Example "medium scale - medium yields": Organic agriculture
Organic farming is one development path from traditional farming. It emphasizes ecological balance, biodiversity, and soil health while minimizing synthetic inputs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms. Instead, it relies on natural processes and materials - such as compost, green manure, crop rotation, and biological pest control - to sustain productivity and environmental integrity. This is the message in marketing the products and high prices are paid.
Historically, organic farming can be traced to traditional agricultural practices that predate the industrial era. However, the modern organic movement gained prominence in the early 20th century as a response to the increasing use of synthetic chemicals in conventional agriculture. Key figures like Sir Albert Howard in the UK and J.I. Rodale in the United States were instru-mental in advocating for a return to soil-centered, holistic farming. The term "organic farming" was first coined by Lord Northbourne in 1940, emphasizing the "farm as an organism" concept. In the latter half of the 20th century, rising environmental and health concerns led to the institu-tionalization of organic standards and certification systems, beginning in Europe and North America. Today, organic farming is a globally recognized approach, regulated by international bodies and national policies, and is seen as a sustainable alternative to conventional agriculture in the face of climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss.
Figure: Development of certified Organic farmland and share of total farmland from 2000 to 2023
Source: IFOAM/FiBL (2025)
Table: Certified Organic farmland, producer, processors and Im-/exporters in 2023
Source: IFOAM/FiBL (2025)
Table: Global Organic market in 2023
Source: IFOAM/FiBL (2025)
Photo 1: The Namibia Organic Association (NOA ) - established in 2009 and a member of IFOAM since 2011 - has become the main driver of the organic movement. NOA, together with the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF ), hosts training for farmers in regions like Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshikoto, Khomas, and Hardap. In 2023 alone, over 2,500 farmers were reached through education on composting, seed preservation, organic feed formulation, and climate-smart practices. Namibia participates in the Knowledge Hub for Organic Agriculture in South-ern Africa, a GIZ-supported project implemented with NOA. Innovative certification approaches - such as NOA’s Participatory Guarantee System (PGS ) - enable local validation and sup-port domestic and small-scale producers. This peer-review system fosters trust between produc-ers and consumers and supports direct-value chains like Windhoek’s Green Market and the Or-ganic Box online shop. Organic farming in Namibia is a business done by white farmers. The market is in Windhoek from white people. Produced is it with black workers. That is a good job.
Photo 2: The Sheepdrove Organic Farm was founded 1970 by Peter and Juliet Kindersley, shortly before co-founding pioneering publishing house Dorling Kindersley in 1974. In 2005, this was the farm for a meeting of the state secretary Alexander Müller from the German Minis-try of Agriculture with the President of Soil Association . The Soil Association, founded in 1946 by Lady Eve Balfour, is the UK’s leading organization for organic certification and advoca-cy. It pioneered the modern organic movement in Britain and continues to set high standards for farming, animal welfare, and food quality. Alongside certification, the Soil Association en-gages in education, lobbying, and research to promote regenerative agriculture, climate resilience, and healthy food systems
Photo 3: Organic dairy goat production in Austria forms part of the country's well-developed organic agriculture sector. Over 27% of Austria’s agricultural land and 23% of all farms are certified organic as of 2023, placing Austria among the most organic-intensive countries in Eu-rope. Remarkably, approximately 54% of all goats in Austria are kept under organic man-agement, the highest organic livestock share for any species in the country. As of December 2023, Austria had around 96,000 goats, down slightly from 99,000 in 2022, maintained across roughly 26,200 to 26,400 farms - many of which practice mixed livestock and grassland farming in alpine regions.
Photo 4: Auroville , established in 1968 in Tamil Nadu, India, is an experimental township inspired by the vision of The Mother (Mirra Alfassa) and Sri Aurobindo. Its agricultural pro-jects, such as Solitude Farm and Siddhartha Farm, integrate organic and permaculture tech-niques. Though not exclusively biodynamic, Auroville's farming ethos emphasizes sustainabil-ity, community, and spiritual ecology. On the organic farm Auroville orchard, 1,200 laying chicken are kept to serve the Ecovillage with eggs. They are highly appreciated and well paid: 40 % above normal market price. Some conventional producer have already labeled their eggs with similar names to gain from the image. The labeling is done manually, the transport done by bicy-cles: sometimes they are lost.
Photo 5: This Organic dairy goat and heep farm was established from an inmate of a Nazi concentration camp KZ Auschwitz. After the farmer has released from a Nazi-Germany KZ after the World War II he moved with the first boat to British Palastine to create the Israel country. On the boat he met his later wife, both were orphans. Together the established a farm with 1000 goats and sheep nowadays and produce organic milk for organic cheese and fulfill the highest kosher food standard. Enormous efforts (sterilizing, cleaning) are necessary to prepare the farm cheese factory for the inspection of the religious person to become the certificate as kosher.
