Plant production by the concept of organic agriculture in the world and Serbia - history and current status

Abstract

 Unlike conventional agriculture, organic farming, as a form of sustainable agriculture, and its production methods preserve and upgrade biodiversity of the soil and biodiversity of the entire ecosystem by protecting the environment, plants, and human health. It appeared at the beginning of XX century in Poland and has been spreading in many countries worldwide ever since. In 2015, this type of agricultural production was implemented at a global level on an area of 50.9 million ha. The largest areas are located in Oceania (22.8 mil. ha) and Europe (12.7 mil. ha), whereas grass areas make up the most, and arable land makes up only 15% there of. In the period 2014-2015, the area increased by 6.5 mil. ha at the global level. In 2015, the largest increase was recorded in Oceania (23.2%) and in 98 countries around the world, while a decrease was recorded in 32 countries. Europe performs ¼ of the world's organic production. In Serbia, organic production makes up 15298 ha (13398 ha belongs to arable land, 1899 ha to meadows and pastures). The largest number of producers is located in Vojvodina, and in Western and Southern Serbia. Cereals have a leading role with a production area of 2182.89 ha. Having in mind the great potentials for organic production in Serbia, experts’ plan for the next decade is to increase the area for this type of agricultural production by 20%.