It is a farm that voluntarily conforms to a regulated organic production system.
The regulated organic production system takes the name of organic agriculture method. Organic agriculture is a type of agriculture that considers the entire agricultural system, exploits the ground's natural fertility by improving it with limited interventions, promotes the environment's biodiversity in which it operates, and excludes the use of synthesis products (excepts those that are specifically accepted by the community regulation) and genetically modified organisms.
Common regulations that are relevant to the organic farms are:
- Council regulation EC 834/07, regarding the organic production and the labelling of organic products which repeals CEE regulation 2091/92, that lists the fundamental norms on the organic production method. The regulation gives the basics for the sustainable development of the organic production and, at the same time, assures the actual functioning of the internal market, guarantees fair competition, assures the trust of the consumers and protects their interests. It sets objectives and common principles in order to enforce the norms that are defined in this regulation pertaining to:
a) all the steps of production, preparation and distribution of organic products as well as their control;
b) the use of indications related to organic production in the labelling and advertising process.
- Commission regulation EC 889/08 of 5 September 2008 that lists modalities of enforcement of the Council regulation (EC) 834/2007 referring to organic production and the labelling of the organic products, with regard to organic production, labelling and controls.
- Regulation 1698/05 of 20 September 2005 regarding the support to rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) defines the objectives that the rural development policy contributes to achieving. Within part II of the regulation, also called improvement of environment and rural space, specific support measures are provided (agro-environmental payments) to farms that sign engagements that go beyond the mandatory specific norms established in enforcement of articles 4 and 5 of the attachment III and IV of regulation (EC) 1782/2003 (Good Agricultural Practices), regarding the minimum requirements concerning the use of fertilizers and phytosanitary products and of other mandatory specific norms prescribed by national legislation.
Such a direction of the regulation has been enforced within the Plans of Rural Development, promoted by each region, through the formalisation of an agricultural payment (Measure 2.1.4) meant for organic farms.
The compliance of this regulation, started at an European level, and then applied at a national level and acknowledged at a regional level, provides for organic farms to be subject to periodical controls performed by specific checking bodies.
Editor: Barbara PANCINO
© 2009 ASSONEBB