World Market of Organic Food Products

Introduction

The aim of this study is an analysis of current state of world food market, including healthy food and organic products. The tasks of the study:

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  Review the existing literature in the sphere of organic agriculture

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  Clarify the terminology and offer authors’ definitions

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  Assess current state of agricultural production in Russia

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  Make an overview of global agricultural market

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  Study the factors of development of global and domestic markets of organic products

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  Offer recommendations and solutions on the topic

Methodology of research: review of academic literature, collection and processing of data, analysis of information, and comparison and evaluation of data.

Background

The concept of organic agriculture existed before the invention of synthetic agrochemicals. It began taking shape in the beginning of the 1900s. The concept of organic agriculture was first introduced by Paull (2014). The era of organic farming in Europe and America started in the 1940s as a response to the dependence of agricultural production on application of insecticides and synthetic fertilizers. During the 20^th century, new farming methods based on agrochemical preparations have been actively used and led to the increase in yields. The other side of this development is soil erosion, soil contamination with heavy metals, and salinization of water objects.

Albert Howard, a British botanist, is considered as one of the founders of organic agriculture. His Agricultural Testament published in 1943 had a great impact on many scientists and farmers. Howard (n.d.) described the negative impact of chemical fertilizers on health of animals and plants, proposed a system of soil fertilizers based on the use of compost from plant residues and manure, and explained the essence of organic agriculture as a maintenance of fertility of soil which is the first condition of any permanent system of agriculture. In 1939, Balfour (n.d.), influenced by the works of Howard, conducted the world’s first scientific experiment on agricultural land in the UK to compare conventional and organic agriculture. After four years, her book “The Living Soil” was published, became widespread, and led to the establishment of Soil Association, one of the most famous organizations in organic agriculture today. An important contribution to the development of organic agriculture was made by Steiner who wrote the first comprehensive work on organic agriculture and advocated the development of biodynamic agriculture, a type of organic agriculture that included all the principles and standards of organic agriculture, but also affected the cosmic rhythms and spiritual aspects (Paull, 2011). The term “organic agriculture” was popularized by Rodale. In 1942, he founded Organic Farming and Gardening journal. In 1950, he also founded Prevention journal which set out the philosophy of organic agriculture (Kurochkin & Smolnyakova, 2012).

In Japan, organic agriculture began to develop about 100 years ago. An important contribution to its development was made by the Japanese philosopher Mokichi Okada. He paid special attention to the so-called “natural farming”, the principles of which were largely consistent with modern organic agriculture (Howling Pixel, n.d.). Another founder of organic agriculture is Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese farmer. Fukuoka practiced new methods of farming which he called “non-arable, without fertilizers, without weeding, without pesticides, the method of doing nothing in subsistence agriculture”. He developed the principles of natural farming which involved minimizing human intervention in farming (One-Straw Revolution. n.d.).