W. Wawiernia
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Introduction
Organic agriculture is the only system of agricultural production which is legally regulated in a comprehensive manner both in EU and worldwide. There are private or state standards existing for years, as to what can and what cannot be used for food production (including fodder production) within organic agriculture.
First European regulation pertaining to organic agriculture was issued on June 24th 1991 as the Decree of the European Commission on Organic Production and Marking Agricultural and Food Products No 2092/91. The act dealt in detail with the principles of plant food production and processing. Animal production was treated with fewer particulars. In 1999, European Commission elaborated detailed rules and requirements for organic animal production and processing of animal products organically and issued the Decree No. 1804/1999 of July 19th 1999, which supplemented the earlier document No. 2092/91.
First Polish legal regulation pertaining to organic agriculture was the Act on Organic Agriculture published on March 16th 2001. The act became valid six months after the publication, i. e. on November 3rd 2001. Together with associated decrees, it regulated the conditions of agricultural production and food-processing industry with organic methods, the system of control and certification, trading and principles of marking organic products.
Detailed regulations can be found in decrees of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development issued on:
- May 14th 2002 - on the detailed conditions of organic farming. The decree contained a list of allowable fertilisers, plant protection means and animal fodder, means for cleaning and disinfecting animals and their houses.
- May 15th 2002 - in cooperation with the Ministry of Health on additional substances and components of agricultural origin produced with methods other than organic which are allowed to be used in the processing of organic products.
Legal definition of “production carried out with organic methods” was as follows: “it is a way of obtaining agricultural products which applies to the greatest possible extent natural methods of production and which does not violate natural equilibria”. The principle referred to all types and stages of both plant and animal production and to processing and trading organic products. These regulations were aimed at adopting the country law to European regulations i.e. the two already mentioned EC decrees.
The establishment of country legislation on organic farming three years ago incorporated Poland to the EU countries that have uniform regulations concerning the production and trading of agro-organic products.
Enhancing animal health security and food safety in organic livestock production Organic farming principles
Agricultural production on an organic farm is carried out according to the principle of sustainable development; it activates natural mechanisms of production through the use of natural productive means and provides permanent soil fertility and the health of plants and animals.
In particular this type of production consists in using:
• crop rotation and other natural methods of maintaining or increasing biological activity and soil fertility,
• organic fertilisers, plant protection means and animal fodder obtained in a way other then the industrial chemical synthesis,
• seed material obtained from plants which for at least one generation (and in the case of perennial plants - for at least two vegetative seasons) were grown according to the rules listed in paragraphs 1) and 2),
• Selection of plant species and varieties and animal species and races which would consider their natural resistance to diseases, using in particular local populations and races.
Organic farms in Poland, since their very beginning, used to keep livestock. This allowed to produce composts, mainly of animal origin, which in turn soon resulted in a high content of organic matter in soils. Animals are mostly fed on pastures using green fodder as their main food source. Old native breeds are more often introduced to breeding. Organic farms are a good place for maintaining these old breeds.
Organic certification
A basic element of a functioning organic agriculture is the control system. Every farmer, food processing manager or anyone trading in food products (importer, wholesaler) should first apply to the control unit (legally called the certification unit) stating his/her readiness to enter organic farming and his/her agreement on the control. Entering organic farming, the farmer, together with the inspector of certification unit, prepares a plan of converting the farm to organic production. The plan should list the measures to be carried out on the farm during the 2-year conversion period as well as allowable fertilisers, fodder and plant protection means. The farmer should also keep registers of production means used on the farm.
It is important to note that it is not the product but the method of production that is controlled and certified in organic farming. The system of control and certification in Poland is of a mixed, state-private character and consists of:
• Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as an office that empowers private certifying units to perform control and to issue certificates,
• Chief Inspectorate of Trade Quality of Agricultural Products - an office that supervises authorised certifying units,
• Certifying units accredited according to the PN-EN/45011 norm in Polish Accreditation Centre and authorised by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to perform controls and to issue or withdraw certificates.
The system of control and certification in organic agriculture should be a basic guarantee for consumer that food products on the market, marked as the products of organic farming, conform to the rules of organic production. These regulations order the market of organic
food and increase our confidence in it. This is especially important in view of some affairs that were associated with agriculture and animal production in several EU countries.
