Ecological agriculture becomes the dominant agricultural production model

Since the beginning of the new century, ecological agriculture has flourished worldwide. 162 countries around the world practice ecological agriculture, and it is estimated that by 2020, the proportion of global ecological agriculture production area to total agricultural production area will reach as high as 35%.

Ecological agriculture is an agricultural economic operation and management system built according to ecological principles and the laws of ecological economics, one that both promotes ecological protection and relies on the support of a sound ecological environment, and that achieves sustainable development. Ecological agriculture includes green agriculture and organic agriculture. So-called green agriculture refers to an agricultural production method that uses chemical compounds such as fertilizers, pesticides and plant protection agents to a limited extent in accordance with regulations, producing pollution-free products that contribute to public health. Organic agriculture, by contrast, does not use any chemical compounds such as fertilizers, pesticides or feed additives, nor does it use organisms and their products obtained through genetically modified engineering. The former is ecological agriculture with somewhat relaxed requirements, while the latter is ecological agriculture with stricter requirements.

Learning from bitter experience, the “three highs and one low” agricultural production and operation model falls out of favor

Since the 1950s, petroleum-based agriculture developed rapidly in developed countries, causing agricultural production to depend heavily on fertilizers, pesticides and the like, which not only induced pollution of the atmosphere, water bodies and soil, but also led to an increase in toxic residues in grain, vegetables, fruits and livestock products. In essence, this is a severe crisis of disordered relations among people, society and the natural environment. Learning from bitter experience, people realized that the “three highs and one low” agricultural production and operation model of “high input, high consumption, high pollution and low efficiency” was the fuse that triggered the outbreak of the ecological and environmental crisis.

Ecological agriculture first appeared in Europe in the 1920s, initially as individual producers spontaneously producing certain products in response to local market demand; by the 1930s to 1940s, ecological agriculture developed in Switzerland, the United Kingdom and elsewhere; in the 1960s, many European farms turned to ecological farming; after the 1970s, various alternative agriculture trends aimed at protecting the agricultural ecological environment began to emerge. Developed countries in Western Europe such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom actively carried out the organic agriculture movement, and in 1972 the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements was established in France. At the same time, Japan also proposed an ecological agriculture development plan, focusing on reducing farmland salinization and agricultural non-point source pollution.

In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development issued the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21, establishing the important status of sustainable agriculture. At this point, building ecological agriculture and taking the path of sustainable development became the common choice of agriculture in countries around the world. Developing countries also began to actively research and explore green food production.

Ecological agriculture is not only the inevitable path for the transformation of agricultural production methods, but also the inevitable product of the transformation of the agricultural economic system. This transformation is mainly reflected in: from single to comprehensive, from extensive to intensive, from high-carbon to low-carbon, from pollution to environmental protection, and from one-sided pursuit of “scale expansion” to emphasis on comprehensive “quality and efficiency.” On the basis of this inevitable transformation, a virtuous cycle of the two systems of ecology and economy is formed, along with the sustainable development of the economy, ecology and society.

Broad prospects, annual global sales of ecological products have reached 62.5 billion US dollars

Since the beginning of the new century, ecological agriculture has entered a new period of vigorous development worldwide. In terms of development scale, a total of 162 countries around the world practice ecological agriculture. According to statistics from the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, as of 2009, the total global area under ecological agriculture cultivation reached 32 million hectares. It is estimated that by 2020, the proportion of global ecological agriculture production area to total agricultural production area will reach as high as 35%.

The country with the fastest-growing ecological agriculture is Australia, with an ecological agriculture cultivation area of 6 million hectares, accounting for 19% of the world total; China's total ecological agriculture area is about 4.5 million hectares, ranking second in the world after Australia; Spain's total ecological agriculture cultivation area is 1.8 million hectares, ranking third in the world and first in the European Union.

