What Is Organic Farming

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
What is Organic Farming? There are two understandings of organic farming is in a narrow sense and in a broader sense. Organic farming in the narrow sense of agriculture that is free from chemicals. Start of treatment to get seeds, fertilizers, pest and disease control through postharvest treatment did not involve any chemicals, biological materials must all, naturally. While organic agriculture in the broadest sense, is a system of agricultural production that relies on natural ingredients and avoid or limit the use of synthetic chemicals (fertilizers / chemical plants, pesticides, herbicides, plant growth regulators and feed additives). With the aim to provide agricultural products (especially food) that is safe for the health of producers and consumers and maintain the environmental balance by keeping the natural cycle.

The initial concept of organic farming is ideal to use all input that comes from within the organic agriculture itself, and once guarded only minimal input from the outside or severely restricted.

Principles of Organic Farming

The principles of organic agriculture is the foundation for the growth and development of organic agriculture. These principles contain about donations can be given to the world of organic farming, and a vision to improve all aspects of global agriculture. Agriculture is one of the most basic human activity, because everyone needs to eat every day. The values ​​of history, culture and community together in agriculture.

These principles apply to agriculture in the broadest sense, including how humans maintain soil, water, plants, and animals to produce, prepare and distribute food and other products. These principles of how humans relate to the environment, relate to one another and define a legacy for future generations.

Organic farming is based on:

The principle of health

Ecological principles

The principle of fairness

Protection principles

Each principle is expressed through a statement accompanied by an explanation. These principles should be used as a whole created as an ethical principles to inspire action.

Principles of Health

Organic Agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plants, animals, humans and the earth as a whole and indivisible.

This principle suggests that the health of individuals and communities can not be separated from the health of ecosystems; healthy soil will produce healthy plants that can support the health of animals and humans.

Health is an integral part of living systems. It is not simply free of disease, but also to maintain the physical, mental, social and ecological. Endurance, joy and self-renewal is essential to get healthy.

The role of organic agriculture in the production, processing, distribution and consumption aims to preserve and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human nature. In particular, organic agriculture is intended to produce high-quality and nutritious foods that support the maintenance of health and well-being.

Given this, it should avoid the use of fertilizers, pesticides, medicines for animals and food additives that can affect the health harm.

Principles of Ecology

Organic Agriculture should be based on living ecological systems and cycles. Work, imitating and trying to maintain ecological systems and cycles of life.

Ecological principles put organic farming in the ecological system of life. This principle states that the production is based on ecological processes and recycling. Food and ecological well-being acquired through a specialized production environment: for example, plants need good soil, animals need farm ecosystem, fish and marine organisms need water environment. Agriculture, animal husbandry and harvesting organic wild products must be in accordance with the cycles and ecological balances in nature. These cycles are universal but the operation is site-specific. Organic management must be adapted to the conditions, ecology, culture and local scale. Feed ingredients should be reduced by reuse, recycling and management of materials and energy efficiently in order to maintain, enhance quality and protect natural resources.

Organic agriculture can be achieved through a balance of ecological farming systems, habitat development, maintenance of genetic and agricultural diversity. Those who produce, process, or consume organic products should protect and benefit the common environment, including soil, climate, habitats, biodiversity, air and water.

Principles of Justice

Organic Agriculture should build relationships that ensure fairness related to the environment and the chance to live together.

Fairness is characterized by equity, respect, justice and the management of the world together, both among people and in relation to other living beings. This principle emphasizes that those involved in organic agriculture should build human relationships to ensure fairness to all parties at all levels, such as farmers, workers, processors, distributors, traders and consumers.

Organic agriculture should provide a good quality of life for everyone involved, contribute to food sovereignty and reduction of poverty. Organic farming aims to produce a sufficient food supply or other products with good quality.

This principle insists that animals should be kept in suitable habitat conditions and the physical properties, nature and well-being.

Natural resources and the environment used for production and consumption should be managed in a socially just and ecologically, and preserved for future generations. Fairness requires systems of production, distribution and trade that are open, fair, and consider the social and environmental costs are real.

Principles of Protection

Organic agriculture should be managed carefully to protect the health and welfare of current and future generations and the environment.

Organic agriculture is a living and dynamic system that answers the demands and conditions that are internal or external. The perpetrators of organic agriculture encouraged increased efficiency and productivity, but should not endanger the health and well-being.

Consequently, new technologies and methods that already exist need to be assessed and reviewed. Thus, there should be handling the understanding of ecosystems and agriculture are not intact.

This principle states that precaution and responsibility awab is fundamental in the management, development and technology choices in organic agriculture. LMU knowledge necessary to ensure that organic agriculture is healthy, safe and environmentally friendly. But scientific knowledge alone is not enough. Over time, practical experience combined with traditional knowledge into policy and appropriate solution. Organic agriculture should prevent significant risks by adopting appropriate technologies and rejecting unpredictable technologies that result, such as genetically engineered (genetic engineering). all decisions must consider the values ​​and needs of all who might be affected, through transparent processes and participatory.

