Large scale agriculturalists and primary producers have recently become interested in measuring their carbon profiles. This may be accounted for in terms of sound economic management, and the type of foresight which anticipates the introduction of government policy and other compliance imperatives. Within this analytical environment, there is renewed demand for comparative studies which measure the approximate carbon profiles of organic and conventional agricultural technologies. In a field-based trial organised through the University of Nottingham, researchers concluded that organic weed control required almost double the amount of energy per hectare of wheat production compared with conventional control methods. In terms of carbon dioxide...

Organic agriculture is widely criticised by economists and practical scientists who favour conventional models of food production. Recurrent claims insist that organic farming methods do not produce the quantities of food required to feed a global population. This is certainly the case at present, however the land and environmental resources devoted to organic production remain a small fraction of the overall agricultural distribution. Given this lack of equal comparison, is it reasonable for supporters of organic agriculture to continuously defend the suitability of their methods? I believe so, providing there is some genuine effort to address specific criticisms with tabulated data from well-documented studies. This has been the approach taken...

It’s hardly surprising that a majority of organic producers in the United States favour group rather than individual certification. Group certification enables producers from the same industry or geographic regions to collectively market their products as organic under a single protocol. I’m not entirely convinced that Group Certification will attain the levels of credibility required by consumers in general or those focused on an international trade for organically certified goods and services. At the same time, Group Certification has some potential to assist developing nation participants. For those already receiving fair access to markets, the short-term advantages of Group Certification are unlikely to be sustained or translated...

As regular consumers of agricultural produce, we need to assume a reasonable portion of responsibility for the health and well-being of domesticated stock animals. By discriminating in favour of ethical producers, consumers exert a strong influence on the overall quality of animal husbandry and stock management. In the past it has often been difficult to assess such qualitative differences between primary producers. This appears to have changed since the well-publicised food and hygiene scares of the eighties. Farmers and livestock producers have become more adept at public relations and those who employ ethical practices are in a better position to promote this knowledge amongst consumers. On account of their smaller operating scale and low...

Over recent months, there has been considerable interest in China’s contribution towards international trade in organically certified produce and consumer items. With increasing concerns about industrial pollution and the environment, there is a resurgence of privately developed industries offering safer alternatives. The current popularity of organic items in Beijing and Hong Kong has encouraged many entrepreneurs to seek financial investment and technological support for organic business propositions. The statistics for organic trade indicate substantial export growth. In 2003, the total value of organic products destined for export was $US142 million dollars. This increased to $US200 million in 2004, and $US350 million by 2005. The...