Questions to Ask Essential Oil Producers

Want to dig deeper into the issues surrounding essential oils, but don’t know what questions to ask? The following resource is intended to guide perfumers in asking detailed questions of their essential oil providers.

Sustainable Agriculture

In the US National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977, the term "sustainable agriculture" is defined as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term:
satisfy human needs
enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends
make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls
sustain the economic viability of farm operations
enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole

The British scholar Jules Pretty has stated several key principles associated with sustainability in agriculture:
The incorporation of biological and ecological processes such as nutrient cycling, soil regeneration, and nitrogen fixation into agricultural and food production practices.
Using decreased amounts of non-renewable and unsustainable inputs, particularly the ones that are environmentally harmful.
Using the expertise of farmers to both productively work the land as well as to promote the self-reliance and self-sufficiency of farmers.
Solving agricultural and natural resource problems through the cooperation and collaboration of people with different skills. The problems tackled include pest management and irrigation.
It “considers long-term as well as short-term economics because sustainability is readily defined as forever, that is, agricultural environments that are designed to promote endless regeneration.” It balances the need for resource conservation with the needs of farmers pursuing their livelihood.

Questions to Ask Producers

FOR CULTIVATED SPECIES

Assessing Farming Practices:

1.What are your soil management practices?

Tilling
Windbreaks
Crop rotation

Careful soil management is essential to sustainable agriculture. Poor soil management practices can increase erosion and harm delicate soil microbial ecosystems, reducing nutrient availability in turn. When assessing sound soil management, look for farms that incorporate crop rotation. With crop rotation, nitrogen-producing cover crops, such as alfalfa, are planted off-season to protect the soil from environmental stressors and erosion while also enriching them with nutrients, thus reducing the need for fertilizers and herbicides. Windbreaks are also helpful. They consist of rows of trees and/or shrubs planted near crops to shelter soils from erosion-causing strong winds. Look out for tilling, a practice that causes both physical and chemical damage to soil, reducing microbial populations and organic carbon, and making soils vulnerable to erosion.

2. How do you deal with pests and weeds?

Synthetic Pesticides
Crop-rotation with Biofumigants
Integrated Pest Management

Sustainable farming systems typically eschew using synthetic insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides (collectively known as pesticides) because they can toxic to humans, animals, and important pollinators such as bees. Pesticides can also pollute the air, ground, and local waterways through agricultural runoff. Sustainable agriculture involves planting a variety of plants together to promote biodiversity and deter pests and pathogens. Integrated pest management (IPM) is one sustainable technique that doesn’t completely forgo synthetic pesticides but aims to decrease the need for them by taking a holistic multi-pronged approach to preventing or suppressing harmful organisms. Lastly, crop rotation with biofumigants involves managing pests and pathogens using plants primarily from the Brassicaceae family, which have natural antipathogenic properties.

3. What kind of fertilizers are used?

Industrial
Compost/Manure
Nitrogen Enhancement via Crop-Rotation

Industrial fertilizers are notoriously bad for the planet—contributing to greenhouse gasses and water pollution. Sustainable agricultural systems rely on natural fertilizers like compost and manure along with planting nitrogen-fixing cover crops such as legumes. Together, these activities increase soil organic matter, water retention, nutrients, and encourage healthy soil microbial biomes, eliminating the need for industrial fertilizers.

4. Describe your water management practices.

What kind of irrigation methods are used?
Is water conserved?

As temperatures across our planet have continued to rise due to climate change, extreme droughts and water shortages have become normal events, underscoring the need for efficient water usage in agricultural systems. Soil health is intrinsically linked to the amount of water crops require. For instance, soils in organic agricultural systems hold more moisture than do soils within conventionally managed ones and thus require less water input. Irrigation methods that deliver water directly to a plant’s roots, known as drip irrigation, are more efficient than conventional spray watering systems. To avoid under or overwatering their crops, farmers also adapt their irrigation schedule according to weather forecasts, air temperatures, and plant and soil moisture. Dry-farming involves relying on soil moisture during the dry season rather than irrigation systems. Lastly, capturing and storing greywater or rainwater provides another way of conserving water.

5. In which kind of farming system was this botanical grown?

Monoculture plantation (intensive, single crop)
Agroforestry / Intercropping / Polyculture (adding beneficial trees/plants to agricultural systems)

Monoculture plantations are where a single crop is grown using the majority or whole of the land, founded on the belief that providing for the individual needs of a single species is more efficient and profitable than doing so for multiple species. However, monoculture systems are low-diversity systems, both above and below ground, making them more dependent upon synthetic fertilizer and pesticides and needier of water. Products from monoculture plantations should be avoided.

Other kinds of agricultural systems such as agroforestry and polyculture, involves growing more than one species at a time and is founded on the belief that ecological principles provide the best framework for sustainable agriculture.

6. What is your source of energy? Do you participate in carbon offset programs?

Fossil Fuels
Green/renewable energy (solar, wind)
Biofuels

Industrial farming requires large amounts of fossil fuels to run machinery and produce fertilizers. Prioritize farms that use renewable energy sources such as solar and wind and are/or are carbon-neutral.