History of organic farming

The development of farming practices that avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, from early alternatives to industrial agriculture through the modern organic movement.

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Rudolf Steiner: An Austrian philosopher whose 1924 lectures founded biodynamic agriculture. His 1924 lectures offered an influential early alternative to chemical-intensive farming.
Crop rotation: The practice of growing different crops in sequence on the same land to improve soil and disrupt pests. Rotations supplied fertility and pest control before synthetic inputs became widespread.
Eve Balfour: A British farmer and writer who founded the Soil Association and promoted organic farming. Her advocacy and the Haughley Experiment helped establish British organic farming.
IFOAM: The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, founded in 1972 to connect organic organizations worldwide. It helped articulate shared principles across national organic movements.
Biodynamic agriculture: A farming system based on Rudolf Steiner’s lectures, combining ecological practices with spiritual and cosmic principles. It became one of the first organized alternatives to conventional chemical farming.
Green manure: A crop grown and incorporated into soil to add organic matter and nutrients. Green manures helped replace some functions of manufactured fertilizers.
Soil Association: A British organization founded in 1946 to promote organic farming and sustainable food systems. It institutionalized the postwar British organic movement.
Organic certification: A process that verifies whether agricultural products meet defined organic production standards. Certification emerged as organic markets expanded and consumers sought trustworthy labels.
Albert Howard: A British botanist and agronomist who developed influential compost-centered farming methods in India. His field observations and compost methods helped shape early organic advocacy.
Compost: Decomposed organic material used to improve soil structure and supply nutrients. Composting became a signature way to recycle nutrients in organic farming.