Chapter 3 - Governmental Policies and Regulations Including FSMA on Organic Farming in the United States and Around the Globe

Abstract

Organic agriculture, also known as biological or ecological agriculture, combines traditional conservation-minded farming methods with modern farming technologies. It emphasizes rotating crops, managing pests naturally (without special intervention in a natural manner), diversifying crops and livestock, and improving the soil with compost additions and animal and green manures. Many organic farmers use modern equipment, improved crop varieties, soil and water conservation practices, and the latest innovations in feeding and handling livestock. About 38% of the Earth's land cover is occupied by agriculture, and 1% of these lands are now used in organic agriculture. Although agriculture provides growing supplies of food and other products, it is a major contributor to greenhouse gases, biodiversity loss, agrochemical pollution, and soil degradation. Although organic systems may yield less food, they can be more profitable, environmentally friendly, and deliver foods that contain less (or no) pesticide residues compared with conventional systems. Improvements to management techniques and crop varieties could close the yield gap between organic and conventional systems in spite of the significant barriers to adopting these systems. For example, conventional farming uses chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth, whereas organic farming employs manure and compost to fertilize the soil. Organic farmers turn to insects and birds, mating disruption, or traps, whereas conventional farming sprays pesticides to get rid of pests. Conventional farming uses chemical herbicides to manage weeds, whereas organic farming rotates crops, hand weeds, or mulches. Thus a diversity of policy instruments will be required to facilitate their development and implementation.