Photo 6: 100% Organic Farming in Bhutan (Neuhoff et al. 2014) is target of the country and the „National Happiness Commission“ since 2003. The government wants to skip „chemical farming“ in the agrarian development to avoid pollution and preserve nature (Buddhism): a big challenge and chance. 70% of the 700,000 Bhutanese are working in extreme remote mountain-ous areas on low input/low output subsistence level. Young men leave these areas to find a better life. Bhutan’s organic agriculture movement is rooted in its national philosophy of Gross Nation-al Happiness (GNH) and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. In 2007, Bhutan declared its aim to become the world’s first 100% organic nation, aligning with its low use of synthetic inputs and emphasis on traditional farming. The National Organic Programme (NOP) leads this effort, promoting organic practices, farmer training, and market development. While full conversion faces challenges—such as pest management and certification—the country has made progress with crops like ginger, buckwheat, and turmeric. Bhutan’s organic vision reflects a unique blend of agroecology, cultural values, and biodiversity conservation
Founded by J.I. Rodale in the 1940s, the Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania is a cornerstone of the modern organic movement in the United States. It conducted long-term trials comparing organic and conventional systems and demonstrated the viability of organic methods in terms of soil health, yield, and resilience. Rodale helped popularize the term "organic" and linked agricul-ture to human health and environmental responsibility. In the USA, organic farming is regulated under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), established by the Organic Foods Produc-tion Act of 1990. It prohibits synthetic inputs, GMOs, and emphasizes soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare. The U.S. has a large and diverse organic sector, led by certified producers across crops, livestock, and processed foods. The country is also a major exporter and importer of organic products, with strong consumer demand and a growing domestic market. In Canada, organic farming is governed by the Canada Organic Regime (COR) under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The system is based on national standards and mandatory certifica-tion for products labeled as organic. Canada supports organic agriculture through research, re-gional initiatives, and equivalency agreements with the U.S., EU, and others. Key organic prod-ucts include grains, vegetables, maple syrup, and livestock. Both countries promote organic farming as part of a broader shift toward sustainable and resilient food systems.
Photo 7: The Donnay Dairy is an Organic dairy goat farming, what is very rare in the USA. A family farm with zero employees, everyone pitches in and nothing goes to waste; whey byprod-uct is fed back to the goats, and goat manure become compost. Leanne Donnay, the owner with her husband Brad, says. “When you have a small farm, you use everything: compost, eggs, syrup – everything. We farm ten acres, milk one hundred fifty goats, and make a living doing what we love.”
Photo 8: A lot of rainforests was destroyed to produce organic pineapple (Ananas como-sus). The certification has allowed this with the protection of the endangered Ara parrot birds . They need special trees for their survival. This tree has been protected by the farmers. I would have preferred to keep the whole rainforest alive
The organic movement in Australia and the Pacific region has developed significantly since the 1980s, driven by consumer demand, ecological concerns, and indigenous land stewardship principles. Australia has one of the largest areas of certified organic farmland globally (7 milllion hectare), primarily in extensive rangeland grazing. Key organizations include Australian Organic Limited and NASAA Organic, which support certification, research, and market devel-opment. In the Pacific Islands, organic farming aligns with traditional methods and food sover-eignty, supported by networks like POETCom (Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community).
Photo 9: Australia is home to some of the most productive and high-quality orange plantations in the Southern Hemisphere. Despite hurdles, Australia's orange industry remains robust, with a strong focus on export markets. The country's diverse climate and access to reliable irrigation have made it ideal for growing both fresh oranges and oranges for juice production. The heart of orange cultivation lies in Victoria. Two main types of oranges dominate Australian plantations: navel oranges and Valencia oranges. Navels, known for their sweetness and ease of peeling, are primarily grown for fresh consumption and are harvested between May and October. In contrast, Valencias are juicier and slightly more acidic, making them ideal for juice production. Their sea-son typically runs from November to February. Australian orange growers use modern farming techniques, including drip irrigation and integrated pest management, to maintain high yields and fruit quality. Many are also shifting toward more sustainable and organic farming practices. The bio-dynamic Manna farm is a good example of a large-scale organic orange plantation.
Photo 10: 1000s of ha of natural rainforest was cut to rear beef cattle brought from Australia to Vanuatu to produce organic beef for the US market. The advantage is, that no endo-parasites are there and therefore no anthelmintics are necessary. After the cattle have slaughtered on an IFOAM accredited abattoir, they are shipped chilled to Brisbane (3000 sea miles) and flown to Boston to the high premium organic market to make a good feeling for the consumers as LOHAS (Livestyle of Health and Sustainability ). When they would know, how their steak is produced?
There are some important governmental (GOs) and non-governmentel organisations (NGOs), which had and have a significant influence on the development of the Organic Agriculture in the world. Only some will be introduced.
