Organic/Biodynamic Farming

Organic and biodynamic farming are agricultural systems that reject the use of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and that emphasize soil health, the balancing of plant and animal production elements, and the maximizing of beneficial ecological relationships. The principles of organic and biodynamic farming were first articulated in Europe and the United States in the early 20th century, emerging out of concerns that industrializing agricultural systems were negatively affecting human health. The movement remained marginal until the 1990s, however, when rising [Page 1088]consumer interest in tandem with legislation defining organic agriculture and regulating use of the term organic led to rapidly expanding markets. The most recent survey conducted by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements found 1.9 ...