Biodynamic vs. Organic
What's the Difference?
Biodynamic is often misunderstood. Perhaps it’s due to the complexity of farming biodynamically, perhaps due to a lack of understanding of how plants and food are grown… Regardless, one of the questions we receive is how Biodynamic® agriculture differs from organic agriculture. The first point here is that the very first step for a farm to take to receive the Biodynamic certification, is an organic certification. This means that every Biodynamic® farm is automatically also organic.
In fact, even the word “organic” comes from Biodynamic’s founder, Rudolf Steiner, who is known for reducing his philosophies and practices down to the idea that a farm should itself be considered a living organism. Beginning his lectures and educational tours in 1924 in Switzerland and Austria, his approach slowly began to travel the world. In the 1940’s, inspired by Steiner’s view of the “farm as an organism”, Baron Lord Northbourne coined the term “organic”. Then in the 1950’s, influenced by the rise of Biodynamic farming in Europe, the American J.I Rodale popularized the term organic in his publication “Organic Gardening” and incorporated the practices at what became the Rodale Institute.
Biodynamic certification was formed in Europe in 1928 under the newly formed organization Demeter, arriving in the US later in 1985. The USDA didn’t define regulations around the term “organic” until 2002. Therefore it is safe to say that the original mentality of a return to ecological and health-ful agriculture originates and stems from Biodynamics.
Today, there does actually exist a fair number of seemingly minor differences, however their impact is actually quite significant. The first distinction, and perhaps most important, is that a Biodynamic® certification is a globally standardized credential. Organic, by contrast, is determined by national and private organizations whose regulations can vary drastically from one country to the next. With Biodynamic, quality is insured no matter where the product originates from.
For the rest of the distinctions, we’ll share those differences directly from Demeter:
History
The National Organic Program (NOP) established in US in 2002
Demeter established in Europe in 1928, and in the US in 1985
Use of Imported Materials
NOP permits imported organic fertilizers and pesticides
Biodynamic® reduces imported materials by addressing its needs from within the farming system
Fertility delivered via a nutrient rich soil component, called humus, created by the:
Integration of livestock
Intensive use of green manure (cover crops grown to add nutrients to soil) and legumes
Rotation of crops
Application of field/compost sprays
Pest and Disease Control:
Creation of biologically diverse habitat encourages balanced predator prey relationships
Humus development contributes to insect and disease resistance
Water:
Increased humus levels result in soil’s ability to store water
Preservation of riparian areas emphasized
Livestock Feed Source
NOP allows for organic feed imported to the farm from anywhere in the world
Biodynamic® requires 50% of livestock feed be grown on the farm.
Biodiversity Requirements
No specific NOP requirement
Biodynamic® requires a biodiversity reservation of 10% of the total farm acreage
Farm Certification
NOP is crop focused and allows for a designated parcel to be certified
Biodynamic® is farm focused and requires that the whole farm be certified
Product Certification
NOP processing standard is applied across product types and focuses primarily on ingredients used
12 Biodynamic® processing standards, developed for specific product types, require minimal manipulation.
If you’ve been following the recent agricultural trend of “regenerative agriculture” you’ll notice many similarities. That is because they arose from the Demeter’s/Biodynamic standards which have stood the test of time. You can even think of Biodynamic® as the original certified regenerative farming. Another topic for another day, but the Biodynamic method of agriculture is also the most sustainable: the differences you see above can actually sequester carbon in the soil rather than releasing carbon into the atmosphere.
We believe the differences between organic and biodynamic are important and should be better understood. We value these distinctions greatly, so much so as to certify our company and products Biodynamic®. By doing so we play our part in helping to educate the values and benefits of this wonderful method of working with the soil, in conjunction and in rhythm with Nature herself.