Development of Organic Farming

Development of organic farming should refer to organic principles (principles of health, ecology principles, principles of justice and the principle of protection) in order to get the quality and safe food consumption.
Based on the consideration of the implementation of agricultural development in Indonesia at the moment, there are several factors to consider in developing alternative farming:
The diversity of organic waste recycling and utilization to improve the physical, chemical, and biological soil.
Combining organic and inorganic resources in farming systems in wetlands and uplands.
Develop a conservation-minded farming systems in wetlands and uplands.
Utilizing various types of waste as a source of plant nutrients.
Reclamation and rehabilitation of land by applying the concept of organic agriculture.
The change from annual crops to cash crops on dry land must be combined with the development of livestock, minimum processing and processing of crop residues.
Promote education and training for agricultural extension to improve the image and purpose of organic agriculture.
Utilizing manure from poultry, pigs, chickens, ducks, goats, and rabbits as a source of fish feed.

In accordance with the principles of organic farming, there is a method of developing agricultural farming method known as 'non-work' was developed in Japan by a Japanese farmer who belongs to the microbiologists (former laboratory scientist). There are four principles of natural farming are practiced, namely:

Without treatment, ie without plowing or turning the soil.
Land is actually able to treat himself by tapping the roots of plants, the activity of microorganisms, small animals and earthworms.

Without chemical fertilizer or prepared compost.
Fertilizer requirements for crops can be met with such leguminose cover crops, legumes and hay fields with returns plus a little poultry manure. If left to its own state land, the land will be able to preserve their fertility naturally in accordance with the regular cycle of plants and animals.

If the soil is left natural, the natural fertility will rise. The remains of organic matter from decaying plants and animals, the rain water nutrient substances into the soil, is absorbed into food plants and microorganisms.

Without eliminating weeds with earthworks or herbicides.
Basically weeds have a role in balancing the biological community in building soil fertility. Weeds were adequately controlled, not eliminated. Straw mulch, cover crops, while water-logging is an effective way of controlling weeds.

Regardless of chemicals.
As farming practices that are not experienced with fertilization, tillage, weed eradication of diseases and pests that imbalance became a serious problem. Pests and diseases are not denied to give a loss but still within limits that do not require the use of chemicals (pesticides). The wise approach is to plant crops that are more resistant to pests and disease in a healthy environment. The use of chemicals is only effective for a while, the time will cause another pest biology because of the balance disturbed, because the use of such chemicals.

Weaknesses in Organic Farming Systems
Some things are the weaknesses in developing organic agriculture, namely:

Limited availability of organic matter and the proportion should be much
Transportation is expensive because the materials are bulk
Facing competition from other interest in acquiring the remaining crops and organic waste
The results of organic farming is less when compared to non-organic farming uses chemicals, especially at the beginning of applying organic agriculture.
Control of confounding remains biologically still less effective than the use of chemical pesticides.
Lack of information about organic agriculture.

Excess in Organic Farming Systems

Increasing activity of the organism that is beneficial to plants.
Microorganisms such as rizobium and mikroriza that live in soil and plant roots are very helpful in the provision and uptake of plant nutrients. Also many other organisms that are suppressing the growth of pests and plant diseases. For example, the growth of root fungus (Ganoderma sp, Phytopthora sp) can be reduced and prevented by the organism Trichoderma sp.

Improve the taste and nutritional value.
The taste of organic crops become more attractive, such as organic rice will produce a fluffier rice, tubers was more tender and tastier or fruit to be sweet and fresh. Besides organic farming also increase the nutritional value. The results of laboratory tests to have organic rice protein, and fat is higher than non-organic rice. Similarly, rice originating from organic rice to survive (not perishable) two times longer than the rice and organic rice. If you usually rice will become stale after 12 hours of the rice from organic rice can last 24 hours.

Increasing resistance of pests attack.
Due to the use of organic fertilizers enough then the elements of macro and micro nutrients that met all the stronger and healthier plant to withstand attack some more resistant pests and disease attacks.

Extend save and improve the structure elements.
Fruit and agriculture is not quickly broken or due to storage. Chilies example would look better gloss with organic farming, it can be understood as an organic fertilized plants, overall the plant will have a full supply of nutrients so that the parts of plant cells, including the cells that make up the perfect fruit.

Helps to reduce erosion.
Organic farming with the use of organic fertilizers make the soil more friable and easily eroded waterways. Soil structure becomes more compact with the addition of organic ingredients and more water resistant than the store are not fertilized soil organic matter. In poor soil organic matter, water easily flows with the land.