Organic movement

Organic movement broadly refers to the organizations and individuals involved worldwide in the promotion of sustainable agriculture and organic farming, and a general opposition to agribusiness. Its history goes back to the first half of the 20th century, when modern large-scale agricultural practices began to appear.

The movement began in England in the 1920s, as a reaction by individual agricultural scientists and farmers against industrialized agriculture. Following World War II, war-time technologies helped propel the rapid growth of mechanized, chemical-based farming. At this point, organic concerns began to touch the wider public. During the 1960s, as problems with pesticides and related environmental and health matters became front-page news, the organic movement entered its modern phase, with support spread across a wide demographic and range of issues.

An abbreviated timeline:

• Sir Albert Howard is often referred to as the father of modern organic agriculture. His writings, and notably, the 1940 book, An Agricultural Testament, influenced many scientists and farmers of the day.

• In 1939, strongly influenced by Sir Howard's work, Lady Eve Balfour launched the Haughley Experiment on farmland in England. It was the first scientific, side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional farming. Four years later, she published The Living Soil, based on the initial findings of the Haughley Experiment. It was widely read, and lead to the formation of a key international organic advocacy group, the Soil Association.

• During the 1950s, sustainable agriculture was a research topic of interest, but science tended to concentrate on the new chemical approaches. In the US, J.I. Rodale began to popularize the term and methods of organic growing. In addition to agricultural research, Rodale's publications through the Rodale Press helped to promote organic gardening to the general public.

• In 1962, Rachel Carson, a prominent scientist and naturalist, published Silent Spring, chronicling the effects of DDT and other pesticides on the environment. A bestseller in many countries, including the US, and widely read around the world, Silent Spring was instrumental in the US government's 1972 banning of DDT. The book and its author are often credited with launching the environmental movement.

• In the 1970s, worldwide movements concerned with the pollution and the environment increased attention on organic farming. As the distinction between organic and conventional food became clear, one goal of the organic movement was to encourage consumption of locally grown food, which was promoted through slogans such as "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food".

• In the 1980s, around the world, various farming and consumer groups began seriously pressuring for government regulation of organic production. This led to various legislation and certification standards being enacted through the 1990s and to date. Currently, most aspects of organic food production are government-regulated in the US and the European Union.

See Also

List of organic gardening and farming topics

External Links

• Origins of the Organic Movement, The - Philip Conford , 2001. One of the few published works documenting the history of the organic movement.
• Organic Consumers Association - Large activist resource site: "Campaigning for Food Safety, Organic Agriculture, Fair Trade & Sustainability".