Technically, humans as a species have been consuming organic food for as long as we’ve been eating. When we first planted seeds all those thousands of years ago, we didn’t put artificial pesticides on them. Even before that, when we lived as hunter-gatherers, we didn’t keep our prey in barns and dose it on antibiotics even when it wasn’t ill.
Then came industrialization. Science did many wonderful things that allowed us to reliably produce more food than we ever had before and import what we couldn’t grow ourselves. We could have fruit and vegetables throughout the year, not just when they were in season. We could feed our rapidly increasing population. We could make sure everyone had the right combination of nutrients. And from the mid-19th to the early 20th century, we started to realize just how chemicals could impact plant and animal growth.
A lot of good came from recent innovations in farming, but it wasn’t perfect by any means. People began worrying about those extra chemicals and what they might do to the body. Excess use of antibiotics led to antibiotic resistance. Soil health and groundwater were damaged. As monocultures – areas growing one crop and one crop alone – spread, biodiversity faded.
Some of the earliest attempts to return to an “organic” way of farming came in the 1920s as a reaction to the perceived dangers of chemical additives. Spouses Albert and Gabrielle Howard were English botanists who were inspired by the traditional agricultural methods of India, where they worked for the colonial government. Along with Lady Eve Balfour, they would later be considered founding members of the organic movement in the English-speaking world.
Another organic pioneer was Rudolf Steiner. He founded what is now known as biodynamic agriculture, which is similar to organic farming. The major difference was that Steiner was also an occultist, and some of his more esoteric beliefs made their way into his practice.
Principles of organic farming and organic food increased in popularity throughout the latter half of the 20th century, but it is in the 21st century that it has really taken off. Organic is no longer a niche interest. From people searching for more ethical and environmentally friendly ways to live to scientists looking for concrete evidence to prove the value of organic, it seems everyone wants to modernize this ancient way.
