ABSTRACT
In the last two decades, there has been an increase in demand for organically produced goods and more support for organic agriculture, which the Codex Alimentarius1 defines as:
a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It emphasizes the use of management practices in preference to the use of off-farm inputs, taking into account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This is accomplished by using, where possible, agronomic, biological, and mechanical methods, as opposed to using synthetic materials, to fulfill any specific function within the system (FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission 1999).2
