Organic agriculture is commonly thought of as a system of food production without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. However, this common thought misses three basic components of organic production: biodiversity, the low use of external inputs, and environment friendliness (Kuepper & Gegner 2004). A broad definition of organic agriculture was passed in 1995 by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), a federal advisory panel created to advise the USDA on developing organic legislation (OTA 2008). The NOSB defines organic agriculture as “an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.” (NOSB 1995). In this context, the principles of organic agriculture are close related to the ideology of sustainable production.

            But what are the differences that characterize organic production?  There are several principles that characterize an organic system. Some of the most important principles are biodiversity, integration, sustainability, natural plant nutrition, and biological control or natural pest management (see Figure 1) (Kuepper & Gegner 2004). In addition, practices like crop rotation, green covers, intercropping, biofertilizers, biocontrol, composting, etc guarantee and reinforce the principles of organic production (See Figure 1) (Walz 1999, Kuepper & Gegner 2004). Table 1 summarizes the five practices most applied by US farmers to control weeds, insects, diseases, and to manage soil fertility (Walz 1999). One characteristic of these practices is the holistic uses of them. For example, notice in Table 1, that crop rotation is a common practice used to control weeds, insects and diseases. Figure 2 shows another example of a holistic model used in organic corn production, where legumes are planted after the corn harvest in order to promote nitrogen fixation and prevent the proliferation of weeds, insects, and diseases on the next cycle of corn (Kuepper & Gegner 2004). In summary, organic agriculture is a holistic model that manages a broad spectrum of practices in order to emulate the balance of natural ecosystems.

 Figure 1. Principles and practices of organic crop production (from Kuepper & Gegner 2004).

Table 1. Top 5 management practices used by U.S. organic farmers to control weeds, insects, diseases and soil fertility ranked by frequency of use (Walz 1999).

Figure 2. Example of an organic field crop rotation system (from Kuepper & Gegner 2004).

            The organic movement has expanded rapidly in the last few decades, giving birth to a whole section of regulations and certifications. Since 1990, worldwide organic sales have increased an average of ~25% per year (Lotter 2003).  The high demand for organic products has required the creation of organic certification programs in order to guarantee that the buyer is getting what he or she is paying for. Nowadays it is common to find several kinds of agencies that certify that a specific product was produced by approved organic methods (see Figure 3) (CFO 2008). But what are the standard “organic methods” that all these agencies certify? The basic rules for all these certifications came about as laws from governments. For example, in the USA, the USDA by way of the NOSB is the agency in charge of creating and promoting laws that regulate organic production (OTA 2008). Specifically, in USA, the set of rules for organic production are stated in the National Organic Program (NOP) (USDA 2009). However, one problem with organic legislations and certifications is that the basic standards are primarily focusing on regulations for the use of pesticides and fertilizers (Lotter 2003). For example, organic certifications need to incorporate laws that promote farm efficiency and biodiversity at local levels. In the end, the organic certifications are relatively new and still have a long way to go before they reflect a truly organic system.   

Figure 3. Examples of organic certifications around the world (from CFO 2008).