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An introduction to organic farming
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Organic farming is a modern, sustainable farming system which maintains the long-term fertility of the soil and uses less of the Earth's finite resources to produce high quality, nutritious food.
Organic techniques have been developed from an understanding of and research into soil science, crop breeding, animal husbandry and ecology. The maintenance of soil fertility relies principally on the use of legumes, crop rotations, the application of composted animal manures and ground rock minerals. Weeds are controlled by mechanical methods while pests and diseases tend not to be a problem due to the inherent biodiversity in the system.
Artificial fertilisers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives are prohibited.
Whilst the sector is still a very small part of the UK's overall food production, organic farming is expanding at a dramatic rate and is set to be the most exciting sector within the agricultural industry.
With long-term financial support now confirmed by the government this trend is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Organic Regulations
Unlike most food assurance schemes, organic food production is subject to statutory control. Once a producer or processor decides to become involved in organic food production and processing, they become subject to an EC Regulation, which has been incorporated into the laws of the United Kingdom.
This Regulation (EC) 2092/91 became law in January 1992 and regulates all organic production by specifying:
- That each member state must establish a Control or Inspection Authority to implement the law in the state;
- How organic products (made of essentially plant ingredients intended for human consumption) must be labelled;
- How the agricultural ingredients must be produced;
- What inputs are permitted for soil fertilising and conditioning and pest and disease control by listing these in the annexes;
- How organic products must be processed;
- What additional non-organic ingredients, non-agricultural materials such as additives and processing aids can be used by listing these in the annexes;
- The procedures by which organic products can be imported from non-member states, known as third countries;
- The minimum inspection requirements that all organic operators must be subject to;
- The penalties which must be imposed when infringements of the Regulation are found;
- The mechanism by which amendments to the Regulation can be made.
The Regulation 2092/91 did not cover animal products and left it to the member states to set their own or adopt recognised international organic standards for livestock production. A subsequent amending Regulation was published in 1999, which specifies how organic animal products must be produced and inspected. This became law on 24th August 2000 and, from that date, all organic plant and animal products are subject to statutory control.
The consequence of the Regulation is that a farmer or grower, food processor, or an importer of organic food from a non-EU country must be registered with an approved certification body such as Organic Farmers & Growers and undergo regular inspections to ensure that they meet the strict organic standards. Only then can their products legally be labelled and marketed as organic.
How the standards are set
Regulations on organic production and processing stem from the European Union. In the UK responsibility for applying the rules lies with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Defra is supported in its governance of organic standards by the Advisory Committee on Organic Standards (ACOS) which is made up of government, industry and consumer representatives. ACOS considers matters relating to the application of standards, approval of certification bodies and research and development. It makes recommendations to the Organic Farming Minister, Ben Bradshaw and his staff.
The development of the organic industry in this country is guided by Organic Action Plans, of which there is one each for England and Wales. OF&G Business Manager, Richard Jacobs, is a member of the Organic Action Plan Group for England. OF&G Certification Officer, Emma Jones, is a member of the Organic Action Plan Group for Wales, while OF&Gs' Gabrielle Lanceley is a member of the ACOS Technical Committee.
The following certification bodies have been approved by Defra (Area of operation):
- Biodynamic Agricultural Association BDAA (UK)
- Organic Farmers & Growers Ltd - OF&G (UK)
- Organic Food Federation - OFF (UK)
- Soil Association Certification Ltd - SACert (UK)
- Scottish Organic Producers Ltd - SOPA (Scotland)
- Irish Organic Farmers & Growers Ltd - IOFGA (Northern Ireland)
- The Organic Trust - TOT (Northern Ireland)
- Checkmate International - Cmi (UK)
- Organic Certification Limited - OCL (UK)
- Food Certification (Scotland) Limited - (UK)
- International Certification Service (GB) Ltd - (UK)