Sustainability: Organic and Biodynamic Methods

In order to move our food system to one based on sustainable practices, we need an approach that is definable and enforceable. There is a farming and handling system that meets this tall order: organic. Many of the on-farm sustainable practices specified by the National Research Council are an integral part of organic farming systems. Organic is regulated under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers and enforces the organic standards through its National Organic Program. To gain organic certification a farmer of cropland, pastureland, or livestock pays a certifier, accredited by the USDA’s National Organic Program, to inspect their farm annually and review the farm’s organic system plan. The plan operates like a business plan for the farm and includes a description of practices and materials the farmer will use for each field or pasture. The organic management plan attends to all aspects of the farm over time, which includes soil, water, wetlands, woodlands, wildlife, and food production. Buffer zones are established between organic farmland and adjacent sources of potential water, chemical, or genetic drift to prevent the organic field from being contaminated by actions taken on nearby farms.