The certification and practice process of organic agriculture is explicitly detailed through the USDA organic standards. Organic systems are opposed to genetic modification, so organic regulations prohibit the use of all genetically modified ingredients, and animals on organic farms must be fed a natural, organic and non-transgenic diet. Farmers must be certified so that their products and products are labeled “organic”, and there are specific organic standards for crops, animals and wild artisanal products and for the processing of agricultural products. In this movement, the farm is seen as an autonomous and dynamic organism that can be managed using internal resources and special chemical preparations (called “preparations”) that are essential for the health and vitality of fertilizers, the farm and its surroundings.
In California, the Organic Products Act requires that the registry be administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, in addition to federal law requiring certification by an external organization accredited by the USDA. Organic certification bodies work with farmers and food processors to ensure that their food meets the strict organic standards established by law. Organic agriculture, an agricultural system that uses ecologically based pest controls and biological fertilizers derived largely from animal and vegetable waste and from nitrogen-fixing cover crops. Modern organic agriculture grew in response to concerns about the impact of chemically intensive agriculture on ecosystems and human health.
Organic agriculture policy must also consider environmental practices, consumers' willingness to pay for products and the social aspects of organic agriculture. Modern organic agriculture was developed as a response to the environmental damage caused by the use of chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in conventional agriculture, and has numerous ecological benefits. The IFOAM accreditation requirements are the new name of the old Accreditation Criteria for the Certification of Organic Production and Processing (IAC), which derive from the ISO standards for the operation of certification bodies (ISO 6), but they also reflect the particular circumstances of organic production and processing. Organic agriculture offers an alternative to more generalized, high-input agricultural practices that use synthetic fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides.
On the one hand, current large scale economic engines tend to favor the homogenization of food production systems and, therefore, organic agriculture, being a production system that is integrated into the existing food system, faces limits in its capacity to promote diversification at the system level. Obtaining organic certification isn't easy; when you see a product with the organic symbol, you know you're buying a product you can trust. IFOAM is the world body equivalent to organic agriculture; the origin of IFOAM was a global movement of farmers; its main objectives are to increase soil fertility and avoid the use of chemicals in agriculture. Organic agriculture is a system that aims to use mainly ecological processes rather than external inputs to manage crops and livestock.
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