Objectives and competences
The students acquire knowledge on the basic requirements and situations in organic farming in Slovenia, Europe and globally. They will analyse differences between conventional and organic farming, recognize the possibilities of conversion, know control and certification, and product recognition. They will get to know the role of organic agriculture in environment protection and rural development program.
Content (Syllabus outline)
• definitions of organic farming and sustainability,
• »pro et contra« from point of view of food security, safety and environmet
• development and situation of organic farming – globally, in the EU and Slovenia
• law requirements
• conversion to organic farming
• management of biological equilibrium (soils, nutrient cycling, fertilizing, weeds, pests and diseases – useful organisms, etc.)
• different guidelines for organic farming
• inspection and certification, labelling
• environment protection using organic farming (biodiversity, soil, water, GHE)
• quality of organic products
• marketing possibilities of organic products
• trends and vision of organic agriculture development, position in rural development programme
Learning and teaching methods
lectures, seminar or project work, tutorials – field work, excursion
Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding
After the finished module, the students will be able to:
• describe requirements/recommendations and bans of organic agriculture,
• provide a SWOT analysis for organic farming or organic food,
• distinguish between differences among agricultural practices and products,
• compare different orientations in organic agriculture,
• and evaluate the role of organic agriculture in environmental protection.
Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes
• describe procedures of inspection and certification
• make critical evaluations on farm conversion from conventional to organic farming
Readings
Freyer B., 2016: Ökologischer Landbau. Grundlangen, Wissensstand und Herausforderungen. Utb. Köln, Toronto, New York.
Bavec, M. in sod. 2001: Ekološko kmetijstvo. ČZD Kmečki glas, Ljubljana.
Lampkin, N., 1994: Organic farming. Farming press, Ipswich, UK.
Zakonodaja s področja ekološkega kmetijstva – npr. Uredba (EU) 848/2018). Standardi IFOAM in nekaterih združenj ekoloških kmetov in spletne strani EU in RS na temo ekološko kmetijstvo.
Priporočeni viri / Recommended reading materials:
Spletna gradiva za obvezna usposabljanja ekoloških kmetov prejemnikov subvencij:
https://www.monotro.si/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/utf-8Ekolos%CC%8Cko-kmetovanje2020-web1.pdf
https://www.monotro.si/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Ekolosko_kmetovanje2020_ppt_nadaljevalno.pdf
https://www.monotro.si/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Ekolosko_kmetovanje2020_ppt_osnovno.pdf
Robačer M. s sod., 2018: Koraki do zaupanja vredne (certificirane) ponudbe ekološke hrane v gastronomiji. 1. izd. V Mariboru: Univerzitetna založba Univerze v Mariboru
Bavec M., F. Bavec, 2015: Impact of organic farming on biodiversity. V: YUEH-HSIN, Lo (ur.). Biodiversity in ecosystems - Linking structure and function. Rijeka
Bavec F., M. Bavec, 2006: Organic Production and Use of Alternative Crops, Taylor & Francis CRC Press, Boca Raton, New York, London.
Aktualni strokovni in znanstveni članki za projektno delo ali seminarsko nalogo
Additional information on implementation and assessment • written exam 70 %
• written and presented seminar or report of project work (optional) and report of excursion (obligatory) 30 %
