Introduction to Organic Agriculture: Principles, Concepts and Conversion

Introduction to organic agriculture:
Movement, principles, concepts and

conversion
Ramez Mohamad, PhD
Mediterranean Organic Agriculture, CIHEAM Bari, Italy
7-11 November, 2022

Natural or
do–
nothing„ or
Fukuoka
Organic farming Precision
agriculture Farming
Integrated
Farming Ecological
farming
Which
agricultural
form do
you like?
Integrated
Pest Biodynamic
Manageme Farming
nt
Intensive
Permacultu
subsistence
re
Agriculture
Arable
farming
What we are going to discuss in this course
Chapter 1
1. Introduction to organic agriculture
2. Highlighted milestones in the evolution of organic farming
3. Organic agriculture principles
Chapter 2
4. Practices to achieve organic principles
4.1. Crop rotation
4.2. Intercropping
4.3. Cover crops
4.4. Green manure
4.5. Floor management
4.6. Biodiversity
4.7. Mixed farming
4.8. Residues management
What we are going to discuss in this course
Chapter 3
5. Main organic management concepts
Chapter 4
6. Conversion to organic agriculture
7. Biodynamic agriculture
Chapter 5
8. Organic agriculture for sustainable development
9. Organic agriculture and standards
10. Challenges and future of organic agriculture
I shared with you a collaborative google sheet to use it for answering the
following question and all other course class activities
What do you know about organic, pros and cons?
At the end of the course we will discuss the result

Why organic?
➢ Health, (soil, plant, human..)

➢ Ecosystem (environment, climate change
mitigation…
➢ Toward sustainability
➢ Future generations (meeting our needs
without compromising the needs of future
generations)
➢ Reservation of natural resources
Why to trust organic?
❑ Principles
❑ Traceability
❑ Certification
❑ Oversight system
❑ Growing trend
❑ Demand
What is the point of organic?
To promote any product or service first understand why you do it and why you believe
in it then target the people who believe what you believe
The answer is by definition and to be a promoter for organic agriculture you have to
understand the definition and be able to make others understand it in the same way you
do. Communicate by why you do, not by what you do. Consumer has to by organic
product because why you produce it not what or how you produce it. If you have a
business and want to hire a worker make this worker believes of what you believe and
knows why you do your business. Only in this way the worker will be a source for you.
Believe first
FAO and WHO Codex Alimentarius definition
for organic agriculture
“Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system
which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including
biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity.
It emphasizes the use of management practices in preference to the
use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions
require locally adapted systems.
This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological,
and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to
fulfil any specific function within the system”
Source: FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1999
USDA definition for organic agriculture
“Organic farming is a system which avoids or largely

excludes the use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers,
pesticides, hormones, feed additives etc.) and to the
maximum extent feasible rely upon crop rotations,
crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste,
mineral grade rock additives and biological system of
nutrient mobilization and plant protection”
IFOAM definition for organic agriculture
THE BEST DIFINITION
“Organic Agriculture is a production system that

sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It
relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles
adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of
inputs with adverse effects. Organic Agriculture
combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit
the shared environment and promote fair relationships
and a good quality of life for all involved”
Highlighted milestones in the evolution of organic farming
Natural and health concerns were the main drivers for OA Consumers demand for organic products was the main
and later for standards driver for legislations
Standards – Into force:

first in USA Reg. (EC) No
1974, 1979. 834/2007.
First term Local and Reg. (EC) No
Organic of organic national 889/2008.
thoughts agriculture legislations Reg. (EC) No
1920s 1940 1980s. 1235/2008
Biodynamic IFOAM Reg. (EEC) No New EU

agriculture 1972 2092/91 regulation
principles by Reg. (EEC) 2018/848
Rudolf Steiner No. 2078/92
1924
OA promotion in policies (ex. 1992 New European Common Agricultural Policy)

The World of Organic Agriculture

Statistics and Emerging Trends
2022
Source: Willer et al., (eds), 2022

Organic agriculture in Europe
The total area under organic

farming in the EU 14.7 million
hectares of agricultural land
Organic area made up 9.1 %

