The Basics Of Organic Farming

In understanding the history of organic farming, perhaps one of the most pertinent events that is vital to the development of this agricultural model is the World War II. The technological innovations during the war were important in the development of agriculture too. The use of machinery were employed for large scale irrigation and for tilling the land. Ammonium nitrate which was utilized by the military for munitions where then used as a cheap source of nitrogen for fertilizers. DDT which was employed by the military to deal with disease-carrying insects on the field were turned into insecticides for farming. All of these technological advances were significant in the unfolding of history of organic farming, said a florist Wellington who also knew much about compost and garden Bark.

However, before the World War II, there are already people who are working on the potentials of organic farming. The studies of these people were nevertheless important in the history of organic farming. For instance, Sir Albert Howard, the person who is regarded as the father of modern organic agriculture, published his book ‘An Agricultural Testament’ during 1940. Again in 1940, Lord Northbourne coined the term ‘organic farming’ in his book ‘Look to the Land’.  

As the use of these new agricultural technologies became more prevalent all over the world, several people questioned their long term consequences and studied about them. In 1962, scientist and naturalist Rachel Carson published the book ‘Silent Spring’ which discussed the harmful effects of DDT and other pesticides on the environment, which subsequently led to the US government banning of DDT during 1972. During the 1970′s, environmental movements started emphasizing the importance of consumption of locally grown foods. In 1972, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) was created in Versailles, France, in order to promote the development of organic agricultural knowledge all over the world. In 1975, the book ‘The One-Straw Revolution’ by Masanobu Fukuoka was published and became widely read all over the world. The book is about the significance of natural farming methods that uses minimum human interference and labor. These are the happenings that made a significant impact on the history of organic farming.