History of the organic standards

by Anna Bassett

Organic farming has developed in response to intensification in other sectors of agriculture. The roots were in continental theories of "biodynamic agriculture" developed by Rudolph Steiner. He delivered a series of eight lectures to a group of farmers in Austria in 1924. These lectures defined biodynamic agriculture and the Demeter symbol was created in 1927 to identify foods grown by these methods.

The first ‘organic farms’ developed in the 1930s when the first signs of agricultural intensification appeared and chemical inputs became more prevalent. This intensification accelerated during and after World War Two in response to an acute need to increase food production across Europe. Higher production was encouraged by government policy and was facilitated by the development of new techniques of crop protection and production, such as synthetic fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides.

The first UK organic standards were drawn up in 1967 by the Soil Association. These were initially published as four pages of guideline in its magazine Mother Earth. The standards ended with a ‘declaration of intent’ for those prepared to subscribe to them. The Soil Association, which has long been at the head of the British organic movement, was founded in 1946, by a group of farmers, scientists and nutritionists who proposed direct connections between farming practice and plant, animal, human and environmental health.

Lady Eve Balfour, who was the driving force behind the Soil Association, was inspired by the work of Sir Albert Howard (on composting and agricultural health) and Sir Robert McCarrison (on diet and human health), both working in India. She started the Haughley Experiment on her farm in Suffolk researching the links between the health of soil, plants and animals within different closed systems. Based on this work she wrote The Living Soil in 1943 – the book that stimulated the founding of the Soil Association in 1946.

During the seventies there was beginning to be a demand from some consumers and farmers for a system to show that food had been produced to the Soil Association Standards. This led to the development of a certification system first set up in 1973.

In 1972 Lady Eve Balfour and a number of others formed the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), recognising the international nature of organic farming. Their aim was to bring together the various movements and to share information. IFOAM produced its first ‘basic’ standards - for information and education, not certification - in 1980.

 The demand for Governmental and EU regulation of organic standards grew in the 1980s, following the formation of IFOAM as an international advocate for organic farming. In 1987 the UK Register of Organic Food Standards or UKROFS was set up to provide baseline organic standards and to approve and monitor the work of organic certification bodies but it was not until 1991 that common standards were introduced across the EU. In that year the EU passed Council Regulation EEC 2092/91, based on the IFOAM standards, which set the standards which all EU organic producers are required to meet. Initially these standards only covered crop production.

Since their first introduction in 1991 the EC Regulation on organic production has been added to on several occasions, in particular in 1999, when the Council extended its scope to cover organic livestock production – Regulation 1804/1999. This Regulation formed part of the reform of the CAP that placed greater focus on the promotion of quality products and the integration of environmental conservation into agriculture.

Once the EU regulations came into force the role of UKROFS focused increasingly on ensuring that EC organic standards were properly applied in the UK. The EC Regulation sets out the minimum rules for the production, processing, inspection, labelling and marketing of organic products in the EU. It also covers import of organic products from non-member countries. Under the Regulation, any person or company that produces, packs, imports (from outside the EU) or processes organic food destined for human consumption, must be licensed to do so by an approved EU certification body.

Each member state sets organic standards that must as a minimum meet the EU regulation The Defra Compendium of organic standards is the baseline standard for anyone who wishes to certify as organic in the UK. It only varies from the EU regulation by some additional requirements in the livestock standards. Previously UKROFS was responsible for these standards but in 2003 UKROFS was replaced by the newly formed Advisory Committee on Organic Standards (ACOS).  ACOS’ role is purely advisory, advising the minister on all organic issues. Defra has taken back UKROFS’ original powers.

The basic standards on the organic production method for crops cover crop protection against pests and disease, weed control, and the minimum conversion period. Minimum standards for organic livestock production cover the conversion of the land associated with livestock production and the conversion of the livestock, as well as feed, housing, disease prevention and veterinary treatment.