9,1 (7.5% in 2018; 5.9% in 2012) of
% total EU agricultural land in 2020
Organic agriculture in Europe
Organic agriculture in the Mediterranean
MOAN platform coordinated by CIHEAM BARI
https://moan.iamb.it/?page_id=76
Organic agriculture in the Mediterranean
From 2006 to 2017, the certified agriculture area as organic grew from 3.5 to 7.5 million
hectares from which 87% in the EU Med countries and the number or operators
increased from 136,500 to 305,600 (Bteich et al, 2019)
Around 11% of the total organic areas worldwide
Other than EU Med. countries, there are other Med. countries with organic regulation
(Croatia, Turkey, Tunisia, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Macedonia, Morocco,
Jordan, Montenegro) or regulation under development or not implemented yet as in
Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon, Syria
The organic sector changed over time in three distinguished phases
• Numerous • Framework To the future

Organic pioneers
Organic • Knowledge
Organic of sustainable
1.0 • Concepts 2.0 • Performance 3.0 systems
1970s 2017
Look at the definition of OA: valorise OA by its practices

rather than rules and certification requirement
From minimum requirements TO truly

sustainable farming and consumption Organic
Organic
2.0 3.0
Features of Organic 3.0:

• A culture of innovation
• Continuous improvement towards best practice
• Diverse ways to ensure transparency and integrity
• Inclusiveness of wider sustainability interests (interdisciplinary)
• Empowerment from farm to the final consumer (all players)
• True value and cost accounting (fair) Arbenz et al. (2017)
Organic agriculture principles
Features of organic principles:
➢ Organic agriculture is a production system relies on principles to achieve

sustainable goals
➢ They are the roots of organic agriculture, have been evolved over time (codified
in the last 40 years)
➢ They guide organic farmers and processors for why and how to produce
organically
➢ Introducing organic agriculture to consumers passes through its principles
➢ Organic principles represent the organic philosophy and drive for standards
evolution
IFOAM has classified in 2005 fuor basic principles of organic agriculture based on the following
aspects:
Health Ecology Fairness Care
• Organic agriculture • Organic agriculture • Organic agriculture • Organic agriculture

should sustain and should be based on should build on should be managed in
enhance the health of living ecological relationships that a precautionary and
soil, plant, animal, systems and cycles, ensure fairness with responsible manner to
human and planet as work with them, regard to the common protect the health and
one and indivisible emulate them and environment and life well-being of current
Connection to Organic help sustain them opportunities and future
1.0 generations and the
Words of Lady Eve environment.
Balfour (soil association)
❖ Organic principles are the strongest point and the core of organic agriculture
❖ Weaknesses of organic systems are not related to principles or believe
❖ Organic principles are ideal lifestyle
Organic agriculture aims/objectives
Maintain long-term soil Enhance crop Restriction on the use
fertility and quality production of external inputs
• Provide optimal • Adapted varieties • Appropriate
conditions for soil • Good agricultural management practices
biological activity practices (thinning, (ex, mixed farming,
• Enhance soil chemical, pruning, fertilization..), waste recycling, closed
physical and biological agrocological practices cycles)
characteristics (crop rotation, • Limited to inputs from
intercropping ..) , organic production,
nutrient management, natural or naturally-
pest and disease derived substances, low
management, weed solubility mineral
management fertilizers
Enhance agrobiodiversity
Wise use of energy Minimize pollution within the farming system
and its surroundings
• Minimize the use of • Prohibition of synthetic • Valorise local varieties
fossil fuels pesticides and • Hedges, natural buffer
• Use renewable energy herbicides, synthetic zoon, plant traps, crops
sources fertilizers, growth diversification, pastures
• Technology and regulators
innovations • Hedges, natural buffer
zoon
Foster nature
Enhance system Maintain high level of
systems and
resilience animal welfare
biological processes
• Risk assessment, • Healthy natural
precautionary resources and living
measures, components
preventive • It is forbidden any
measures transgenic varieties
or any input
Organic agriculture main stakeholders
Let us exercise together

Practices support organic principles – crop rotation
Mentioned in
the regulation
Considerations
Crop rotation is the agronomic ✓ It is not as simple as crop sequence
practice of growing crops in sequence ✓ Crops selection in function of season,
on the same filed or many plots morphological and phenological
(spatial and temporal rotation) to characteristics, nutrient demand,
achieve environmental, social and marketing strategies
economic benefits ✓ Crop sequence arrangement should be
based on production objectives and
inline with organic principles
Interested for agronomical information

https://www.allotment-garden.org/
Year Month Plot 1 Plot 2
Jun
Jul Cover crop Cover crop
• Solanacea • Brassicac Aug
e family eae N Seb
family Oct
Nov Cucumber
1 2 Dec
Jan
Feb
Strawberry
Mar
Green beans
Apri
May
4 3 N+1
Jun
Jul Cover crop Cover crop
Aug
• Asteracea • Fabaceae Seb
e family (Legumin Oct
osae) Nov Tomato
family Dec
Jan Strawberry
Feb
N+2 Mar
It is not as simple as this Lettuce
Apri
May
Main benefits: Main potential challenges:
➢ Biodiversity ➢ More inputs and specific

