WWOOF: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms

2694 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Summary of organic agriculture

Introduction
The twentieth century brought significant changes to our planet. Humanity increasingly relies on fossil fuels and chemicals to grow what nourishes us: our food. At the same time, the world has become an urbanized place. More than half of the world’s people now live in urban areas (UNFPA, 2007). We have become disconnected from nature and natural processes. However, there is a new awareness of how to live in balance with the earth cropping up across the globe. Sustainability has become a way of life. There are now many organizations dedicated to promoting sustainable practises. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is one of these organizations.
WWOOF is an international volunteer exchange network advancing organic and sustainable agriculture. It seeks to match hosts with farms, gardens, and other smallholdings with volunteer labour. In exchange for fair labour (usually 4-6 hours per day), the volunteer (or WWOOFer) is provided with shelter, food, and any other necessities during their stay. WWOOF has become a popular way to travel cheaply while regaining connections to the countryside. The organization allows members to advance their knowledge of traditional farming techniques, while establishing new friendships, experiencing new cultures, and most importantly, living sustainably.
Origins and Background
Like many organizations, WWOOF had humble beginnings. Sue Coppard (see Figure 1), a London resident, created “Working Weekends on Organic Farms” in the fall of 1971 (WWOOF, The History of WWOOF, 2013). The idea for an organization stemmed from her desire to support the burgeoning, organic agriculture movement. However, she had limited means and found there were few opportunities to go to the countryside (...

... middle of paper ...

.../www.unfpa.org/pds/urbanization.htm
WWOOF Canada. (2013). New member sign up. Retrieved from WWOOF Canada: http://www.wwoof.ca/new-member-sign-up
WWOOF Canada. (2013). WWOOF guidelines. Retrieved from WWOOF Canada: http://www.wwoof.ca/guidelines
WWOOF. (2013). Live and learn on organic farms. Retrieved from WWOOF: http://www.wwoof.net/how-it-works/
WWOOF. (2013, April 2). Press kit stats. Retrieved November 6, 2013, from World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms-WWOOF: http://www.wwoof.net/media/
WWOOF. (2013). The history of WWOOF. Retrieved from World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms: http://www.wwoof.net/welcome-to-wwoof/
WWOOF USA. (2013, February 20). News-WWOOF-USA farm grants available! Retrieved from WWOOF USA: http://www.wwoofusa.org/About_WWOOFUSA/News?id=144
WWOOF-UK. (2013). The story of WWOOF. Retrieved from WWOOF UK: http://www.wwoof.org.uk/history

Show More
Related

  • In Organic We Trust by Kip Pastor

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    Check your supermarket, there could be lies on your food, telling you that what you are eating is organic and cared for but most of it is not. The documentary In Organic We Trust by Kip Pastor focuses on organic foods, what they are, how they are grown, and what makes them “organic”. What he finds is shocking and relevant to society today in every way possible. Pastor proves this to the audience by using a strong form of logos throughout the documentary. He conveys it to those watching by using pathos to play on their heart strings, but lacks via ethos to win over the rest of the audience. A great job is done in this film of convincing the audience that Pastor is on their side and fighting for the health of America, even questioning what “organic” actually is.

    Read More

  • In Organic We Trust

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    The taste of the processed chicken from my elementary school cafeteria remains imbedded in my memory. I can still taste the chunks of chicken that could not be broken up by my teeth, and the tired, lazy feeling I had walking back to my next class. This is the exact situation organic farmer and producers are trying to avoid by making healthy products. The documentary, In Organic We Trust, attempts to persuade the viewers that organic products create a healthy lifestyle, and improve living conditions for people all over the world. Kip Pastor’s use of ethos and logos in his documentary are strong and provide supporting evidence, however, Pastor is lacking an abundant amount of pathos. Pastor incorporates logos into his documentary by allowing the audience to experience a multitude of facts and supporting evidence. Ethos is used in the film through Pastor’s interviews with professionals, and pathos is shown by the touching stories of individuals.

    Read More

  • Will Allen's Profession

    519 Words  | 2 Pages

    Will Allen (2013), a multi-talented, meticulous man who turned his profession from a basketball player to a professional salesman and then finally, into an urban farmer, in his book THE GOOD FOOD REVOLUTION precisely elucidates the significance of being patient in everyday life and how farming played an important role in teaching him this extremely important life skills.

