History of Agriculture in Europe
Industrial Revolution
Heavy Plow
http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/eme/17/FC109
Countries in Europe that use Organic Agriculture
Greece
In Greece, the average farm size is about 6.6 hectares (1997). One of the main factors that made Greece different in agriculture is that they care more about water consume. They know the difference between irrigation and rain-fed agriculture. Despite the massive advertising campaigns of the chemical industry to promote irrigation, farmers preferred rain-fed agriculture. One of the negative factors about rain-fed crops is that has a higher cultivation risk and the income is less. Therefore, only a small range of crops is cultivated on fields that cannot be irrigated. These are the crops that can be cultivated in rain- fed agriculture: cereals, pulses, some fodder crops, sesame, wine and olives.
Olives are one of the products that are cultivated in organic farms. The difference is in fertilizing practice (green and animal manure) and Dacus fly protection (traps instead of spraying).
Crop and animal production in Greece are traditionally separate from each other. Animals, mostly sheep and goats, graze on harvested fields and public land, including woodland, grassland and barren land.
The demand for fresh fruit and vegetables, especially for the external market, has caused the area under organic cultivation to increase.
One of the reasons that farmers are able to do organic farming it is because The EU Regulation 2078/92 first made it possible. Organic farmers receive subsidies for organic farming. The regulation was transferred into a national regulation in 1996. Organic farmers could apply for financial support from spring 1996 until spring 1997.
Rain-fed Agriculture Irrigation
Reference
http://www.rainbird.eu/images/rainbird/familles/11_familles.jpg
Author: Dr. Ana Finino
Spain
Spain is one of the countries that organic production is well developed. The reasons are:
a) The natural conditions of the land allow a higher diversity of production;
b) A relatively moderate use of aggro-chemicals in most rural areas of the country;
c) Numerous and various agricultural ecosystems;
d) A favorable climate for early cultivation;
e) A domestic organic market with unstable distribution and trade structures.
Organic farmers were strongly motivated to produce organic products for internal and local used and were organized in cooperatives. One national support association for organic farming helped conventional farmers to convert to organic by making contracts for those products for which traders mostly from other European countries like France, Germany or United Kingdom.
Currently organic farming represents the most attractive economic alternative to conventional agriculture, so more young farmers decide to stay in the rural areas.
Currently organic farming represents the most attractive economic alternative to conventional agriculture, so more young farmers decide to stay in the rural areas.
One of the reasons that farmers decide to change to organic farmers it is because there were a lot of organic campaigns around Spain. The targeted people were Spanish families, market actors, teachers, and education and consumer associations. The topics in the campaigns were environmental and sustainability issues, nutrition, health and quality aspects of organic products. The elements of the campaign were to inform a wide range of media, including TV and general press, information at selling points, advising journalists, Internet website, educational material for children, and specialized material for hotels and caterers. Two guidebooks - one for consumers and one for processors - were published.
This well organized specially the government. The government support organic farming wanting to implant a plan of organic agriculture at a national level. The National Organic plan addresses three major objectives:
- Objective 1
Promote the development of organic farming, in particular the primary sector, with education, research, inputs regulation, rural development tools, and recognition of the particularities of organic farming. - Objective 2
Improve knowledge and to promote the consumption and marketing of organic products. The most relevant challenge in Spain is to stimulate the internal demand through adequate information for consumer - Objective 3
Improve institutional collaboration and management resources for the organic sector, thus contributing to a better coordination, improving communication and the collaboration between actors of the private and public sector.
Reference
Bello, A. (2000). Ciencia y Formación sobre Agricultura Ecológica en el CSIC. En cuaderno de resúmenes IV Congreso SEAE de Agricultura Ecológica ‘Armonía entre ecología y economía
Alonso M., AM (2000). ‘Desarrollo y situación actual de la agricultura ecológica: elementos de análisis para entender el caso español”.
Author: Victor Gonzálvez Pérez, Director Técnico. Sociedad Española de Agricultura Ecologica (SEAE), Cami del Port, s/n. Edif ECA Patio interior 1º. Apdo 397. E-46470 Catarroja, Valencia, Spain. Tel: +34-961267200 Fax: +34-961267122.seae@agroecologia.nethttp://www.agroecologia.net/
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