➢ Enhancing soil fertility and quality (SOM, equipments
nutrients management, recycling, minimizes ➢ Pest and disease spread if they
loses ..) are common between crops
➢ Minimizing risk (crop diversification) ➢ Technical knowhow, skills and
➢ Enhancing system resilience knowledge are fundamental to
➢ For pests, diseases and weed management avoid risks caused by improper
➢ Labour stability and distribution implementation (better not to
➢ Adapted to small scale farmers experiment)
➢ Marketing continuity
More crop rotation functions will be provided in the upcoming two units
Practices support organic principles – intercropping
It is the cultivation of two or more crops (inter or intra rows spacing) together in the same field. It takes
different designs, row intercropping, strips intercropping, mixed cropping..)
Diversity with mutual beneficial relationships

Main benefits:
Diversity, pest and disease
management, minimizing risk,
effective use of available resources,
increased crops productivity and
profitability, erosion control, food
security, microclimate and favor
growth conditions, weed
management
Main potential challenges:

Competition for water, light and nutrients may
result in lower yields, mechanization
difficulties, labor requirements
To insure mutual relation between crops pay attention to:

Crops intercropped (i.e. if one favors pest or disease infection for another, root systems…)
system design (rows, strips, plant density), planting crops with different harvesting dates
Practices support organic principles – cover crop
Cover crop (i,.e. ryegrass, vetch, clover,

oats) is one or mixed herbaceous plants
used as permanent or in alternation
with other crops during fallow periods
to provide agronomical and ecological
benefits. It is used to cover the soil for
its benefits rather to be harvested. It
can be called green manure when it is
incorporated into the soil as soil
amendments and source of nutrients. It
is called also living mulch when it is
More functions of cover crops will be provided in the
grown simultaneously with other crops. upcoming two units
Main benefits:
Biodiversity, source of C sequestration,
enhance soil fertility and quality, control
weeds, pest management, enhance
agroecosystems performance, enhance
microclimate conditions.
✓ Cover crops can be integrated with crop rotation

✓ Cover crop of mixed species provides multiple
benefits
✓ Adapted for mixed farming systems, forage source
✓ Adapted for different climate conditions
✓ Some varieties are self seeding (i.e. subterranean
clover)
Main Limitations/challenges:
➢ Economic status!!!
➢ Impact on land use
➢ Limited knowledge (i.e. nutrient accumulation and
release in cover crop based systems, research)
➢ Potential competitions with cash crops when it is
used as living mulch
➢ Residues may hamper soil cultivation and become
weeds in the following cultivations
➢ Require innovations framework (understand the
complexity of cropping systems with above
constraints, modules,
Spontaneous herbaceous cover can function similar to cover crop but has no
economic value
Practices support organic principles – green manure
Green uncomposed plant materials is used as manure
Specific characteristics
❑Most used: high biomass and

leguminous crops)
❑More adapted between fruit trees
(grapevine, stone fruits)
❑Can be used in crop rotation programs
❑Recommended in transition period
This practice has similar
❑N fixation (ex. By red clover, field bean
characteristics of cover crops
,,)
❑Used for fertilization programs
Practices support organic principles – floor management
➢ Conservation tillage (when required for other practices (i.e. residues

incorporation, main fertilization)
➢ Wise machinery use (i.e. less impacting machines, double or triple
functions machines)
➢ Use techniques that minimize weed effects and preserve soil
characteristics
➢ Ecological infrastructures
Practices support organic principles – biodiversity
➢Planned biodiversity (crop

rotation, intercropping..) and
associated biodiversity (hedges,
green margins, windbreaks,
agroforestry..)
➢Manage weeds as a part of the
ecosystem
➢Beneficial flowering and non
flowering, short and tall plants
in the hedges and borders
➢Host plants and trap plants More functions of cover crops will be provided in the
➢Protect shelters upcoming two units

Practices support organic principles – mixed farming
Benefits:
➢ Enhance nutrient cycles
➢ Enhance waste recycling
➢ Reduce external inputs
➢ Energy use efficiency
➢ Diversity and diversification (economic,
environment, social)
Potential challenges:
Potential environmental impact (ex. Land use
and GhGs emissions) if the system is not
managed correctly
Practices support organic principles – residues management
Green manure
Residues incorporation Legume crops
Tomato, pepper, cucumber….

