SPECIFIC FEATURES OF FEEDING ANIMALS IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Food produced in ecological agriculture becomes popular more and more. In the interest of consumers (to protect against deception) and of pr oducers (to contrast with conventionally produced food) it is necessar y to define the conditions and circumstances when products can be decl ared as ecological. Up to now definitions of housing and feeding anima ls in organic agriculture only are set up by private organizations and associations, but in the future we will have a direction of the Europ ean community (Nr. 2092/91 EWG), extended by directives and restrictio ns focussed on animal husbandry and feeding. Aim of this contribution is to give information on special restrictions on feeds and feeding of food producing animals in organic agriculture (preconditions in the c ase that labelling as,,ecologically produced'' is intended). Conventio nally produced feed-stuffs are restricted, common complete diets and s ome special feed additives (for example growth promoters) are not allo wed. Feeding according to species specific requirements (herbivorous a nimals) as well as according to age and development (for example minim um duration of suckling periods) is intended. On the other hand there is a conscious renunciation of maximizing animals' performance (and pl ant yields). Consequences, risks and conflicts of different aims in fe eding in accordance with ideas of organic agriculture are discussed. V arious efforts at sustainability of conventional agriculture are influ enced markedly by ideas and concepts established in organic agricultur e primarily.