With world population expected to reach 8 billion by 2030, pressure on the environment will continue to mount. The challenge of the coming years is to produce enough food to meet the needs of an additional 2 billion people while preserving and enhancing the natural resource base upon which the...

Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It emphasizes the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems.

Market demand for organic fruits and vegetables has increased steadily in recent years; and this ought to present an opportunity for exporters in developing countries who in many cases practise low-input agriculture. However, there are significant hurdles to overcome in order to benefit from this opportunity. First, most importing countries...

There is an extensive literature on composting methodology. However, the background paper presents only a selective and brief account of the salient approaches. A broad distinction as “Traditional” and ‘Rapid’ composting practices has been made, based mainly on the considerations of the practices being adopted as a convention; and the...

Organic agriculture is defined as an environmentally and socially sensitive food supply system. This publication examines its many facets, looking at the contribution of organic agriculture to ecological health, international markets and local food security. It builds on empirical experiences throughout the world and analyses the prospects for a wider...

These Proceedings assemble papers presented at the Conference on Supporting the Diversification of Exports in the Caribbean/Latin American Region through the Development of Organic Horticulture, held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 8 to 10 October 2001. The Conference focused on the market situation and outlook for organic horticultural products and on ways...