Roughly 2 kg residues per plant
Citrus pruning residues 18 T/Ha Clover, Vetch, Faba bean

Banana residues 70 T/Ha up to 150 Kg N per Ha
Grape: up to 2.5 T/Ha
Fruit trees’ requirement
of N 100 – 320 kg/Ha
Practices support organic principles – residues management
To incorporate
or to compost
• Direct incorporation into the soil or after

• Composting process
chopping (in the case of pruning residues)
• More appropriate (low risks of pests, diseases,
• Risk to be a source of pests and disease
weed-seeds)
contamination.
• Quite expensive
• Requires machines
• Traditional or modern on-farm composting is
efficiently applied
Main organic management concepts
Conventio
Organic
nal
Strategy Long term
Short term
All they work together

Approach Atomistic Holistic
Control Management
Approaching
problems
Straightforward No one solution
Organic agriculture needs knowledge
➢ Organic agriculture philosophy

➢ Organic standards and regulatory framework
➢ Agronomy
➢ Plant physiology
➢ Agroecology
➢ Soil science
➢ Ecological cycles (mainly N, C)
➢ Technology
➢ …
Main organic management concepts – Long term
soil fertility
➢ Healthy soil ecosystem to nourish and sustain healthy plants
➢ Practices that maintain and enhance soil life and stability, natural soil fertility, soil
water retention and soil biodiversity
➢ Practices that prevent and combat loss of soil organic matter, soil compaction and
soil erosion
➢ Practices that provide optimal conditions for soil biological activity as a key factor for
long-term soil fertility and quality
➢ Practices that enhance carbon storage
Practices and techniques as minimum tillage, crop

rotation, intercropping, on-farm biomass recycling,
cover crop and green manuring, soil amendments
(manure and compost)
E.g. Pest management
In Organic agriculture: Management strategy Trap Hedges Monitoring and Sampling Biological
Prevention plants/crops control
Monitor
Allowed plant protection products
In conventional
Resistant varieties Intercropping Mulching (tiving or
agriculture: Pesticide
dead)
treatments
E.g. Fertilization
Program
(budget,
Right fertilizer
inclusion of
other practices
Maintaining,
enhancing soil Time
fertility
Conventional based
on crop needs and
yield maximization
Crop needs, Optimization

soil analysis Fertilization to avoid losses
«Concerning soil management and fertilisation, cultivation practices allowed in organic plant production should be
specified and conditions should be laid down for the use of fertilisers and conditioners»
E.g. Weed management
Conventional Organic
Eradication mainly by continues Integrated weed management
tillage and use of herbicides
Organic
Understand your weeds
Observations, interventions when necessary
Preventive, cultural, mechanical methods
Weeds may sustain your system
Wise
Right
Organic Organic
practices inputs Organic
management
efficient
I.E. No/reduced tillage I.E. Manure How this concept allocated

Crop rotation Compost to woody crops!!?
Mulching Crop residues
And vegetables crops
Green manure Bio-fertilizers
Composting Organic fertilizers
Cover crops Natural extracts
Intercropping Bio-stimulants ➢ Knowledge: appropriate
Permanent cover Bio-effectors choice of practices and
Strip banding Legume crops inputs
Residues incorporation ➢ Efficiency: what to do, how
Preventive measures to:
«Preference should be given to measures to prevent damage by pests and weeds through
techniques which do not involve the use of plant protection products, such as crop rotation»
“to ensure the preservation of biodiversity and soil quality, to prevent and control pests and diseases
and to avoid negative effects on the environment, animal health and plant health”
Understand the system and enable it to function naturally

«the choice of plant varieties should focus on agronomic performance, genetic diversity, disease
resistance, longevity, and adaptation to diverse local soil and climate conditions, and should respect the
natural crossing barriers»
Local varieties
Adapted to local conditions

