Organic farming covers 41,000 hectares of agricultural land and 39,000 hectares of “natural landscapes” in the country and half of the produce is exported, said secretary of Iran Organic Association (IOA), Mahdi Mahdipour during a recent two-day conference on ‘Production and Trade of Organic Products’ in Gorgan, the capital of Golestan Province.
Referring to the wide range of economic, environmental and social benefits of organic agriculture, he called for expanding production and export of organically produced food products, Persian daily Forsat-e-Emruz reported.
Drawing attention to the growing worldwide demand for organic products, the IOA secretary said organic farming has been practiced for decades and currently 164 countries are using this method; however, it is relatively new to Iran, having emerged only in the past decade.
Several Stores
“With representatives in 15 provinces, the IOA offers a wide range of organic products in its 35 stores across Iran. Moreover, the association has banned 45 products, falsely labeled as organic,” Mahdipour pointed out.
Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.
The label “organic” denotes compliance with specific production and processing methods. Most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and all synthetic preservatives, genetically modified organisms, sewage sludge and irradiation are prohibited in all existing organic agriculture standards.
