Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Organic Agriculture

• History, principles, and ethics of organic farming (IFOAM principles)

• Understanding organic standards and certification bodies (local & international)

• Comparing conventional and organic systems: agronomic, economic and environmental perspectives

• Exercise: Reviewing a basic organic standard and identifying key prohibited and allowed inputs.

Module 2: Organic Soil Health and Fertility Management

• The role of soil organic matter and soil life (microbes, fungi, earthworms)

• Organic soil amendments: compost, manure, green manures and cover crops

• Making and using high-quality compost and compost teas

• Managing soil pH and nutrient cycling naturally

• Practical Workshop: Building a compost pile and assessing soil health visually.

Module 3: Organic Weed, Pest, and Disease Management

• Preventive strategies: healthy plants, biodiversity and resistant varieties

• Mechanical and physical weed control methods

• Organic-approved pesticides: botanical extracts, mineral-based and microbial agents

• Promoting beneficial insects and biological control

• Case Study: Developing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan for a common crop pest.

Module 4: Crop Rotation, Diversification, and System Design

• Principles of effective crop rotation for fertility and pest break

• Designing diverse systems: intercropping, agroforestry and polycultures

• Integrating livestock (manure, grazing) into organic crop systems

• Water management and conservation in organic systems

• Design Exercise: Creating a 4-year crop rotation plan for a mixed vegetable farm.

Module 5: Certification, Marketing, and Business Planning

• Step-by-step organic certification process: application, inspection, record-keeping

• Maintaining the mandatory organic system plan and input records

• Marketing organic produce: direct sales, cooperatives, export markets

• Economics and cost-benefit analysis of transitioning to organic

• Final Capstone Exercise: Drafting an organic system plan outline for a participant's farm or a case study farm, including rotation, inputs and certification timeline.