Organic Agriculture: Sustainability, Markets and Policies
Readership
Agricultural researchers, policymakers and social scientists concerned with sustainable or organic farming
Key Features
• Papers by some of world’s leading organic experts
• A wide range of perspectives provided by researchers and policymakers from around the globe
• The key topics covered, including: markets, policy, regulation, environmental impact and biodiversity
Main Description
Organic agriculture is one of the most rapidly developing market segments in OECD countries. Policy measures have been introduced in many of these countries to encourage and promote organic farming.
But what is the contribution of organic agriculture to sustainable development?
What issues should be addressed by policies?
And what are governments doing and how effective have their actions been?
This book examines these issues. Based on papers presented at an OECD workshop held in September 2002 in Washington DC, it shows that organic agriculture is less stressful on the environment, but that its economic performance is mixed. The book also concludes that organic agriculture is disadvantaged by current support policies and that the proliferation of standards and labels may confuse consumers and inhibit trade.
This book contains papers by the leading experts in the field and covers the key issues facing organic agriculture today. Anyone with an interest in organic agriculture will find this a fascinating and valuable book.
Reviews
• "This book is welcome because it brings together in one volume a great deal of information that is more often found in the grey literature and presents it in a concise and easy to follow style."
P J C Harris, Biological Agriculture and Horticulture, 22, 2004
Main Contents
Introduction
• Organic agriculture, sustainability and policy, D Jones
• What is organic agriculture? What I learned from my transition, B Liebhardt
PART I: ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY
• Organic agriculture and the environment - Overview
• Organic agriculture and sustainability: Environmental aspects, S Dabbert
• Organic farming and nature conservation, W Vetterli, R Perkins, J Clay and E Guttenstein
• The biodiversity benefits of organic farming, H Bartram and A Perkins
• Productivity of organic and conventional cropping systems, T Bruulsema
Organic agriculture and the environment - Case studies
• Organic farming and bird communities in intensive orchards in Northern Italy, M Genghini, S Gellini and M Gustin
• Considerations on benefits to environment and animal welfar of organic agriculture in the Netherlands, E Regouin
• Soil quality of organically managed citrus orchards in the Mediterranean area, S Canali
• Energy balance comparison of organic and conventional farming, T Dalgaard, M Kelm, M Wachendorf, F Taube and R Dalgaard
Economic and social aspects of organic agriculture
• The profitability of organic farming in Europe, H Nieberg and F Offermann
• Farm-level impacts of organic production systems, J Hanson
• Economic perspectives of Korean organic agriculture, C-G Kim
• A social agenda for organic agriculture, T Cierpka and B Geier
PART II: THE ORGANIC MARKET
Marketing and trading issues for organic products
• The organic market in OECD Countries: Past growth, current status and future potential, D Hallam
• Emerging Issues in the Marketing and trade of organic products, D Giovannucci
• International harmonisation of organic standards and guarantee systems, D Bowen
• International and national standards and impacts on trade: The Swiss perspective, P Aebi
Issues for producers of organic products
• What are the key issues faced by producers in the organic food and fibre sector? E Wynen
• Pollution threats to organic production and products, M Helfter
• To convert or not to convert to organic farming, E Regouin
Issues for consumers of organic products
• What are the key issues for consumers? W Lockeretz
• Organic agriculture - the consumers’ perspective, Consumers International
• Consumer preferences for organic foods, M Weir, L G Hansen, L M Andersen and K Millock
PART III: POLICY APPROACHES TO ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
Labelling, standards and regulations
• The role of consumer demand, Government standards and market facilitation, K Merrigan
• The impact of consumer standards and market facilitation in Korea, G-H Kim
• Organic agriculture and national legislation in Turkey, M Ozkan
• Organic agriculture in Japan: Development of a labelling scheme and production policies, Y Yokoi
• Organic farming in Poland - Past, present and future perspectives, J Tyburski
Conversion and support payments
• From conversion payments to integrated action plans in the European Union, N Lampkin
• The influence of the common agricultural policy of the EU on the competitiveness of organic farming, F Offermann
• Norwegian experience with conversion ad support payments, K Orlund
• Do support payments for organic farming achieve environmental goals efficiently? L-B Jacobsen
Research information and communication
• The role of research, information and communication, J Michelsen
• New Zealand’s organic agriculture: The government’s role, P Kettle
• INRA and organic farming: Towards a research programme, B Sylvander and S Bellon
• Dutch policy on organic agriculture: A market-oriented approach, G Nuytens-Vaarkamp
• Ways to improve the organic food chain - A consumer-oriented approach, B Brandtner and E Hoebaus
• Organic food for public institutions, T Rech
