Biodynamic Certification Origins And Standards

Biodynamic practices and principles have been around for almost a century. They are a style of farming that uses organic growing methods, sustainability ideas and harmonious environmental practices. They also go beyond organic practices and beyond farm applications. The philosophy extends into biodynamic communities where all individuals come together as a community to help each other prosper.

Biodynamic sustainability practice of planting marigolds near kale plants,
Copyright 2017 by Helen A Lockey

Biodynamics started in the 1920s with Dr. Rudolf Steiner in Austria when farmers, who were struggling with poor land conditions, came to him for help. Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, a colleague of Dr. Steiner, later brought the practices to the United States in 1930s.

The standards of biodynamic certification, according to Demeter International, are—promote sustainable farming practices and prohibit synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics (unless to treat sick animals), genetically engineered seeds, sewage sludge as a fertilizer, artificial ingredients, and other inputs that can be used in conventional agriculture and food processing.”

This means using manure from the fields to make fermented compost, along with herbs and minerals that would be put back on the fields.  There is also the practice of planting flowers between rows of vegetables to either give off scents in the soil to keep ground insects away from eating the roots or to attract flying predatory insects to keep pest insects away eating the tops of the plants.

The farmers strive to as healthy a farm as possible sourcing from within the farm as much as possible.

Today the biodynamic concept goes beyond the soil. It looks at the balances of the ecological, social and economic stability of the farm.

Biodynamic certification differs from a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic certification because the whole farm has to be certified whereas under organic certification not the entire farm needs to be certified.

The one downside to biodynamic produce is that it costs more than organic because there are very few producers of this style of agriculture today in the United States (US). 

The US branch is called Demeter Association, Inc., a not-for-profit organization incorporated in 1985. You can go to Demeter USA website and find out more of how to purchase these wonderfully nutritious and environmentally supporting produce items.