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ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
 What is Organic Agriculture? Codex Alimentarius Commission, the United Nations body that oversees the world’s food standards, deliberated long and hard to define organic agriculture as a “holistic production management system that avoids use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, minimizes pollution of air, soil and water, and optimizes the health and productivity of independent communities of life, plants, animals and people”. Is Organic Agriculture new? It’s not new. Organic Agriculture traces its past in the traditional farming methods exercised by man but with the introduction of chemically induced organic farming methods, Organic Agriculture was perceived as an old unproductive style of farming, contrary to what Organic farms yield today. What are the controversies surrounding Organic Agriculture? A lot of people doubt Organic Agriculture because chemical farming methods have sufficiently given them enough yields, but more and more people can testify that in the long run, Organic Farms have actually give more yields than synthetic farms. People also doubt that Organic Agriculture will be able to supply the demands of the earths growing population, contrary to what has been proven in the success stories of of those who converted to Organic Agriculture. People also fear competition with large multi national corporations that makes use of synthetic farming methods but organic produce being sold at markets today would prove that it can compete fairly with chemical grown produce. FOOD SECURITY What is food security? A quote from the (World Food Summit 1996) captures the definition of Food Security the best. “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” What are the implications of Organic Agriculture on food security? Organic Agriculture is a very good method of making sure that we have a sustainable food source. Modern methods of agriculture will cut cost on labor but Organic Agriculture does not sap the environment of its natural richness. It actually provides the land with better capacities to produce crops on a long term basis. Organic Agriculture has grown significantly throughout the years and show that it is able to provide the nutritional needs of the world as seen in the study of Badgley et al. “the world average organic yields are calculated to be 132 percent more than current food production levels” (Badgley, et al., 2006). What are the differences between the conventional agricultural methods and Organic Agriculture? - There are no fossil fuels used in organic farming.
- Organic Agriculture breaks the cycle of indebtedness, farmers no longer need to borrow for synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
- Organic farms preserve cultural landscapes, thus paving the way for ecotourism and other industries to thrive.
- Organic farms have high tolerance towards abiotic and biotic factors such as climate extremes, pests and diseases
- Pesticide residues in organic produce are about four times less than conventional products.
- Reduced risk of occupational pesticide poisoning
- Organic food possess higher amounts of nutrients than conventional products
- Organic production systems contribute to the availability of clean water.
Is Organic Agriculture a viable alternative for food security given the rising demand for food due to the population boom? Yes it is! Organic farms need not buy schemical pesticides and fertilizers, thus cutting the cost of production. Organic systems can sufficiently provide food for peoples consumption without the negative effects and by products of conventional farming methods. 5. Can Organic Agriculture solve the problems we have with hunger and poverty? Yes it can! Organic Agriculture not only provides for the nutritional needs of people but it also provides job opportunities. BIODIVERSITY What is biodiversity? Biodiversity is a word coined from the words biological and diversity. A quote from Gaston and Spicer (2004) captures definition best.
"Most straightforwardly, biological diversity or biodiversity is ' the variety of life' and refers collectively to variation at all levels of biological organization" "Biodiversity: an introduction", Blackwell Publishing. 2nd Ed. What does Organic Agriculture contribute in sustaining biodiversity?
Farmers that adopt Organic Agriculture save the seeds of their most resistant local crops making sure that what they grow nest would be able to handle disease and extreme weather conditions. They also breed local animals that have shown the same kind of resistance against the said elements above. Organic Agriculture contributes by preserving local varieties of seeds and local breeds of animals.
Farms that have converted to Organic Agriculture also saw the return of local animals such as fish, crabs and birds to their land. Conventional agriculture which uses a lot of poisonous chemical fertilizers and pesticides kill does not just kill the natural richness of the land but it also kills the local animal species that thrive in agricultural lands. Conventional agriculture thus destroys the natural cycle of life.
MARKETS Is Organic Agriculture profitable? It is. Organic Agriculture is really profitable especially today where people are a lot more conscious of what they eat. Organic produce last longer than conventional farm products because of its inherent resistance to disease and extreme conditions. Is there a ready market for Organic Products? More and more markets are opening organic produce sections and a lot of stores, restaurants, cafes are offering organic food. Organic produce are also competitive with products coming from conventional agricultural farm systems. Local communities who produce organic products patronize their own locally grown food. Organic produce also has a ready market waiting abroad, developed nations in the EU prefer organic food. Would Organic Agriculture cut or increase the cost of farming? Those who are going to convert their lands to organic farms would have to endure a little increase in the cost of production. After that transitional period most Organic Farms would actually spend less than those of conventional farms. Less cost means a more profit. Are organic products cheaper than the conventional farm produce? The prices of organic products are quite competitive compared to the prices of conventional farm produce. You actually get more than what you pay for, because organic products have richer nutrient content than conventional farm products. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT What is community development? The words community and development are both problematic when it comes to coming up with a single definition, for there are various definitions for both words. Community can mean a group of villagers or a church group. Development can be classified in terms of economic development or sociopolitical development. In the context of Organic Agriculture “Community development (CD) is the process of helping a community strengthen itself and develop towards its full potential.” Retrieved from:http://www.sil.org/anthro/COMMUNITYWORK.HTM What are the benefits of Organic Agriculture to communities? Organic products bring not just economic gains but also provide nutritious food to the local communities near the organic farm. Communities who have adopted Organic Agriculture gain an identity, when they sell their products. People will ready recognize one product with a certain community, thus making marketing easy. Organic Agriculture increases trade and is a way for communities to be able to help themselves. Does Organic farming improve the competitiveness of local markets, given that globalization has paved the way for product dumping? Yes! People today are a lot more conscious of what they put in their bodies. Since the prices of organic produce are quite competitive people would naturally buy products that are healthier and safer, despite the dumping of chemically grown and genetically modified agricultural products.
NATURE CONSERVATION What is nature conservation? Nature conservation is the act of preserving and protecting an ecosystem in its natural or original state. It also entails saving local species of organism from extinction and from harmful farming methods. What does Organic Agriculture contribute to nature conservation? Organic Agriculture actually protects the rich biodiversity that farm lands have. Conventional Agricultural methods using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides kill not just pest but also kills other plants and animals. “Organic farming methods can reduce the detrimental effects of conventional farming and, in fact, can help restore natural resources and increase production” (FAO Reader) STANDARDS Why do Organic products go through certification? Organic products go through certification in because of a variety of reasons. One would be to ensure that products that claim to be organic are really organic. Another reason would be to make local organic products easily exportable to other countries. Some countries have adopted different standards on what an organic product is supposed to be. Who does the certification? There are different local and international certification bodies. Some states like Japan, United States of America, India and the European Union have actually setup formal institutions of their own to certify organic products coming in and out of their borders. Examples of these international organic certification bodies are:
International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS) Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Codex Alimentarius Commission What are the standards for an organic product must pass for it to be certified? The standards differ with different organizations and states, but they basically follow the IFOAM and Codex “standards of standards” which serves as a guide for states and certification bodies. “Standards of Standards” - protect consumers against deception and fraud
- protect organic products from misrepresentation by non-organic products
- ensure inspection and compliance throughout the process of production, processing, storage, transport and marketing
- harmonize provisions for the production, certification and labeling of organic produce
- facilitate the establishment of equivalence agreements between importing and exporting countries; and
- enhance organic agricultural systems locally and globally.
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