. It aims to sustain and enhance the health of soils, plants, animals, humans, and the planet. Organic systems work with ecological processes and cycles by emulating nature. Fairness is characterized by equity, respect, and stewardship. Organic agriculture should prevent risks through appropriate technologies and reject unpredictable ones.

Uploaded by

Jochebed Miranda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
58 views

Principles and Related Concepts of OA-Module 2

Organic agriculture is based on four main principles: health, ecology, fairness, and care. It aims to sustain and enhance the health of soils, plants, animals, humans, and the planet. Organic systems work with ecological processes and cycles by emulating nature. Fairness is characterized by equity, respect, and stewardship. Organic agriculture should prevent risks through appropriate technologies and reject unpredictable ones.

Uploaded by

Jochebed Miranda
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 28

PRINCIPLES AND

RELATED CONCEPTS OF
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
Main Principles of Organic Agriculture
 PRINCIPLE OF HEALTH

“ Organic Agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal,
human and planet as one and indivisible.”
 Healthy soils produce healthy crops that foster the health of animals and
people.
Immunity, resilience and regeneration are key characteristics of health.

ROLE OF OA – sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms


from the smallest in the soil to human beings.
“ WE ARE WHAT WE EAT”
 PRINCIPLE OF ECOLOGY
“Organic Agriculture should be based on living ecological systems
and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them.”
ECOLOGY –study of living things and their patterns of relationship
between other organisms and their natural surroundings
- ex. The study of community of animals, plants and microorganisms
occupying a certain area together with the soil, climate and other
environmental factors
FACTORS AFFECTING ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES
 ABIOTIC FACTORS (non-living)
- Sunlight, rain, air temperature, wind as well as the kind of soil and
rocks on which the forest stands.

 BIOTIC FACTORS (living)

- Plants, crops, microorganisms, animals and most especially -


humans
• Nutrients and water are cycled and recycled in the process of
growth and decay both among plants and animals
• Organic agriculture should attain ecological balance through the
design of farming systems, establishment of habitats and
maintenance of genetic and agricultural diversity
• Organic farming, grasslands and wild harvest systems should fit the
cycles and ecological balances in nature.
• Organic management must be adapted to local conditions, ecology,
culture and scale.
• Inputs should be reduced by reusing, recycling and efficient
management of materials and energy in order to maintain and
improve environmental quality and conserve resources
PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS
“ Organic Agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness
with regard to the common environment and life opportunities”.
“ This patch of vegetables is for our home consumption so I don’t use
pesticides here. That bigger vegetable area is for selling… of course I
use pesticides and fertilizers to ensure good harvests”.
“ I’ve heard about the bad effects of pesticides so I don’t use them. I hire
someday else to spray my.”
 Fairness is characterized by equity, respect, justice and stewardship
of the shared world, both among people and in their relations to other
living being.
PRINCIPLE OF CARE
“Organic Agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and
responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current
and future generations and the environment”
Organic Agriculture is a living and dynamic system that responds to
internal and external demands and conditions.

Organic Agriculture should prevent significant risks by adopting


appropriate technologies and rejecting unpredictable ones, such as
GMOs
TERMS AND CONCEPTS RELATED TO
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
1. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
- Latin word “sustinere” – to keep in insistence
- SUSTAINABILITY referred to “development which meets the needs
of the present generation without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs” (UN, 1987)
- 3 Pillars of Sustainable development – ECONOMIC, SOCIAL and
ENVIRONMENTAL
Sustainable agriculture puts value to seven main philosophies. For
agriculture to be sustainable it should aim to be:
1. Ecologically sound
2. Economically viable
3. Socially just and equitable
4. Culturally sensitive
5. Location specific appropriate technology
6. Grounded on Holistic science
7. Aimed for Total Human Development
NATURAL FARMING
2.

Organic Agriculture = Natural Farming


MOST PROMINENT CONCEPT OF NATURAL
FARMING
 Japanese Farmer, Mr. Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-
2008)
Korean, Mr. Han Kyu Cho
• Mr. Fukuoka believes that farming should respect natural processes
with no or minimal human intervention.
• “Fukuoka Method” referred to as “ the natural way of farming” or
“do nothing farming”
• Follows five principles:

1. No tillage or cultivation;
2. No fertilizers
3. No pesticides(nor herbicides)
4. No weeding
5. No pruning
• Mr. Han Kyu Cho – Founder and Chairman of the Korean Natural
Farming Association (KNFA)
- relies on organic materials instead of chemicals as inputs.
- Utilizes the ability of nature to achieve maximum agricultural
performance
- Use of Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO) and various fermented
products like:
- Fermented Rice Bran(FRB), - Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB)
- Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ),
- Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ),
- Fish Amino Acid (FAA),
- Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN) and
3. Ecological Agriculture

“ Among European Countries – “Ecological agriculture seems to be more


commonly used (Lampkin, 1992) while the term “organic” agriculture is
preferred in English-speaking countries (Reeve, 1990)

FAO Glossary on OA (2009)


Ecological Agriculture – management system that enhances the
regeneration processes of natures
- focuses on the management of soil fertility, nutrient cycling and the
action of microorganisms, the management of insect pests including
population dynamics, natural enemies, plant resistance, and the
management of crop varieties through genetic diversity
3.BIODYNAMICS FARMING
- Consider both the material and spiritual context of food production
(FAO 2009)
- Further advocates that the growth and development of plants and
animals are influenced by “cosmic rythms” like the different phases
or cycles of the sun, moon, planets and stars.
- Biodynamic farming was inspired by an Austrian scientist, Rudolf
Steiner (1861-1925)
- Examined the relationship between the ecology of the farm with
that of the entire cosmos. “Bio” living process and “dynamis”
meaning life forces
- Biodynamic method of farming believes in the “relationship of earth
and soil to the formative forces of nature”.
4. AGRO-BIODIVERSITY
- Focuses on food and agricultural production
- Organic farming practice of crop rotation, intercropping and mixed
cropping
- Planting of indigenous crop varieties and species are highly
encouraged to be included in organic farms
- These practices result to better use of soil nutrients and are
strategies to control pests and diseases
Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO(2004) DEFINED Agro-
biodiversity as:
 The variety and variability of animals, plants and micro-organisms
that are used directly or indirectly for food and agriculture including
crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries.
Itcomprises the diversity of genetic resources (plant varieties, animal
breeds) and species used for food, fodder, fibre, fuel and
pharmaceuticals.
It also includes the diversity of non-harvested species that support
production (soil micro-organisms, predators, pollinators), and those in
the wider environment that support agro-ecosystmes (agricultural,
pastoral, forest and aquatic) as well as the diversity of the agro-
ecosystems
5. CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION
 ORGANIC AGRICULTURE can contribute to farmers’ better
adaptation and resilience to climate change(Boron, 2006) for
several reasons:
1. Organic farming follows ecological principles in harmony with
nature;
2. It combines traditional knowledge with science;
3. It encourages the use of on-farm resources instead of relying on
expensive external inputs

You might also like