While public anxiety about genetically engineered foodstuffs and BSE in cattle has developed in Europe, on the positive side there has been a rapidly rising demand for organic produce. As a result the organic sector has moved from a being marginal production fad to a serious subject of policy concern for politicians and public servants involved in European agricultural policy. In this book, three leading authorities on organic farming have produced a scientific overview for the layperson of the state of organic farming and policy towards it in Europe. Based on a review of a huge body of scientific research into all aspects of the sector, the authors provide in accessible terms a balanced, up-to-date and policy-relevant overview of organic farming today, assessment of its possible contributions to the environment, food quality, farmers' incomes, and rural development generally, the key factors that will impinge on the organic farming sector in future, and more.