Annual global sales of ecological products have reached 62.5 billion US dollars, with relatively large consumption in countries such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark and Italy, and product categories covering crop products, dairy products, meat, fruit and so on. At present, the European Union's own production of ecological agricultural products falls short of demand, with a gap of nearly 60% needing to be imported from emerging market countries and developing countries, among which Argentina and China are its main suppliers. The market prospects for ecological agricultural products can be described as increasingly broad.

Compared with conventional agriculture, ecological agriculture has 5 characteristics: first, comprehensiveness, which, according to the principles of “holism, coordination, circulation and regeneration,” carries out comprehensive planning, top-level design and structural optimization, promotes coordinated development among industries, and achieves stronger agriculture, thriving grain production, prosperous people and an optimized environment; second, diversity, which uses multiple ecological models, ecological engineering and technologies to equip agricultural production and operation, gives full play to the multiple advantages of different regions, and promotes diversified development; third, high efficiency, which improves quality and efficiency through scientific and technological innovation; fourth, safety, which improves the quality of agricultural products and provides consumers with reassuring, safe food; fifth, sustainability, which closely combines agricultural production and operation with environmental development and economic development, implements resource recycling and the reuse of waste after it is turned into a resource, effectively reduces pollution and maintains ecological balance.

Policy support, indispensable for the success of sustainable agricultural development models

Ecological agriculture has become the dominant model and main trend of global agricultural development in the 21st century. Since the beginning of the new century, China has attached great importance to green agriculture development and was rated by the World Sustainable Agriculture Association as “one of the 20 most successful models of global sustainable agricultural development.” However, compared with some developed countries, China's ecological agriculture construction still lags far behind, and the advanced development experience of various countries is worth learning from.

Adopting actively supportive policies for ecological agriculture is a measure that plays a long-term role. Most countries have formulated dedicated policies to support the development of ecological agriculture: incorporating funds for developing ecological agriculture into national fiscal budgets, implementing tax incentive and reduction measures, and giving rewards to advanced ecological agriculture practitioners, among others. In Germany, the government has established and implemented multiple forms of agricultural ecological compensation, including fiscal transfer payments, direct payments, cap-and-trade payments and direct transaction payments. Germany's implementation of compensation methods mostly provides financial support through projects to farmers transitioning to ecological agriculture systems, and is mostly tied to corresponding environmental protection measures.

Attaching great importance to ecological agriculture research and education is the key to strengthening the driving force for ecological agriculture development. Many countries place great emphasis on taking modern science and technology as the basis and closely combining ecological agriculture research with teaching and extension. Many universities and research institutes also cultivate ecological agriculture research and technical personnel in a targeted way. Since 2002, the US government has implemented an organic agriculture research and extension program, and in the 10 years since 2003 has provided a total of 93 million US dollars in funding, with key areas of support including the organic agriculture environment and its effects, the production and socioeconomic conditions of organic farms, and the use of field trial methods to identify the characteristics of organic products, among others.

Strengthening the construction of the legal and regulatory guarantee system for ecological agriculture. Since the 1990s, some developed countries have established relevant legal systems for the production, product quality and sales of ecological agriculture. The United States formulated the Organic Foods Production Act, Canada formulated the Canada Agricultural Products Act and the Canada Grain Act, among others, and the European Union promulgated the EU Regulation on Organic Farming. On the basis of relevant EU laws, Germany formulated its own Ecological Agriculture Act, Land Resource Protection Act and Waste Disposal Act, among others. Through legal means, ecological agriculture development has achieved a favorable external social atmosphere and internal integration of the “soft environment,” playing a powerful guaranteeing role in its healthy development.

Strengthening socialized services for ecological agriculture. Socialized services refer to providing training, information and consulting services to producers. To encourage farmers to develop ecological agriculture, the governments of some countries have established technical demonstration and extension bases, enabling farmers to truly understand the important significance of advancing ecological agriculture and raising their initiative and enthusiasm for developing it. The content of training and information services includes techniques such as how to use organic fertilizer, plant green manure, crop rotation and biological control, as well as a new understanding of the current food market. In addition, socialized services also help consumers understand the value and characteristics of ecological products, promoting ecological consumption.