 The
guiding principles of organic agriculture are holistic in nature,
requiring an integrated, whole farm approach to land management,
production and people. Organic farming embraces the idea of farming with
nature, diversity, balance, spirituality, creativity, and localism. In
1940, Northbourne used the term ‘organic’ in his book, ‘Look to the
Land’, recognising that ‘the farm itself must have a biological
completeness; it must be a living entity, it must be a unit which has
within itself a balanced organic life’.  Japanese
soil biologist, and inspiration for the Permaculture movement, Fukuoka
recognised in his milestone book ‘The One Straw Revolution’ that nature
and his own culture had been practicing socially and environmentally
sustainable farming practices for centuries before the industrialisation
of farming. He recognised that nature had developed systems to support
healthy plants and balanced systems for millennia, and the role of the
farmer was to support nature in doing the work by mirroring of natural
processes with minimalist interventions. In 1978 Fukuoka reminisced
about the fulfilling life previously experienced by farmers, who had the
time to write poetry and witness nature and saw a spiraling
trend toward working longer hours and disconnection from the experience
of farming.
 In 1980, a set of principles was established for organic agriculture by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). These principles were to clarify common basic standards and guiding principles for organic agriculture and were defined as:
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