Organic farming support is an effective and cost-efficient measure to reach sustainability objectives in agriculture policies. Organic standards consist of strict and European-wide certifiable rules that require knowledge and ecosystem-based management responses from farmers, resulting in farm practices that contribute to an array of sustainability aspects. This dossier collects articles from different researchers, analysing available scientific results, approaching organic farming from different angles. The first article, written by Susanne Padel and Nic Lampkin, explains the origin of the organic farming concept, organic agriculture as a holistic approach to sustainable food production, the development of organic standards and the role science plays in progressing organic practices. Climate change is the issue of the second article, provided by Andreas Gattinger, highlighting the adaptation and mitigation potential of organic farming resulting from improved humus management, increased carbon sequestration in soil and the ban of chemical fertiliser use.