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For Organic Agriculture, USDA's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB)presented a definition in 1995: \u201cOrganic agriculture is an ecological production

managementsystem that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity.It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore,maintain and enhance ecological harmony". The principal guidelines for organic productionare to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems andthat integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole. Organic agriculturepractices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods areused to minimize pollution from air, soil and water. Organic food handlers, processors andretailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. Theprimary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity ofinterdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people. Diminishing fishery harvests, wild fish food-safety issues, environmental concerns,increased fish consumption, and the increasing market share of organic foods have combinedto focus attention on \u201corganic aquaculture.\u201d Consumer demand may well drive the organicproduction of finfish, shellfish, and other aquatic species into the mainstream during the nextdecade. Organic aquaculture has attracted the attention of researchers from several academicdisciplines as well as that of environmental advocates and entrepreneurial innovators. A smallnumber of \u201ccertified\u201d and non-certified organic fish and microalgae products have made it tothe retail market place in the developed countries.

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