Determining the transition date to organic farming is one of the most critical steps in production planning. Regulations generally define separate transition periods for different product categories such as annual and perennial plants, forage crops, and livestock. Therefore, when preparing a plan that includes certified organic production, the transition date must be carefully organized.
Beekeeping is not limited to honey production; it is a critical activity for the continuity of the ecosystem. In the organic farming system, beekeeping is subject to specific rules, both in terms of product quality and environmental sustainability. Regulations concerning organic beekeeping are detailed in both Turkey and the European Union. In this article, we will address these two regulations in a comparative manner. The U.S. National Organic Program (NOP) Regulation will be discussed in the final part of the article.
The reliability and transparency of organic farming are among the most critical factors for consumers. One of the most debated issues in this context is parallel production. The simultaneous implementation of both organic and conventional production within the same enterprise raises concerns such as the risk of product mixing and the erosion of consumer trust. However, regulations allow limited parallel production under certain conditions, particularly in the case of perennial crops, research areas, or specific propagation materials. Within this framework, parallel production stands out as an important practice that must be carefully managed in the development of organic farming.
Prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Plant Protection Products Database (BKÜ) is a comprehensive platform containing official and up-to-date information on plant protection products (pesticides, biotechnical control products, biological preparations, etc.) used in agricultural production in Türkiye. This system is an important reference source for both conventional and organic farmers, agricultural engineers, researchers, and control/certification bodies.
In organic farming, the inputs available for combating diseases and pests are quite limited. Therefore, copper derivatives stand out as one of the most important protective agents against fungal diseases, especially in viticulture, fruit growing, and vegetable production. However, since copper is an element with a high potential for accumulation in the soil, it poses environmental risks. For this reason, both the European Union (EU), Turkey, and the United States regulations strictly regulate the use of copper.
The total amount of livestock manure, as defined in Directive 91/676/EEC, used in the in-conversion and organic production units shall not exceed 170 kg of nitrogen per year/hectare of agricultural area used. That limit shall only apply to the use of farmyard manure, dried farmyard manure and dehydrated poultry manure, composted animal excrement, including poultry manure, composted farmyard manure and liquid animal excrement.
One of the challenging issues in Organic Farming Regulations is the subject of “Equivalent Number of Animals for 170 kg/ha/year Nitrogen Limit.” The 170 kg/ha/year Nitrogen Limit was explained in detail in another article of ours. While the Org-TR Regulation No. 27676 and Regulation (EU) 2018/848 address this issue, there is no regulation on this subject in the U.S. National Organic Program (NOP) regulation. We summarized the NOP’s approach to Animal Manure in our article titled “Calculation of Animal Manure in Organic Farming: 170 kg/ha N Limit.”