    Read More

  • Chipotle: Revolutionizing Fast-Food with Organic Ingredients

    543 Words  | 2 Pages

    This company has committed to deliver organic ingredients that are grown in local farms in a very traditional way. Farmers plant a variety of crops and rotate the fields where they’re planted to keep the soil nutrient-rich and healthy year after year. Produce are never frozen and they are hand cut daily according to the business level to ensure quality of ingredients and

    Read More

  • Transgenic Food Essay

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    Organic farming is gaining popular support. This movement might be something relatively new, but the practice itself dates back to the origins of agriculture. Obviously,

    Read More

  • The Animals Practicing Complexity Analysis

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    The amount of foodstuffs produced by organic farms does not meet the demand of the population, which is the main objective of farming. Observing the United States of America alone and using myself as the average American we

    Read More

  • Sustainability of The Global Food System

    1117 Words  | 3 Pages

    Roberts, Paul. "Spoiled: Organic and Local Is So 2008." Mother Jones 1 (2009). https://blackboard.syr.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3188122-dt-content-rid-8212178_1/courses/33750.1142/Spoiled.pdf (accessed March 25, 2014).

    Read More

  • Americans and Agriculture

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    Agriculture is the science and practice of producing crops and livestock. The primary aim of agriculture is to use the land to produce more abundantly to feed and clothe the world at the same time protecting it from deterioration or misuse. Humans had to improve agriculture as they became more dependent on food, creating a solitary evolutionary connection between plants and animals (Campbell and Reece, 2001). In this day and age, so many people have forgotten the authentic premises of survival. It is easy for some to believe that the grocery stores produce food and clothing is produced by shopping centers. These inaccurate presumptions are being made due to the lack of knowledge of how agriculture truly works. There are also significant differences in the levels of understanding between rural and urban communities.

    Read More

  • Organic versus Conventional Farming

    1455 Words  | 3 Pages

    n.d. 10 April 2014. Monsanto. The. Organic and Conventional Farming. n.d. 10 April 2014. Qaim, Matin.

    Read More

  • Organic vs. Conventional Foods

    1106 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the world’s population continuing to increase, the demand for food is higher than ever. This increase in food demand also calls for more efficient ways of growing and providing the food. Two methods that are very controversial are the organic and conventional method. While many people support the organic method because of its known benefits, others feel that it is an over inflated industry that cheats consumers out of their money. But recently many studies have disproved those critics. These studies prove that Organic food is a better choice than conventional because it is better for the environment, avoids the use of chemicals, and is generally more beneficial.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Organic Food

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    The term “organic” is almost everywhere in modern society, whether it’s used to promote a product or it’s debated on whether it really benefits the human diet. Organic food is heavily debated on as it appears more and more in local grocery stores and farmers markets begin to populate, it raises questions such as “Is organic food better than food grown with pesticides and biologically engineered genes?” and “Are there benefits to eating organically over foods grown in any other way?” In terms of what data and results show in research may help lead to answers to most of the heavily debated issues throughout discussions on organic food.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Persuasive Speech On Organic Food

    821 Words  | 2 Pages

    II. Transition to Main Point 1: I’m sure you all have heard of organic food but may not know exactly what it is or what makes it organic.

    Read More

  • Effects of Agriculture on the Environment

    2078 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals--environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. A variety of philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to these goals. People in many different capacities, from farmers to consumers, have shared this vision and contributed to it.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Organic Farming

    1453 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thirty years later, organic farming was in high demand, but suffered developing pains. Although there was agreements being made, there was no regulations put forth towards organic farming. Fast forwarding to present time, many consumers are starting to purchase organic food products even making it a trend. Written in Inouye, Alena, and McCauley’s 2006 article “Organic Farming Should Be Pursued”, “organic farming is gaining in popularity due to Americans ' increasing concern about food safety and environmental protection.” This quote assumes the reasoning behind the sudden popularity in organic farming is society’s attraction towards the idea of a cleaner food industry and environment. The article also mentions, “As a result, sales of organic foods in the United States have increased by more than 20 percent every year since 1996, reaching $7.8 billion in 2000.”(Inouye, Alena, McCauley) The fact that popularity towards organic farming grows at a rate of 20 percent every single year further proves how its movement has such an impact towards the consumers of

    Read More

  • The Benefits Of Sustainable Agriculture

    2176 Words  | 5 Pages

    (The Sustainability of Irish Agriculture, n.d.) Sustainability is very important on my home farm. Practices have been put in place that won’t cause harm to the environment. My home farm is a small, family enterprise and I feel that new approaches are needed in order to maintain the farms sustainability status. Non-renewable inputs that are harmful to the environment or to the health of farmers should be minimised. As well as this, farmers have knowledge and skills that could be put into use, therefore substituting human capital for costly external outputs. Sustainable agriculture outcomes can be positive for food productivity, reduced pesticide use and carbon balances. (Agricultural Sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence, 2007) In this essay, I will discuss the principles and practices of sustainable agriculture, identifying how they may relate to my home farm. I will then discuss whether or not present activities can change to more sustainable methods in the

    Read More

More about WWOOF: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms

Open Document