Organic livestock production
Animal production enables to broaden the range of produced goods on an organic farm, positively affects farm development and may thus largely enhance the income. Animal production is also essential for the organisation of plant production in terms of delivering organic matter and nutrients, improving soils and contributing to the development of sustainable agriculture.
According to the definition of the decree No. 2092/91 “animal production” means the production of domestic or domesticated animals both terrestrial (including insects) and aquatic species bred in fresh, brackish or salt waters. Organic production does not mean any product from wildlife hunting or fishery.
Organic animal production should, as a rule, encompass a close relationship between production, soil improvement in an appropriate long-term crop rotation and feeding animals with organic fodder produced within the farm. Biodiversity in farming should be encouraged and an ability of adaptation to the local conditions should be considered when selecting animal breeds.
Animal production may pose a threat to the environment. To avoid water contamination by nitrogen compounds, farms carrying organic animal production should have an appropriate storage capacity and should plan the management of solid and liquid animal manure.
As much as possible fodder should be produced on the farm. Self-sufficiency of organic farms is the preferred option. This postulate stems from the very essence of organic agriculture, which should be self-balanced. It means that nutritional requirements should be met within the farm, and animal production should bring as much as possible natural fertilisers. Such a status might be defined as follows: an organic farm should import the least possible energy from outside. Energy should be understood sensu lato as that introduced to the farm in the form of production means. For example 20 GJ energy is needed to produce 1 t of ammonium saltpetre and 30 GJ to produce equivalent amount of urea. As to animals, it is assumed that the amount of nitrogen delivered in 1 t of ammonium saltpetre may be obtained from 10 cows in a year. Analysing utilisation of energy and production means for organic production, one may conclude that self-sufficient plant production is beneficial for economic and organic reasons.
Animal health care should be based mainly on prevention through selection of proper breeds and varieties, high quality fodder and environmental conditions - in particular in stocking animals, managing farm buildings and in animal welfare. Synthetic, allopathic drugs are not allowed routinely in organic agriculture. Farm animals should have an access to corrals or pastures if weather permits, grounds for these corrals should be rotated. Farm buildings should meet animal needs as to ventilation, light, space and comfort. Animals should have sufficient space for free movement and for the development of their natural social behaviour. Systematic actions causing stress, harm, diseases and suffering in animals should be kept at minimum during production, storage, transport and slaughter. Particular interventions necessary in some types of production might be allowed only as an exception.
Enhancing animal health security and food safety in organic livestock production
Anybody introducing products from animals bred with organic methods to the market should undergo regular and uniform control. A register should be kept in a farm to record detailed data on animals brought in and leaving the farm and on any veterinary treatment.
Thanks to the use of renewable natural resources (manure, legumes and green fodder), growing and grazing systems allow to maintain and increase soil fertility in a long-term scale and sustain permanent agricultural development. In organic systems, all farm animals in the same productive unit should be treated according to the principles adopted in this decree. However, it is possible that animals not bred according to this decree are kept together in the farm providing the grounds and building are distinctly separated from those used in organic breeding and the animals belong to different species.
During conversion of a production unit, whole area used for feeding animals should conform to the rules of organic farming with the consideration of conversion periods established in part A of this annex that refers to plants and plant products.
If animal products are to be sold as organic products, farm animals should be reared according to the principles established in this decree for at least:
• 12 months in the case of slaughter horses and cattle (including Bubalus and Bison spp.) and in every case for at least three quarters of their life period,
• 6 months in the case of small ruminants and pigs. In the three-years conversion that ended on August 24th 2003 the period for pigs lasted 4 months,
• 6 months in the case of dairy animals, during the conversion mentioned above the period lasted 3 months,
• 10 weeks for meat poultry introduced before the third day of life, • 6 weeks for egg-laying hens.
Prospects for organic livestock production in Poland
We want to solve the existing or prospective problems in animal production through scientific studies on methods of organic rearing and farming of particular animal species, on health and welfare protection. Financial support for these aims is secured in the state budget.
Legal regulations on animal production and processing are elaborated for the member countries of the EU - thus scientific support and efficient advisory will be the most important elements to help farmers in managing farms with organic methods.