09 November 2012

Organic Farms

ORGANIC FARMS SYSTEM - Since science known to man farming, organic farming has been applied to the farmers is a way to recycle organic waste leftover crops as fertilizer. Intensification of agriculture by the Green Revolution movement that carried out since the 1970's, prefer the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. For several years these efforts proved to increase agricultural production significantly.

Lately experts argue that the use of synthetic chemicals cause damage to physical, chemical, and biological soil which led to a decrease in soil productivity. Around the year 1990, organic farms began to blow hard in the world. Since that time began to appear different organizations and companies that produce organic products.

DEFINITIONS
Organic agriculture is a holistic production systems and integrated farming, which optimizes the health and productivity of agro-ecosystems in nature, so as to produce enough food and fiber quality, and sustainable. In practice, organic farming is done by:
Avoiding the use of seeds / seedlings of genetically modified (GMO = genetically modified organism).
Avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals either fertilizers, pesticides and growth regulators (growth regulator).
Avoiding the use of growth hormone synthesis and addictive ingredients in animal feed.



The basic concept of organic farms is farming using organic materials as a means of production. Food related to organic production methods only where food comes from an organic farming system that implements management practices aimed at maintaining ecosystems to achieve sustainable productivity, and to control crop pests (OPT) through various means such as recycling plant and animal residues, crop selection and rotation, water management, land preparation and planting and use of biological materials.

Soil fertility is maintained and enhanced through a system which optimizes soil biological activity and physical and earth minerals which aims to provide a balanced supply of nutrients to the plant and animal life as well as to maintain the soil resource. Production must be sustainable by putting recycling plant nutrients as a key part of the strategy of soil enrichment.

Management of pests and diseases carried by stimulating a balanced relationship between the host / predator, population increase beneficial insects, biological control and technical culture and mechanical removal of pests or infected plant parts
Profit
¬ Generating adequate food, safe, and nutritious food and thus improve public health as well as the competitiveness of agribusiness;
¬ Increasing farmers' income;
¬ Create an environment that is safe and healthy workplace for farmers;
¬ Minimizing all forms of pollution resulting from agricultural activities;
¬ Increase and maintain agricultural productivity in the long term, and preserve natural resources and environment;
¬ Creating new jobs and social harmony in the country.

Basic organic livestock farming is the development of a harmonious relationship between land, plants and animals, as well as respect for the physiological and lifestyle habits of cattle. This is met through a combination of providing organically grown food is good quality, population density sufficient livestock, livestock farming systems in accordance with the demands of his habits, and ways of managing animals can reduce stress and seeks to encourage well-being and health of livestock, disease prevention and avoiding the use of chemical drugs (including antibiotics)

POWER (STRENGTH)
The United States has the potential to become the leading producer of organic farms in the world. Some of the factors that force the United States in the development of organic farming are:
1. Natural resources and biological resources
As an agricultural country, the United States has a tremendous potential for organic farms systems. In addition to tropical agriculture, a very diverse germplasm, also supported by the availability of organic matter. Product fruits like durian, mangosteen, and snake fruit easily classified into organic fruit.

2. The existence of multiple stakeholders who have a response to organic farms
Interest in organic farming has been declared organization called Society of Organic Agriculture. In the United States also have outstanding organic agricultural products from local produce such as organic rice, organic coffee, organic teas and other products. The existence of multiple stakeholders engaged in organic farming becomes its own power for the development of organic agriculture in the future.

3. Microbial biotechnology proponents of organic farming
a. Bioactive compost technology. This technology is a technology that can shorten the composting process (decomposition) of organic material from several months to a few weeks. These products are bio-decomposer to accelerate the composting process, which is available in the market include: SuperDec, OrgaDec, EM4, EM Lestari, Starbio, Degra Simba, stardec, and others. SuperDec and OrgaDec. Microbes excel biodekomposer used is Trichoderma pseudokoningii, Cytopaga sp, and white rot fungi. Microbes are able to speed up the composting process to be about 2-3 weeks. Microbes will remain alive and active in the compost. When the compost is applied to soil, microbial organisms will contribute to the control of plant disease-causing pathogens.
b. Biofertilizer. This technology is a technology that microbes play a role in improving the provision and uptake of plant nutrients. The basic principle of soil microbes that can produce plant hormones formulated in a special carrier and used as biofertilizer (body fertilising plants). Results of research conducted by BPBPI biofertilizer can at least get that supply more than half the crop nutrient needs. Biofertilizer available in the market such as Gold, Rhiphosant, Kamizae, OST, and Simbionriza.
c. Biocontrol agents. This technology is microbial technology for pest and disease control. Microbial Technology (biocontrol agents) that have been developed include Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), Bauveria bassiana, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus, and Metharizium anisopliae., Trichoderma sp. Several biocontrol products available in the market, among others, Greemi-G, Bio-Meteor, NirAma, Marfu-P, and Hamago.

4. Character is climate-friendly technologies and to ensure sustainable agriculture
Organic farming will be most beneficial in terms of increasing soil fertility and increase crop and livestock production, from the environmental aspect in maintaining the ecosystem, while the economic aspects will save foreign exchange to import fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, and provide employment opportunities and increase revenue farmers.

