Description
John PaullUniversity of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, AustraliaPart of the book: Research Advancements in Organic FarmingChapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.52305/TFEO6386AbstractThe de facto organic agriculture of millennia was disrupted by the arrival of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. The industrial-scale chemical explosives and poison gas production of World War 1 was, post war, promptly re-purposed as farm chemicals, synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. In 1924, the New Age philosopher, Dr Rudolf Steiner, called for a differentiated agriculture which eschewed synthetic chemicals, and relied on nature and biology rather than chemistry. By 1938, his Experimental Circle of devotees had tested and evolved his ideas into ‘biodynamic farming’. Influenced by Rudolf Steiner’s concept that ‘the farm is an organism’, Lord Northbourne coined the term ‘organic farming’, and, in 1940, he published ‘Look to the Land’, a manifesto of organic agriculture. He posited a contest of chemical agriculture versus organic farming, a contest that he foresaw may rage for decades or centuries. In the decades that followed, advocacy groups for biodynamics and organics proliferated. Five such entities (from France, Sweden, United Kingdom, South Africa and USA) came together in 1972 to form the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Organic agriculture is now practised in 187 countries, accounts for 72.3 million hectares of agriculture land, and is valued at US$123 billion per annum. Organic agriculture production has evolved to presently exclude: (i) synthetic fertilisers; (ii) synthetic pesticides; (iii) antibiotics and synthetic medications; (iv) irradiation; (v) genetically modified organisms (GMOs); and (vi) nanotechnology. Consumers report that they purchase organic food because it is better for them, better for their children, better for the environment, and better for animals. Certification has enabled the wide geographic distribution of organic produce. Organic agriculture is growing at 11.5% per annum, and has been growing at this rate over the past two decades. Organic agriculture is thriving as a niche agriculture, accounting for 1.5% of global agriculture. Can it achieve the vision of the early advocates of organic agriculture to become the mainstream agriculture The Indian state of Sikkim is now 100% organic. A longitudinal graph of the growth trajectory, and a world map of the distribution of organic agriculture, are presented.Keywords: organic farming, Fritz Haber, Rudolf Steiner, Koberwitz, Lord Northbourne, world map, synthetic fertilisers, synthetic pesticides, irradiation, genetically modified organisms, nanotechnology, consumersReferencesBalfour, E. B. (1959). Diary of the 1959 New Zealand Tour, Part I. Mother Earth, 11(2):169-194.Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Readers Union 1964 members’ ed. London: HamishHamilton.Chevriot, R. (1972). Subject: Creation of an international Federation. Typescript letter, 1page, undated. Paris: Nature et Progrès.Charles, D. (2005). Master Mind: The rise and fall of Fritz Haber, the Nobel laureate wholaunched the age of chemical warfare. Harper Collins Publishers, Ecco: New York.Chief Minister’s Office, Sikkim (2016). Under the leadership of India’s greenest ChiefMinister Shri Pawan Chamling – Sustainable Development through Greening, OrganicFarming and Unique Social Enginering. Gangtok, India: Chief Minister’s Office,Government of Sikkim.EWG (Environmental Working Group), (2021). EWG’s 2021 Shopper’s Guide toPesticides in Produce. EWG, Washington, DC.GfK (Growth from Knowledge), (2017). Decision Factors on What to Eat or Drink: GlobalGfK Survey (October 2017). GfK, London.Gross, D. (2008). Our Roots Grow Deep: The story of Rodale. Rodale Inc, Emmaus, PA.Haber, F. (1920). The Synthesis of Ammonia from its Elements, in Nobel Lectures,Chemistry 1901-1921. Elsevier Publishing: Amsterdam, Netherlands, 326-340.Hardin, G. (1968). The tragedy of the commons. Science, 162: 1243-1248.Hurley, P. J. (1949). An Encyclopaedia for Australian Gardeners. Dymock’s Book ArcadeLimited, Sydney.Hyland, C., Bradman A., Gerona R., Patton S., Zakharevich I., Gunier R. B., Klein K.(2019). Organic diet intervention significantly reduces urinary pesticide levels in U.S.children and adults. Environ. Res., 171: 568-575.IFOAM, (2020). Join the Organic Movement Today. IFOAM – Organics International.Bonn. www.ifoam.bio.King, F. H. (1911). Farmers of Forty Centuries, or Permanent Agriculture in China, Koreaand Japan. Bruce, J. P. (Ed). Madison, Wisconsin.MoAF, (2017). National Workshop on Roadmap for Organic Agriculture policy in Bhutanongoing. Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Thimphu.Nielsen, (2005). Functional Foods & Organics: A global AC Nielsen online survey onconsumer behaviour and attitudes. ACNielsen.Northbourne, Lord (1939). Report of Proceedings – Summer School and Conference onBio-Dynamic Farming: Home Farm, Betteshanger, Eastry, Kent. Betteshanger:Summer School and Conference on Bio-Dynamic Farming.Northbourne, Lord (1940). Look to the Land. Dent, London.OFAI, (2018). Final Report 19th Organic World Congress 09-11th November 2017International Expo Centre and Mart Greater Noida, UP. Organic Farming Associationof India (OFAI), Goa.PANUK, (2017). Food for Thought: Pesticide Residues in the School Fruit and VegetableScheme (SFVS). Pesticide Action Network UK (PANUK), Brighton, UK.Paull, J. (2008). The lost history of organic farming in Australia. J. Org. Syst., 3(2): 2-17.Paull, J. (2010a). From France to the World: The International Federation of OrganicAgriculture Movements (IFOAM). J. Soc. Res. Policy, 1(2): 93-102.Paull, J. (2010b). The Future of Organic Agriculture: Otopia or Oblivion InnovativeScience Editions, 1: 11-14.Paull, J. (2011a). The making of an agricultural classic: Farmers of Forty Centuries orPermanent Agriculture in China, Korea and Japan, 1911-2011. Agricultural Sciences,2(3): 175-180.Paull, J. (2011b). Attending the first organic agriculture course: Rudolf Steiner’sAgriculture Course at Koberwitz, 1924. Eur. J. Soc. Sci., 21(1): 64-70.Paull, J. (2011c). The secrets of Koberwitz: The diffusion of Rudolf Steiner’s AgricultureCourse and the founding of Biodynamic Agriculture. J. Soc. Res. Policy, 2(1): 19-29.Paull, J. (2011d). The Betteshanger Summer School: Missing link between biodynamicagriculture and organic farming. J. Org. Syst., 6(2) : 13-26.Paull, J. (2011e). The Soil Association and Australia: From Mother Earth to Eve Balfour.Mother Earth, 4 : 13-17.Paull, J. (2013). The Rachel Carson letters and the making of Silent Spring. Sage Open, 3:1-12.Paull, J. (2014). Lord Northbourne, the man who invented organic farming, a biography. J.Org. Syst. 9(1) : 31-53.Paull, J. (2015). The threat of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to organicagriculture: A case study update. Agric. Food, 3: 56-63.Paull, J. (2016). Organics olympiad 2016: Global indices of leadership in organicagriculture. J. Soc. Dev. Sci. 7(2): 79-87.Paull, J. (2017). Four new strategies to grow the organic agriculture sector. AgroforInternational Journal, 2(3): 61-70.Paull, J. (2019). Organic Agriculture in Australia: Attaining the global majority (51%). J.Environ. Prot. Sustain. Dev., 5(2) : 70-74.Paull, J. (2020). The Koberwitzers: Those who attended Rudolf Steiner’s AgricultureCourse at Koberwitz in 1924, World’s foundational organic agriculture course. Int. J.Environ. Plan. Manag., 6(2) : 47-54.Paull, J. (2020) Alfred Meebold: Bringing Anthroposophy to the Antipodes. Harvests,72(1) : 36-41.Paull, J. (2021). Organic agriculture – Invented in Kent. Kent Maps Symposium, 5 May.Canterbury Christ Church University.Paull, J., and Lyons, K. (2008). Nanotechnology: the next challenge for organics. J. Org.Syst., 2008. 3(1): 3-22.Paull, J., and B. Hennig, B. (2019). World Maps of GMOs and Organic Agriculture.International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS) Newsletter, (3): 6-8.Paull, J., and Hennig, B. (2020). A World Map of Biodynamic Agriculture. Agric. Biol. Sci.J. 6(2): 114-119.Pfeiffer, E. (1938a). Practical Guide to the Use of the Bio-Dynamic Preparations. RudolfSteiner Publishing Co., London.Pfeiffer, E. (1938b). Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening: Soil Fertility Renewal andPreservation. Anthroposophic Press, New York.Pfeiffer, E. (1958). Preface, in Agriculture Course: The Birth of the Biodynamic Method,EIght lectures given in Koberwitz, Silesia, between 7 and 16 June 1924, Rudolf SteinerPress, UK, 5-16.Putin, V. (2017). The 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Danang: TogetherTowards Prosperity and Harmonious Development on 8 November, 2017. Kremlin,Moscow.Rodale, J. I. (Ed) (1942). Organic Farming and Gardening. Rodale Press,Emmaus,Pennsylvania, 1(1):1-16.Steiner, R. (1924a). Agriculture Course. Dornach, Switzerland: Goetheanum.Steiner, R. (1924b). To All Members: The Meetings at Koberwitz and Breslau.Anthroposophical Movement, 1: 9-11.Willer, H., and Yussefi, M. (Eds) (2000). Organic Agriculture World-Wide: Statistics andPerspectives. Stiftung Ökologie & Landbau (SÖL): Bad Durkheim, Germany.Willer, H., J. Trávníček, C. Meier, B. Schlatter, (Eds) (2021). The World of OrganicAgriculture: Statistics & Emerging Trends 2021. Switzerland: Research Institute ofOrganic Agriculture (FiBL), Bonn, Switzerland & IFOAM-Organics International,Frick. Germany.
