#30 - February 1999
Meat Industry Documents - Meat Products

History of organic farming

Organic agriculture saw the light of day in Germany at the beginning of the century.


THE FORERUNNERS

In Europe three main factors contributed to the birth of organic farming and leaving with it an indelible imprint.

Anthropohsophy of Rudolf Steiner (1913) and biodynamic agriculture

Organic agriculture saw the light of day in Germany at the beginning of the century. It derived from the philosophy of anthropologist R. Steiner. This theory considers the human being as part and parcel of a cosmic equilibrium that he/she must understand in order to live in harmony with the environment. Therefore, a balance must be struck between the spiritual and material side of life.

H. Pfeiffer applies these theories to agriculture and gave birth to biodynamic agriculture. It was developed at the end of the 1920s in Germany, Switzerland, England, Denmark and The Netherlands.

Presently, this movement is represented commercially by Demeter. It differs from so many other movements in today's world in that it implies a certain degree of idealism, a philosophical twist, as well as specific cropping methods linking agricultural activities to the lunar and astral cycles.

Organic agriculture in England (1940s)

After WWII, this movement, later taking on the name of "The Soil Association", attempted to return humus and soil fertility to their basic place in the biological balance. It is founded on the theories propagated by Sir Albert Howard in his agricultural testament of 1940.

H. Müller and the organic farming movement (1930)

In Switzerland in 1930 politician H. Müller gave impetus to this new movement. His goals were at once economic, social and political as they envisioned autarchy of the farmer and a much more direct and less cluttered connection between the production and consumption stages.

Austrian doctor Hans Peter Rush adapted these ideas and incorporated them in a method founded on maximum utilization of renewable resources.


The 1950s: expansion and dual polarity of organic agriculture

Throughout this period, organic farming began to take hold in France thanks to doctors and consumers whose awareness constantly grew with regard to food and its effect on health.

Very quickly, two trends came to the fore, i.e., a movement linked to commercial operators supplying inputs to producers (Lemaire-Boucher) and an independent movement unfettered by any commercial connection (Nature and Progress Association).


Starting with the 1968 ideological upheaval in France and growing sensitivity to ecological issues started to spread.

The social and cultural context and general propagation of ideas exerted a strong influence throughout the many steps in the development of organic farming.

1970s -. Protest movements, alternative life styles, ecology and structuring of organic farming.

The onset of the 1970s a definite change in tone took place. This was a time of new ideas, significant sociological transformations, protest movements and the proliferation of alternative life styles.

The modern-day ecological movement started to gain momentum with and benefited from an additional boost due to the oil crisis of 1973. It was the epoch of the "return to the earth" and life in alternative communities.


In England the Soil Association created a logo and in parallel introduced the notion of legally formulated specifications and quality controls that gave a legally binding guarantee for the consumer.

In France organic farmers joined together in trade syndicates organized into federations such as the FNAB (Fédération Nationale d'Agriculteurs Biologiques).

The major national organic farming organizations all over the world joined forces in the form of the IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements).

1980s-1990s: Growth in demand by the public at large for organically grown produce.

Strong demand for organically grown products was experienced in Northern countries and the adhesion to the European Union of new Mediterranean states allowed the farmers and associations of southern Europe to access this market.

Presently, organic farming is gaining increasing acceptance by the public at large. This is helping it to detach itself from its heretofore marginal status.


Source : Guide to Organic Farming - The Lifeblood of the Earth

Buy this book on Alapage.

Author :MHR Viandes
Date updated :08/02/99
Number of words :0

Your Questions / Comments
If you have any questions or comments on this document, please leave us a message.
MHR VIANDES

The on-line reference for the French meat industry
magazine | forum | web sites | companies | search

Fasy and easy payday loans at #1Payday.Loans Agency Site du jour - 14 mars 2001 The Global Market Place Viande Belge des Flandres
Site of the month - February 2000   L'information économique, financière et commerciale sur plus de 4 millions d'entreprises
© MHR VIANDES, 1996-2001 / Outils de génération et gestion de site web par Neil McCarthy