Organic farms allows the utilization of household waste, agricultural waste and livestock waste as raw material for fertilizer. Manure produced by livestock that previously less exploited, can now be processed into organic fertilizer that can support the needs of plant nutrients. Organic farming is one form of sustainable agriculture. The use of organic materials is expected to reduce the damage to the soil so that the soil can continue to provide benefits for the life to come. Decrease in productivity can be prevented so that production capacity can still be maintained

5. Increased production and income
The results showed that the use of organic materials as fertilizers in agriculture gives excellent results compared to the use of chemical fertilizers. Differences can be seen from the ecological and economical aspects. Organic fertilizer is helpful in restoring soil physical and biochemical conditions. Research in Japan says that to restore soil conditions as severe as in the U.S. it takes 5 years, with 3 planting seasons per year.

Economic studies show that the use of organic fertilizer profitable. The trial results demonstrate that growers of organic fertilizers also make rice plants more resistant to pests and plant hopper rods stronger than the wind. The use of organic fertilizer in the early stages but it will be more steadily reduced with improved soil conditions accompanied by increased production.

WEAKNESSES (Weaknesses)
Organic farms has started to grow in the community, however, this development is still considered less than optimal. This is partly due to the persistence of the various weaknesses include:

1. Misperceptions
Ordinary people think organic produce is a great product not only in terms of nutritional content, but also the appearance of products. In fact organic products are not always good, for example, hollow leaves and small, because it does not use pesticides and growth stimulants or other inorganic fertilizers. At the beginning of organic farms, production quantity often does not match expectations and under inorganic agricultural productivity.

Farmers used to use inorganic fertilizer that will provide rapid response in plants, for example, fertilizing plants with organic fertilizer indicates the influence of changes in plant growth is slow. In the third season onwards, the effect of organic fertilizer showed tangible results differ from non-organic farms. This means that organic agriculture in the early years will experience many obstacles and need capital to survive, but the following year the constraints faced decreases in line with the increase in soil fertility.
Some understanding of organic farms is still wrong:
a. Cost prohibitive. The use of materials in large quantities, use of pesticides, fertilizers and organic liquid supplement as needing expensive.
b. It requires a lot of manpower. The use of organic materials in large quantities perception will require a lot of labor for the transport and application.
c. Back in traditional farming systems. Organic farming is perceived as many farms that are backwards in the way of farm chemicals before the technology was introduced. modern organic farming is very different from the natural farming in the past. Organic farming takes modern farming technology, supplying organic fertilizers, pest and disease control using microbial or biological agents as well as good management for the success of organic agriculture.
d. Low production. Changes drastically inorganic farming to organic farming at an early stage will reduce production, but in the long run will increase production.
Misperceptions among others caused by the lack of information about organic agriculture. Information on organic products is still very minimal. Misperceptions about organic farming needs to be addressed through improved information dissemination and intensive counseling.

2. Provision of organic fertilizer
Organic farming requires absolute organic fertilizer as the main nutrient source. Organic farming systems requires qualified nutrient availability to plants must come from organic fertilizers. The fact of organic fertilizer contains nutrients per unit weight of dry material far below the nutrient produced by inorganic fertilizers, such as urea, TSP and KCl. To meet the basic needs of plants (crop minimum requirement) to make farmers overwhelmed. Generally, our farmers are not farmers able to have land and livestock as well, so they have to buy from other sources, and it requires a fairly high cost in addition to more power.
From the perspective of the supply of organic matter, some disadvantages of organic farming are:
a. Willingness organic materials is limited, whereas the dose needed for organic farming should be plenty.
b. Transport of organic material is relatively expensive because organic materials are bulky
c. Competition with other interests (eg a farm) in obtaining the remaining crops and organic waste
d. The absence of organic agricultural product prices bonuses

3. Technology readiness support
Organic farms technologies, new community known for in recent years, so naturally when the availability of assistive technologies is still limited. Proper farming techniques such as crop rotation selection by considering the effect of the termination of the life cycle allelopati and pests need to be known. Knowledge of plant nutrient that can contribute legume crops such as nitrogen donor plants and other nutrients are very helpful to the sustainability of organic agriculture. Additionally pest and disease prevention technology is also very important, especially on farmers organic farming in the rainy season.

4. Marketing
Marketing of organic products in the country to date is based on the belief of both parties that consumers and producers. marketing of organic products the United States is still difficult to penetrate the international market although there are some entrepreneurs who have penetrated the international market. The main obstacle is the product certification by a certification body in accordance with organic farming standards set by the state to be addressed. Due to limited facilities and infrastructure, especially related to product quality standards, most of the organic agricultural products turned satisfy the domestic market still has a broad enough market share. Each manufacturer label products as organic, but in fact many are still mixing organic fertilizer with chemical fertilizers or pesticides for pest control plant diseases. Farmers who actually implement organic farming will certainly lose.

