Why organic?
Hi, I'm Jeff Moyer. I've been managing the Rodale Institute farm organically for more than 30 years. The Rodale name has been synonymous with organic farming and gardening for twice that time. We've watched organic grow from a fringe movement to a multi-billion-dollar industry. Beginning in the 1980s, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with participation from the organic community, developed federal uniform National Organic Program (NOP) Standards for organic production. These Standards were finally adopted in 2002.
There are several considerations in the argument for transitioning to organic agriculture.
From an environmental standpoint, organic agriculture builds life in the soil while avoiding the use of toxic chemicals that can accumulate in soil, water, food and people. Non-organic farming relies on dwindling fossil fuel resources, while organic farmers build their own fertility into their systems, which improve over time and do not rely on outside inputs.
From an economic point of view, organic farming has been one of the fastest-growing sectors of agriculture for more than a decade—by 20 to 24 percent annually since 1990—and allows farmers to reap up to three times the profit margins of non-organically raised meat and produce. (U.S. sales of organic food and beverages grew from $1 billion in 1990 to nearly $17 billion in 2006, and the Agricultural Marketing Service expects this trend to continue.)a
From the perspective of community, organic food and agriculture are a means of supporting local and regional businesses that build the vitality and strength of our communities. The growth of both farmers markets and the Community Supported Agriculture movement serve as a testament to the ability of organic farming to revitalize downtown centers and reestablish partnerships between regional agricultural and urban areas.
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"The hallmark of an alternative farming approach is not the conventional practices it rejects but the innovative practices it includes."
~National Research Council,
Alternative Agriculture (1989)
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