There is no doubt that putting hydroponics under the banner of organic will create marketing “light” for hydroponics-but it will harm organics.
We have already seen this in the United States, where poor legislation and enforcement and unclear organic production rules have led to some hydroponic production to obtain organic certification, which split the movement and harmed the viability of farms closer to the principles of organic in their production practices. .
Part of the problem is that the term organic has been legislated, which is both a blessing and a curse. There is a chance that it may be misunderstood as a set of restrictive rules, and only rules made by lawmakers are good.
Organic is actually more than just a set of rules. This is a comprehensive agricultural method, and the legislation supporting it captures only a limited snapshot of the breadth and depth of the true meaning of organic.Legislation requires Setting minimum standards does not limit further progress.
ecosystem
This is not to say that legislation is not important, in fact it provides important safeguards to ensure that key foundations are covered and prevent ‘Greenwashing’.
It provides a market mechanism that directly enables consumers and policy makers to support gradual and regenerative/Agricultural Ecological Agriculture Practice Better for people, animal And this planet.
Disrupting the movement by changing the definition of organic or using new terms and definitions from the ground up may lose the foundation we have already gained and cause a business reshuffle as usual.
Have Clear There are reasons to be excited about hydroponics, but this does not mean that it needs to be placed under the banner of organic.
Hydroponics production completely relies on external inputs and will not enhance the biological ecosystem that connects mineral soil, organic matter, billions of microorganisms nourished by plant roots, soil animals, and plants themselves.
Scalable
It is also important to realize that currently only a few crops are produced through hydroponics-mainly salad crops, micro-vegetables and some soft fruits, so hydroponics will never be a complete solution.
Fundamentally speaking, hydroponics is a system different from organic agriculture, both in terms of definition and practice. Both can work, but merging them can destroy the organic meaning and integrity.
For these reasons, the Soil Association calls on organic movements worldwide, including private and Legislator Exclude hydroponic production in organic agriculture.
We are submitting a motion on hydroponics for the international organic community to debate and vote in the conference. September IFOAM Organics International Conference.
Given the urgency of our need to solve the climate and biodiversity crisis, the panacea seems attractive. But real solutions often have deeper roots-literally. If we are to successfully deal with the climate crisis, we need to make a comprehensive transformation of our food production system.
US Confident to provide real solutions organically. It provides a tried-and-tested, scalable solution that, if given proper support and attention, will put us on the right track.
This author
Sarah Compson is the International Development Manager of the Soil Association.