5. Certification
Organic farms standards bodies that exist today are
1) Standard International Standards International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Basic standards for organic products and the process of IFOAM since 1980.
2) The Codex Alimentarius. Standards set by IFOAM standard adjustment with some standards and other rules.
3) National and Supranational regional, and
4) Standard made in each country. Organic farming system adopts an organic process, meaning that all of the organic farming system starting from land preparation to post harvest organic farming standards, not the views of the organically produced products.

When you see the condition of farmers in developing countries, they are almost impossible to get a certification label from a foreign certification body and in the country. Land area owned and certification fee is not affordable, cause they are not able to certify their land. The only way is to form a group of organic farmers in a large region that meet the certification requirements, so they can finance their farming certification of mutual cooperation. It is still highly dependent on the continuity of their production.

6. Research and studies
Weaknesses in the development of organic agriculture in the aspects of research and assessment is inadequate assessment results needed in the development of organic farming include:
1. In-depth research on organic farming systems. Many areas of research are involved in supporting the development of organic agriculture. Starting from the study of the provision of microbes that can decompose organic material in a short time, so that the supply of organic fertilizer can be fulfilled Research on the suitability of crops grown are multicultural, and breaking the cycle of pests by rotating crops. Until now there has been no research that can explain it, farmers only try of the few times they experience the farm.
2. Research pest and plant diseases naturally. Crop failure is a major threat for farmers, so much needed research on natural ingredients that contain insecticide and its application in agriculture.
3. Nutrient balance studies for a long time.
4. Studies in marketing and economic aspects will also be very instrumental in penetrating international markets organic products the United States.

OPPORTUNITY (OPPORTUNITIES)
Component of organic farming can be seen as an opportunity and prospective for the development of organic agriculture in are:
1. An increase in biomass. Development of fast-growing trees around the site, so it can be used as a source for increasing organic matter.
2. Compost can be used as a source for increasing organic matter.
3. Biofertilizer, development was based on the potential of microorganisms that exist in the United States, on the other hand has to be imported biofertilizer technology needs to be developed in the United States (transfer of technology),
4. Biological pesticides. Basic ingredients derived from plants that can be used for crop protection, current attention and use is still very limited, so there are opportunities to explore a greater diversity of biological resources,
5. Knowledge / traditional technologies. Effort required to dig up traditional wisdom with the scientific and developing environmentally friendly technologies.

Organic food demand in the world market tends to rise. The prospect is a very large market opportunities for developing countries like the United States to produce organic food. In addition, many organic agricultural products that can not be produced in European countries and is only produced in tropical countries, such as: coffee, tea, cocoa, spices, tropical fruits and tropical vegetables

THREATS (Threats)
Sustainability of organic farming will be affected by the ability of actors to address the various threats facing. Some of the threats in the development of organic agriculture in between.
1. Decline in crop production.
2. Conflicts in the neighboring rural communities due to the lateral flow of groundwater polluted by fertilizers and pesticides.
3. The decline in public confidence in the condition / quality of agricultural production.
4. The emergence of rules in the policy of the government trying to agricultural activities.

Another threat is that although research efforts in the field of plant and soil fertility have been conducted, focused primarily on efforts to overcome the problem of decline in crop production, through improved supply of nutrients to plants without regard to excessive nutrient management efforts, on the other hand not all be utilized fertilizer by plants, of which absorbed by other elements such as Al and Fe, leacing, and surface flow (run).

Globally, the threat to the sustainability of agricultural systems is related to the nutrient balance issues (access problems). Research the tropics are generally more focused on recommendation fertilizer, fertilizer distribution and the level of tolerance of plants to conditions gripped. Still rarely indicated research to assist farmers in making decisions on the ground that the condition is very heterogeneous.

Organic farming is basically a correction for inorganic farming for many years carried out by the farmers. The threat to organic farming in the future can be reviewed from the aspects of:
1. The establishment of a market for agricultural products healthier. In fact, the chemical residue-free products are more expensive than other products. This demands concrete efforts to overcome partly by promoting intensive campaign for a healthy agricultural products.

2. Organic farms is not always affordable to small farmers. The greater the public awareness in reducing the use of chemicals on the land, it will be more and more large companies are competing to create new products (pesticides and fertilizers) are more environmentally friendly complete with patents, so the price will be more expensive, farmers will cause trouble buy. This condition would make it difficult for farmers to buy it, so that farmers will re-use of chemicals and its price will be lower. The condition of farmers is getting worse by the market price uncertainty. At the macro-scale organic farm managed by large companies a threat to organic farming run small farmers in developing countries.

3. Yet uncertainty about the criteria of international standards of organic agriculture. Is this system has been using environmentally friendly materials, but if the review of the principles of biodiversity, these systems can not be fully accepted as an organic farm. Criteria for organic farms still needs to be perfected.

Farmers generally will leave organic farming, if:
a. There's limited manpower,
b. Has the introduction of the advanced modern technology with high input and availability of credit,
c. The existence of uncertainty in land tenure issues that make farmers reluctant to permanent farming systems,
d. Obscurity marketing procedures. an organic rice farmer in his field, but the others do not carry. Chemical residues from neighboring fields into fields, so the product was rejected by the market and instead declared organic products.

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