The book charts nearly a century of organic farming, starting in the 1920s with protests against the industrialization of farming and in favour of arable food production by methods that were not only environmentally friendly, but socially and economically sound. The key was the maintenance of soil fertility. A healthy soil meant healthy food – the philosophy of ‘you are what you eat’ was born. Although the 16 chapters are written by contributors from around the world (North and South America, Europe and Australia), the emphasis is on Europe.

The organic farming movement progressed slowly from its early pioneers of green environmentalists and social reformers. By the 1980s, the market was still less than 0.1%. However, a series of food scares, changes in lifestyles and a greater disposable income initiated a demand for ‘healthy’ food. Suddenly, organic farming was seen by both growers and retailers as a lucrative market, with consumers willing to pay a premium. Expansion of demand brought problems of availability and sustainability of supply. The chapter Development of Standards highlights the bureaucracy of intervention by governments (a plethora of committees, standards, directives and acronyms) to establish systems to satisfy that demand.

The attitude of the agricultural establishment moved from initial rejection, to tolerance and finally integration into the mainstream. Many of the practises encouraged by the early organic growers are actively pursued today – municipal waste recycling, the use of green manures, integrated pest management, minimum tillage and fair trade.

The book is a good informative overview of the development of organic farming, including detailed histories of the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM), the Soil Association and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).