Criteria-based and value-oriented agricultural practice in crop-growing companies and its societal benefit

摘要

The voluntary introduction of environment management systems - as well as ISO EN 14001 (1996), the Eco-Audit of the EU (Regulation EC 761/2001), the social management system SA 8000, and the development of practical criteria for the assessment of companies in view to their ecological and social competence and performance - were the results of the 'Conference for environment and development' in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the connected and guiding principles of the Rio-declaration within the frameworkof Agenda 21. The guiding principles of a globally sustainable development in this Agenda apply to the relationships between humans and nature, and (equally) to the relationships between individual societies. Although ecologically oriented, integrated plant cultivation in agriculture has been discussed for many years and corresponding results have already (partly) been achieved in practice. Further, international discussions (in commercial industries and in food trading) are expanding towards includingvoluntary assessment and evaluation of social and, lately, cultural standards. The aim is an evaluation of the extensive social performance of a company, according to ethical-ecological criteria. The 'Co-operative Pahren' (in Germany) and the 'Flor-Verde-Programme' (in Columbia) are examples.