Biodynamic farming is one of the earliest forms of organic agriculture, developed by Austri-an philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1924. It integrates spiritual, cosmic, and ecological princi-ples, treating the farm as a self-sustaining organism. Core practices include the use of special preparations made from fermented herbs and minerals, planting calendars based on lunar cycles, and a strong emphasis on biodiversity and soil vitality. Biodynamics predates modern organic certification and laid foundational ideas for the broader organic movement. Located in Dornach, the Anthroposophical Center - the Goetheanum , - is a spiritual and intellectual hub of the anthroposophy movement, founded by Rudolf Steiner. One section is agriculture , the bio-dynamic farming with the name "Demeter", which is based on Steiner’s agricultural lectures from 1924. The center promotes biodynamic principles integrating cosmic and ecological rhythms, soil vitality, and spiritual science in agriculture. It serves as a central place for educa-tion, research, and philosophical grounding of the biodynamic movement.
Photo 11: The Goetheanum in Dornach is the headquarter of the Anthroposophical move-ment and includes the sector of bio-dynamic agriculture. The section leader was Nicolai Fuchs in 2002.
Photo 12: SEKEM is an important organic association in Africa. It was founded in 1977 by Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish as a biodynamic pioneer in the Egyptian desert. It applies biodynamic methods to rehabilitate arid land, combining agriculture with education, health care, and sustain-able development. SEKEM became a model for integrating organic farming with socio-economic and cultural regeneration and is internationally recognized for promoting holistic rural develop-ment. In 2019, about 2000 employee worked for SEKEM.
Today, organic farming is by far the most important form of agroecological systems. It is prac-tised worldwide by over 4.3 million farmers on a total of almost 100 million hectares. Organic farming is regulated by law in 133 countries around the world. The global organic farming mar-ket was 2023 about 150 billion USD worldwide. The most important are the US and the EU markets. Both have the same size and sum up to 90% of the world market. The most important legal regulations are those of the EU (currently Regulation 848/2018 ) and the USA (NOP ). They also regulate organic aquaculture, beekeeping and wildlife management. There are other legal regulations, such as in Japan and China, but these play virtually no role in the global market. In addition, there are several private guidelines established by associations. However, these may not fall short of the legal requirements. This protects organic products in terms of how they are produced and makes them competitive on the food market. Organic farm-ing is monitored throughout the entire process chain to ensure that the guidelines are being fol-lowed. So far, no products that are not food or feed are regulated. This means that there are no legally protected organic building materials, organic paints, organic wood, organic cosmetics or organic clothing.
Photo 13: IFOAM – Organics International was founded in 1972 in France as the Interna-tional Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. It began as a platform to unite and coor-dinate diverse organic initiatives around the world. Over the decades, IFOAM has played a key role in developing global organic standards, promoting agroecological principles, and support-ing certification and policy frameworks for sustainable farming. Today, it serves as the leading global umbrella organization for the organic movement, advocating for a just and ecologically sound food system through policy work, training, and international collaboration. The World Board of the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement gather in the headquarter of IFOAM in Bonn for discussion. The World Board is elected ever 3 years at the General As-sembly and represents the more than 800 affiliates (Organic associations) of IFOAM. The head-quarter has 15 employees and the director general office.
Photo 14: The Faculty of Organic Agricultural Science of the University of Kassel in Germany is a unique governmental research organization for Organic agriculture in the world. The Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences at the University of Kassel in Witzenhausen is the first and only university faculty in Germany dedicated entirely to organic agriculture. Established in 1981, it offers interdisciplinary education and research focusing on agroecology, sustainable farming systems, rural development, and organic food chains. It plays a leading role in shaping scientific knowledge and policy for organic agriculture in Europe. The faculty headquarter is in a Cister-cian monastery. This was the only German colonial school for agriculture. Dr. Fabarius founded this private 'Tropenschule' in 1898, owned by an association of the German landlords in the col-onies. The function was to train Germans in agriculture for colonial farm management. This school was closed in 1944 and transferred to the private German Institute for Tropical and Sub-tropical Agriculture (DITSL). Public bodies like the University of Kassel are the shareholders. About 1,200 students learn here about the best practice of Organic farming in 21 subject areas and with 250 employees. Teaching is practical and scientific. It was founded on private initia-tives of landlords in the German colonies in 1898 as 'Tropenschule' to teach Germans who should manage the colonial farms.
Photo 15: The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), based in Frick, is one of the world’s leading institutions for applied research in organic farming. It is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation (NGO) and founded in 1973. In 2021, FiBL had 265 employees. It conducts research in soil fertility, plant protection, livestock welfare, and socio-economic as-pects of organic systems. It works closely with farmers, advisors, and policymakers, and has branches in Germany, Austria, and France, influencing both scientific innovation and policy de-velopment globally
Photo 16: The Thünen-Institute of Organic Farming was established in 2000 as first organic research institute of a government up to that time. It is based in northern Germany, has 100 peo-ple staff and a 600 ha experimental station. The main function is, to advice the German govern-ment in all aspect of Organic farming. The second role is, to do research and networking on "Or-ganic farming of tomorrow".