Sustainability and quality of organic food

This dossier presents research carried out by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). It looks at the relationship between sustainability and food quality, and draws attention throughout to standards dictated by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and private regulatory bodies.

It takes a holistic look at assessing food quality; incorporating environmental, social and economic considerations and reviewing the whole process from the field to the plate rather than just focusing on individual characteristics of a product. It highlights differences between organic and conventional food through looking at various aspects of sustainability and providing different examples, showing how organic principles are implemented in practice and considering aspects of production, processing and distribution.

There are sections on: fruit and vegetables, field crops, animal products, convenience food, processing, ecological sustainability, authenticity, ‘seeing food as a whole,’ fair trade and social, and packaging.