Less vulnerable to climate and stress conditions (e.g. water stress)
It is important and a challenge to develop organic plant reproductive material suitable for organic agriculture.
Energy use:
➢ Minimize the use of fossil fuels
• Reducing external inputs (less transportation)
• Using inputs produced with low carbon footprint
and energy use values
• Minimize machinery use
• Enhancing system’s health (less interventions, less
energy)
• Mixed operations when possible
➢ Use renewable energy sources
➢ Avoid long distance nutrient transfers
➢ Avoid long distance transportation of goods
➢ On farm energy production when possible (i.e.
biogas plants)
➢ On farm compost production
➢ Introducing technology (more efficiency)
Conversion period and process
‘ ’ is a given period for the transition from non-organic to organic

production under the organic regulation rules. The produced product in this period
is called ‘in-conversion product’.
➢ State of the art – data and information collection at farm, local and national
levels (i.e. actual cropping system, site and its surrounding, soil
characteristics).
➢ Check conversion possibility (analyses of collected data)
➢ Identification of the critical points which determine conversion success
➢ Plan the conversion
➢ Risk assessment
➢ Monitoring, evaluation and correction actions
Conversion process – Check conversion possibility
• Pollution risk (highways, factories ..)
• Diversity in the site and its surrounding
Environment • Climate conditions
• Investments level
• Production costs and inputs availability
• Capitals (money, land, labour) ownership
Economic • Regional or governmental programs to support OA (i.e. subsidies)
• Certification cost, technical advisor, no premium price in the conversion period
• Willingness extent to convert

• Access to data and information (flow of information)
• Social acceptance
Social • Who takes the decision
• Social capital (associations, cooperatives, neighbourhood relations)
Identification of the critical points
Identification of the critical points which determine conversion success and possible
actions according to organic principles and standards
Example
On-site data and
Type Category Sub-category Evaluation Measure to be taken
information
Soil organic carbon
must be increased by
Technical Soil analysis C content 0,50% Low soil ammendment
integration and SOM
sources
Diversity
Irrigation
Conventional, from Establish buffer zoon,
Pollution Adjacent areas the north risk of Weak tall trees in the
industrial factory northern part
Capital
Marketing
Plan the conversion
➢ Based on the analysis of the collected data the conversion level can be decided (all
the farm or one enterprise, minimum conversion requirement or hard conversion)
➢ The plan must integrate the technical part (production processes and requirements
for organic certification) and business part (financial, marketing, logistics, labour..)
➢ Performance of conversion budget
➢ Schedule the conversion based on the required conversion period
➢ Many documents are useful for transition and organic certification requirement (i.e.
annual production program, maps, internal control system in case of associations)
Basic recommendations for successful conversion
➢ The farm as unit

➢ Pay attention to start with correct data and information (at farm, territory,
state levels)
➢ Be ready for changes
➢ Technical aspects:
✓ Products with high market opportunity
✓ Crops less vulnerable to pests and diseases
✓ Local varieties
✓ Diversity of products
➢ Daily monitoring and observations
➢ Gradual conversion
Biodynamic agriculture
Biodynamics is a holistic,
ecological, and ethical approach to
farming, gardening, food, and
nutrition. Biodynamics association
definition
Vision, mission, principles and

values
Main concepts
➢ Biodynamic bios (life) and dynamos (energy) agriculture is a farming system,
organic with additional standards, principles and restrictions.
➢ Deals with the farm as a living system or single organism
➢ Connection to anthroposophy wisdom of the human being philosophy
(knowledge and a spiritual science) to understand truly the nature
➢ Use of specific fermented preparations which are believed to achieve
biodynamic objectives through principles
➢ Focus on astrological cycles
➢ Biodynamic system is enclosed from surrounding ecosystems as is possible
https://www.demeter.net/certification/standards https://www.biodynamics.com/
✓ A biodynamic farm is a living organism
✓ Biodynamics generates on-farm fertility
✓ Biodynamic sprays enhance soil and plant health
✓ Biodynamics works in rhythm with earth and cosmos
✓ Biodynamics approaches pests and diseases holistically
✓ Biodynamics brings plants and animals together
✓ Biodynamic supports seed integrity and diversity
✓ Biodynamic contributes to economic and social health
✓ Biodynamics cultivates biodiversity
✓ Biodynamic farmers cultivate awareness
✓ Compost is enlivened with Biodynamic preparations
✓ Biodynamic treats animals with respect Source: biodynamic
✓ Biodynamic certification upholds agricultural integrity association
✓ Biodynamics offers regenerative solutions for the future
Extracted examples from DEMETER standards
➢ All producers are obliged to prevent spray drift onto Demeter certified land to the
best of their ability.
➢ Reduces imported materials by addressing its needs from within the farming system
➢ Requires 50% of livestock feed (DM) must originate on the farm
➢ Is farm focused and requires that the whole farm be certified
➢ Requires a biodiversity set- aside of ten percent of the total farm acreage
➢ The horn manure (500) and horn silica (501) preparations must be applied at least
once per crop cycle.
Source: Demeter-International standards

