The roots of organic agriculture

Summary in the original language of the document

It was concern about the replacement of traditional organic fertilizers by the then new chemical fertilizers that precipitated the early stirrings of disquiet about the prevailing direction of agriculture and which has grown into today’s organic agriculture movement. Unease about the issue of synthetic fertilizers preceded the current era of concerns about manufactured nanomaterials in food and farming, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), antibiotic-fattened farm animals, and synthetic pesticides. When Dr Rudolf Steiner was urged to give a series of lectures on agriculture at Koberwitz (now Kobierzyce, Poland) in 1924, those farmers were concerned about the encroachment of chemical fertilizers into their domain and their worries were that this was compromising the fertility of their farms and the nutritiousness of their food. The Journal of Organic Systems (JOS) 7(2) presents research from around the world: Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. Four papers reveal empirical results with actionable outcomes for using various organic fertilizer regimes on nominated crops (maize, wheat, tomatoes, and lemon grass), while one paper examines consumer responses to various actions proposed for improving sustainability in the food system. JOS is a free, open access, peer reviewed journal. There is an ongoing call for papers on the multiplicity of aspects of the organics sector in all its diversity worldwide