Organic horticulture.

Abstract

Abstract Organic agriculture, also called biological or ecological agriculture, is defined by the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) as a "production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people" (http://www.ifoam.org). It is known as an environmental-friendly production system that integrates traditional, modern and innovative techniques in order to promote biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity, with minimal use of off-farm inputs. Consequently, organic agriculture is aiming at cultural practices that will maintain or improve soil health, have a sustainable water and waste management, limit the use of fossil energy, adopt nutrient-balanced approaches to limit nutrient leaching into ground water and soil salinization and endorse mechanical and biological control of pests. Organic horticulture ranges from strict in farm-closed systems limiting external inputs to its minimum level, to systems that only follow the organic certification standards. From a broader perspective, organic horticulture should contribute to the global challenges via the nutrition security and the well-being of the populations (Alsanius et al., 2016). It should also be economically viable, socially fair, culturally diverse, transparently accountable and inclusive (Arbenz et al., 2016). Organic agriculture usually provides higher ecosystem services and social benefits as compared to conventional farming (Reganold and Wachter, 2016).