Ekologické zemědělství

The organic farming is propagated by different streams and methods called “organic-biological”, “macrobiotical”, “veganic” etc., and it was founded as an alternative way to existing agriculture. The industrialized agriculture had brought many problems which could not be neglected any more. The organic farming constituted the way of management accenting fertility of the soil, the welfare and natural conditions of animals and it is friendly to landscape itself. We can say it understands the mutual relations within the whole agroecosystem.

The main conditions of the new agriculture system have been subsequently incorporated into the private code of standards. Each stream of the organic farming has created its own code of standards. The system of control and certification and the possibility to use its own trade-mark on products has been incorporated. However, the principles of organic farming have been the same.

The international organisation IFOAM and its Basic Standards as the first supranational instructions of organic farming have got the fundamental importance for the folowing development. These rules greatly helped to enact the first european law – Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs. This regulation has become the basis for further national legal legislation in the EU member states. National laws and standards of many associations in that particular european country have to be in compliance with the regulation. Any other country, not an EU member state, has to respect Basic Standards of IFOAM.

The history of Czech organic agriculture started in 1989. At that time, there were only two organic farmers in the republic. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic then began to subsidize organic production at that time and the percentage of organic farming area has grown. The share of organic agriculture area in the total agriculture land comprises cca 6% now. Four organic farmers’ associations were founded in 1990. Due to their endevour the Ministry of agriculture presented the internal order on organic agriculture entitled “Methodical Instruction for Organic Farming”. The Methodical Instruction and the certification and control system launched in 1993. Czech organic organisations decided to have one common "BIO" logo which was registered for FOA ( Foundation for Organic Agriculture), in this year. The logo has been owned by state since 2005.

An important step in legislative procedure on the organic farming was done in 2000 when the first act on organic farming in Czech republic was published as an No 242/2000 act. This act was prepared according to the EU regulation, so when it went into effect in 2001 it already complied with it. The Ministry of agriculture has authorized KEZ, o.p.s. Chrudim as an inspection and certification body on organic farming in 2001. KEZ , o.p.s was founded by PRO – BIO, FOA and EPOS in 1999.