An overview of global organic and regenerative agriculture movements.

This chapter gives an historical overview of the organic agriculture (OA) sector and the closely aligned production systems of agroecology, permaculture and regenerative agriculture. It explains how the modern organic movement emerged from concern over the loss of quality in crops with an increase in diseases and pest attacks affecting yields in the later part of the 1800s in Europe and the USA, after the introduction of chemical fertilizers. The researchers and farmers involved in the movements that would lead to modern OA believed that there was a direct relationship between the health of the soil, of the crops that were grown in it and of the animals and people who consumed these crops. The formal international organic movement began in France on 5 November 1972 at a meeting at Versailles and formed the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). It is the global umbrella organization that sets the international standards, policies, definitions and positions around the multi-functionality of organic agriculture through consulting with its members; these cover the whole spectrum of the sector in most countries in the world. Consequently, IFOAM documents are seen as credible source texts for reference material. Most of the world's organic standards and certification systems are based directly or indirectly on IFOAM's Standards. IFOAM put forward the concept of Organic 3.0 in 2013 to enable a widespread uptake of truly sustainable farming systems and markets based on organic principles and imbued with a culture of innovation, of progressive improvement towards best practice, of transparent integrity, of inclusive collaboration, of holistic systems, and of true value pricing. A rapidly emerging sector is regenerative agriculture. It is a concept of agricultural systems improving the resources they use, rather than destroying or depleting them. It is a holistic systems approach to farming that encourages continual innovation for environmental, social, economic and spiritual well-being. It is closely aligned with the concept of Organic 3.0.