Organic agriculture for sustainable development
Organic agriculture is a key contributor to almost all sustainable development goals

Organic agriculture as a model for rural development
Biodistrict/ecoregions
It is a territory where all its actors agree
and act to develop the territory at
Urban/community gardens environmental, economic, social and
Areas normally around cities where people reconnect
cultural levels through sustainable
to nature and tend to produce healthy food. Organic
methods are not required but recommended management of local
resources according to the principles and
concepts of organic production and
consumption.
Community supported agriculture (CSA)
It is partnerships that link consumers directly with the farmers who grow their local, seasonal food
Bag/basket of seasonal produce each week
CSA
• Social benefits
Shares • Short supply chain
Farmers/ Offer Purchase
(box of
vegetables,
Consumers • Small and local scale
producers
products) • Food quality
• ….
Membership, subscription
Community food systems
Bag and box schemes
Box schemes aggregate products from multiple producers

and efficiently deliver them to consumers
• Opportunity to scale up local organic food

systems
• Food quality
• ….
Source: https://www.abelandcole.co.uk/small-very-veggie-veg-box
https://www.soilassociation.org/take-action/organic-
living/buy-organic/find-an-organic-box-scheme/
Community food systems
Gruppo di Acquisto Solidale (GAS) -

Solidarity Purchase Group
G.A.S. operates on a non-profit basis and brings together

numerous families and some producers
• Social benefits
• Create a solidarity network
• Sustain and support short supply chain concept
• Small and local scale
• Food quality
• ….
https://e-circles.org/gruppi-di-acquisto/naturalmente
https://www.portalgas.it/index.php
https://www.portalgas.it/home-gas-alvisegas/57-
produttori/gastronomia/346-rete-utile-buono-e-bio
Participated Guaranteed System (PGS)
"Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGSs) are locally focused quality assurance systems. They certify
producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a foundation of trust, social
networks and knowledge exchange.“ (IFOAM international)
at least 223 PGS initiatives (57 are under development and 166 are fully operational) in 76 countries, with at
least 567,142 producers involved and 496,104 producers certified (IFOAM international data of 2019)
Global Landscapes Forum
https://www.globallandscapesforum.org/about/what-is-the-global-landscapes-forum/
Landscape approach for sustainable landscape
Sustainable urban areas

https://www.c40.org/
A network of mayors of nearly 100 world-leading cities

collaborating to deliver the urgent action needed right
now to confront the climate crisis.
Organic agriculture is a key for many global concerns
❖Climate change (through green deal, carbon tax in EU, by

2050 EU is climate-neutral
❖Water scarcity
❖Biodiversity losses: more than million species are under
threat.
❖Land degradation
❖Health and life quality
❖Pollution
Organic agriculture is important for the Mediterranean
- Diversity (geography, crops..) - Poor soils with low SOM

- Climate conditions content
- Traditional farming - Water scarcity
- Rural areas - Water quality problems
- Agriculture main source of - Small farm sizes
economy - Low possibility of mixed
- Labour farming (livestock integration)
- Export opportunities
What is organic in the EU regulation?
organic regulation (EU) 2018/848

“Organic production is an overall system of farm management and food production
that combines best environmental and climate action practices, a high level of
biodiversity, the preservation of natural resources and the application of high animal
welfare standards and high production standards in line with the demand of a
growing number of consumers for products produced using natural substances and
processes. Organic production thus plays a dual societal role, where, on the one hand,
it provides for a specific market responding to consumer demand for organic products
and, on the other hand, it delivers publicly available goods that contribute to the
protection of the environment and animal welfare, as well as to rural development”
What organic system provides
(objectives)
Why we need standards and regulations?
The answer comes from PRINCIPLES and POLICIES
The organic regulation (EU) 2018/848 states: “The observance of high standards for
health, the environment and animal welfare in the production of organic products is
intrinsic to the high quality of those products”.
“Organic production forms part of the Union’s agricultural product quality schemes”.
“organic production pursues the same objectives within the common agricultural
policy (‘CAP’)”
The regulation describes that organic agriculture system contributes to:
• environmental protection requirements into the CAP and that promotes
sustainable agricultural production
• the achievement of the objectives of the Union’s environmental policy, in
particular ‘Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection’, ‘Our life insurance, our natural
capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020’ ‘Green Infrastructure (GI) —
Enhancing Europe’s Natural Capital’.
“In view of the objectives of the Union’s organic production policy, the legal framework established
for implementing that policy should aim at ensuring fair competition and the proper functioning of
the internal market in organic products, at maintaining and justifying consumer confidence in
products labelled as organic, and at providing conditions under which the policy can progress in line
with production and market developments”.
Drivers for standards

