The Principles of Organic Agriculture were established by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements is the worldwide umbrella organization for the organic agriculture movement, uniting more than 750 member organizations in 108 countries...

 (IFOAM) in September, 2005. They embody a global vision for organic farming

Organic farming

Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...

. The Principles were approved by the General Assembly of IFOAM on September 25, 2005.

The General Assembly of IFOAM approved the Principles of Organic Agriculture on September 28, 2005. The principles were developed during an intensive two-year participatory process. The aim of the principles is both to inspire the organic movement

Organic movement

The organic movement broadly refers to the organizations and individuals involved worldwide in the promotion of organic farming, which is a more sustainable mode of agriculture...

 and to describe the purpose of organic agriculture to the wider world.

Background

The first set of principles of organic agriculture to be published by any organic association was a set of ten principles published by the Australian Organic Farming and Gardening Society

Australian Organic Farming and Gardening Society

The Australian Organic Farming and Gardening Society was founded in Sydney on 5 October 1944, during the closing months of World War II...

(1944–1955).

The organic sector has grown significantly in recent years. Along with that growth have come opportunities and challenges. The IFOAM General Assembly concluded that there was a need to elaborate the basic values of organic agriculture.

The principles are intended to "apply to agriculture in the broadest sense, including the way people tend soils, water, plants and animals in order to produce, prepare and distribute goods. They concern the way people interact with living landscapes, relate to one another and shape the legacy of future generations."http://www.ifoam.org/press/press/Principles_Organic_Agriculture.html

The principles

The four principles of organic agriculture are as follows:

• The Principle of Health - Organic agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal and human as one and indivisible.
• The Principle of Ecology - Organic agriculture should be based on living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them.
• The Principle of Fairness - Organic agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities.
• The Principle of Care - Organic agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well being of current and future generations and the environment

External links

• IFOAM Principles of Organic Agriculture
• IFOAM (2005) Principles of Organic Agriculture (pdf) Accessed: 2005-12-12