Repsol YPF

 
The techniques which are currently used in agriculture generally involve a high energy cost. Part of this cost is that associated to the fertilisers, which usually make up around 25% of the farms total energy consumption. As a consequence of these methods which frequently use chemical fertilisers, the soil is impoverished and becomes less fertile and ends up suffering man-induced erosion which changes the soils natural balance.
 
The initial stages of organic farming date back to the second decade of the twentieth century. At that time it was considered to be no more than a marginal technique, and it was not until the seventies that many farmers decided to move over to this kind of farming, concerned about the environment and scandals related to the food world.
 
It is based on looking after the fertility of the soil, reducing the amount of waste generated and respecting biodiversity, at the same time as looking to achieve the maximum output from the soils natural resources, water and sunlight with the associated energy saving in the production process.  
 
However, this farming method also has its detractors including farmers themselves since, on the one hand it is necessary for at least two years to go by before it is recognised as organic and then the harvests are less fruitful, which makes them think carefully about taking this step.
 
In favour of sustainable development
Given the existing concern about being able to reconcile biodiversity with a healthy diet and, in face of the pressures of strict legislation in areas concerning health and food, organic products are considered a natural, good quality alternative.
 
Its contribution to sustainable development is endorsed by European Union regulations, as a result of EEC regulation 2092/91, concerning organic production and its certification, it is the responsibility of bodies and authorities, be they public or private,  authorised by the Union. It must be taken into account that, in this sense, Spain has a favourable climate and retains a considerable heritage of local breeds which are still raised using traditional methods in many places.
 
Organic products (also known as biological) are those foods which are grown in accordance with the production guidelines of organic farming and are then made with limited use of additives and without chemical  fertilisers or synthetic pesticides. Neither are they irradiated or genetically modified. In order to better understand this concept it is sufficient to know that, in conventional products, between colourings, conservatives and other substances, there may be as many as 3000 additives, whilst in organic products the limit is less than forty.
 
Within the wide range of products which are categorised as organic are pulses, tinned vegetables, oil, some dairy products such as cheese and yoghurts and biscuits, amongst others. In order to obtain the label identifying them as organic, at least 75% of the ingredients must come from organic farming, although in some cases the percentage may be as high as 95%.
 
Obstacles to its growth
However, despite all of their virtues, these organic foods are hampered by an obstacle which is hard to overcome in order to make a place for itself in peoples everyday shopping. This is its high cost which can sometimes even be double that of the same product from a non-biological source.
 
On the other hand, in the face of the growing number of natural, bio and green products, consumers sometimes have trouble identifying genuine organic products and understanding the label they bear, in order to be sure that the food fulfils EEC regulation 2092/91. A symbol appears on these labels, which is similar for labels from all of the certification committees. Furthermore, they must bear the farmers certification body registration number, code and the products packing or processing date.
 
Although biological foods are often sold in hypermarkets, generally as expensive products, another of the issues is their lack of availability in conventional establishments. They are usually found in specialist shops only frequented by a small segment of consumers and this slows down their commercialisation. Consumer associations and organic producers offer an alternative by acting as a link so that intermediaries can be avoided and this makes prices more affordable.