➢ Organic principles
➢ Quality of services and products
➢ Consumer demand and confidence
➢ Development and expansion of the markets
of organic products
➢ Need for global actions (ex. Climate change)
➢ Credibility and traceability
«This Regulation should provide the basis for the sustainable development of organic production
and its positive effects on the environment, while ensuring the effective functioning of the
internal market in organic products and fair competition, thereby helping farmers to achieve a fair
income, ensuring consumer confidence, protecting consumer interest and encouraging short
distribution channels and local production. Those objectives should be achieved through
compliance with general and specific principles and general and detailed production rules
applicable to organic production» organic regulation (EU) 2018/848
Standards: more considerations
What is the relation between standards and market? Market
still has a power?
Do standards respond to all principles?
Are the standards are enough or we need more? Private or
public?
Are the standards dynamic?
Do we need international standards? (do we share the same
thoughts (food safety, GMO …)?
Organic for sustainability but do organic regulations reflects
that?
Technical visit – farm profile
Farm profile one of the most important document that must be prepared to any further elaboration and
further documentation and mainly it serves for the conversion process if the farm is not organic yet. The
following points are the main elements to be covered as data and information collection.
1. Introduction and historical overview (ownership/property, motivation to organic, scope, final

productions, labels and certifications)
2. Farm information (location, climate, size, soil type, assets, water sources)
3. Labour (seasonal, permanent, gender)
4. Farming system (in the farm and the connection to the farming system in the territory)
5. Main operations and related management strategies (main farming practices)
6. Farm network
7. Marketing
8. Other activities (processing, training, tourism ..)
9. Technologies
10. Best practices and innovations
Organize yourself (student-task) to collect as much as possible information to complete one report “farm
profile”
Challenges of organic agriculture
Exercise/assignment – search and report
Search in the internet for at least three challenges for organic farming except the yield
Report:
- Title
- Small introduction connected to the argument (1-2 lines)
- Body (text) argument analysis (small paragraph)
- Conclusion (1-2 lines)
- Summarize in table as below
Table x: Title
Challenges for Type of the Reference URL Based on your
organic farming challenge understanding and
(agronomic, research what your
legislative, personal opinion to
market…) deal with this
challenge
Challenges of organic agriculture
Exercise/assignment – search and report
Search in the internet for at least five examples about the yield differences between organic and
nonorganic agricultural systems
Report:
- Title
- Small introduction connected to the argument (1-2 lines)
- Body (text) argument analysis (small paragraph)
- Conclusion (1-2 lines)
- Summarize in table as below
Table x: Title
Crop / group of Main result Main reasons Reference URL
crops behind the result
Future of organic agriculture
❖ Demand increase
❖ Digitalization
❖ More production and more operations
❖ New markets and market channels
❖ Wider access to organic food
❖ More private standards
❖ Sustainable development of organic production
❖ ….
Main knowledge sources for organic agriculture
Institution/organization URL
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) https://www.ifoam.bio/
IFOAM Europe https://www.organicseurope.bio/
Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network https://moan.iamb.it/
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture https://www.fibl.org/en.html
Online platform - information and tools on organic farming https://organic-farmknowledge.org/
ICROFS, International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems https://icrofs.dk/en/
International open access archive for papers and projects related to research in https://orgprints.org/
organic food and farming
International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR) http://www.isofar.org/
Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) https://ocia.org/
Organic consumer association https://www.organicconsumers.org/
Organic trade association https://ota.com/
European statistics https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
Statistics https://www.statista.com/
Food and Agriculture Organization http://www.fao.org/organicag/oa-home/en/
National informative system of organic agriculture – Italy http://sinab.it/
References
• Arbenz M., Gould D. and Stopes C. (2017). ORGANIC 3.0— the vision of the global organic movement and the need for scientific support. Organic
Agriculture, 7(3): 199-207. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13165-017-0177-7
• Bteich M. R., Pugliese P., Al-Bitar L. and Madžarić S. (2019). Organic Agriculture in the Mediterranean Region: Recent Data Outline. In: Willer H.
and Lernoud J. (eds). The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and Emerging Trends 2019: FiBL and IFOAM - Organic International, pp. 353.
• Eurostate online data https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/DDN-20200129-2
• FAO and WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, (1999). Guidelines for the production, processing, labelling and marketing of organically produced
foods. Rome, Italy.
• IFOAM (2002). IFOAM Norms: Including Policies Related to IFOAM Norms: IFOAM.
• IFOAM (2017). Organic 3.0 - for truly sustainable farming and consumption. Bonn, Germany: IFOAM - Organics International.
https://www.ifoam.bio/sites/default/files/2020-03/summary_organic3.0_web_1.pdf
• IFOAM (2019). The ifoam norms for organic production and processing. Germany: IFOAM-Organics International.
• Kristiansen P. and Merfield C. (2006). Overview of organic agriculture. In: Kristiansen P., Taji A. and Reganold J. (eds). Organic Agriculture: A global
perspective: CSIRO Publishing, pp. 482. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/9780643094604
• Okigbo B. N. (1979). Evaluation for plant interactions and productivity in complex mixtures as a basis for improved cropping systems design.In: (eds).
Proc. Intl. Workshop on intercropping Hyderbad, India Hyderbad, India
• De Schaetzen S. (2019). Organic Agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals – part of the solution
https://www.eosta.com/sites/www.eosta.com/files/documenten/nm19_329_report_nm_lr.pdf
• Willer H., Trávníček J., Meier C. and Schlatter B. (ed.) (2022). The world of organic agriculture 2022: Statistics and emerging trends: FiBL and IFOAM
- Organic International.
• Woodward L., Fleming D. and Vogtmann H. (1996). Health, sustainability, the global economy - the organic dilemma: Elm Farm Research Centre.
Healthy soil healthy system
Sustainability comparisions
“Organic Agriculture in the 21st century” (Reganold and Wachter, 2016)

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Introduction to Organic Agriculture: Principles, Concepts and Conversion

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Introduction to organic agriculture:

Movement, principles, concepts and

Ramez Mohamad, PhD

Mediterranean Organic Agriculture, CIHEAM Bari, Italy

7-11 November, 2022

What do you know about organic, pros and cons?

At the end of the course we will discuss the result

➢ Health, (soil, plant, human..)

“Organic farming is a system which avoids or largely

“Organic Agriculture is a production system that

Standards – Into force:

Biodynamic IFOAM Reg. (EEC) No New EU

OA promotion in policies (ex. 1992 New European Common Agricultural Policy)

The World of Organic Agriculture

Source: Willer et al., (eds), 2022

The total area under organic

Organic area made up 9.1 %

MOAN platform coordinated by CIHEAM BARI

Around 11% of the total organic areas worldwide

The organic sector changed over time in three distinguished phases

• Numerous • Framework To the future

Look at the definition of OA: valorise OA by its practices

From minimum requirements TO truly

Features of Organic 3.0:

Features of organic principles:

➢ Organic agriculture is a production system relies on principles to achieve

Health Ecology Fairness Care

• Organic agriculture • Organic agriculture • Organic agriculture • Organic agriculture

Let us exercise together

Interested for agronomical information

Main benefits: Main potential challenges:

➢ Biodiversity ➢ More inputs and specific

Diversity with mutual beneficial relationships

Main potential challenges:

To insure mutual relation between crops pay attention to:

Cover crop (i,.e. ryegrass, vetch, clover,

✓ Cover crops can be integrated with crop rotation

Green uncomposed plant materials is used as manure

❑Most used: high biomass and

➢ Conservation tillage (when required for other practices (i.e. residues

➢Planned biodiversity (crop

➢Protect shelters upcoming two units

Tomato, pepper, cucumber….

Citrus pruning residues 18 T/Ha Clover, Vetch, Faba bean

• Direct incorporation into the soil or after

All they work together

➢ Organic agriculture philosophy

Practices and techniques as minimum tillage, crop

Crop needs, Optimization

I.E. No/reduced tillage I.E. Manure How this concept allocated

Preventive measures to:

Understand the system and enable it to function naturally

Adapted to local conditions

‘ ’ is a given period for the transition from non-organic to organic

• Willingness extent to convert

➢ The farm as unit

Vision, mission, principles and

Source: Demeter-International standards

Organic agriculture is a key contributor to almost all sustainable development goals

Bag/basket of seasonal produce each week

Bag and box schemes

Box schemes aggregate products from multiple producers