The Organics Conversation is an initiative of Dr Sandra Grimes. This is the inaugural conversation starter. Australia has bragging rights with more certified organic agriculture land than any other country. Australia was home to the first organics advocacy group which demonstrated that organics advocacy is effective. Australia has been on an organics trajectory since Ernesto Genoni joined the Experimental Circle of Anthroposophic Farmers and Gardeners in 1928. American Food 2.0, how bad might that be? Do GMOs threaten organics? Are coexistence or segregation possible? What of Marsh v Baxter (Organics v GMOs)? Globally certified organic agriculture accounts for just 1% of global agriculture. This is no cause for complacency - it means the sector is just 1% away from oblivion. What is the vision for organics? Australia is not a microcosm of the world. Around the world tastes vary. Expectations vary. Fashions change. Knowledge varies. Language varies. The Shahtoosh Effect, advertising may be wasted. Organic sales are reported up, but sometimes they go backwards. What lessons can be learned from the successes of the Fairtrade movement? Where is the global logo for organics? The success of non-certified organics. Are consumers duped with ‘Australian Certified Organic’ writ large on the front of a food item and ‘Product of Spain’ (or wherever) writ tiny on the reverse? Consumers value ‘organic’ but they value food provenance more than organic certification. Rules versus values. Transnational food processing. Who is to be boss? Changing direction can be expensive but sometimes necessary. Optimism for the future - well what is the alternative? May the conversation continue!
Paull, John (2011) The Fairtrade movement: Six lessons for the organics sector. Proceedings of the Third Scientific Conference of ISOFAR, 2, pp. 317-320. http://orgprints.org/19527/1/Paull2011FairtradeISOFAR.pdf
Paull, J. (2013). A history of the organic agriculture movement in Australia. In B. Mascitelli & A. Lobo (Eds.), Organics in the Global Food Chain (pp. 37-60). Ballarat: Connor Court Publishing. http://orgprints.org/26110/7/26110.pdf
Paull, J. (2014). Ernesto Genoni: Australia's pioneer of biodynamic agriculture. Journal of Organics, 1(1), 57-81. http://orgprints.org/27514/18/27514.pdf
Paull, J. (2014). Opportunities and challenges for organic food and agriculture: China and Australia. In B. Mascitelli & B. O'Mahoney (Eds.), Good Food for All: Developing knowledge relationships between China and Australia (pp. 50-80). Ballarat: Connor Court Publishing. http://utas.academia.edu/JohnPaull
Paull, John (2015) The threat of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to organic agriculture: A case study update. Agriculture & Food, 3, pp. 56-63. http://orgprints.org/29110/8/29110.pdf
Paull, John (2015). Organic farming: The arrival and uptake of the dissident agriculture meme in Australia. Journal of Organics, 2 (1). http://orgprints.org/28825/7/28825.pdf
Empowering Communities: Food Donation NGO Making a Difference
The Organics Conversation convened by Dr Sandra Grimes
1. The Organics Conversation
convened by Dr Sandra Grimes
Conservation Council of South Australia
111 Franklin St
Adelaide
6 August 2015
Dr John Paull
School of Land & Food
University of Tasmania
j.paull@utas.edu.au
image: J. Paull, Expo Milano Expo 2015: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life
2. image: J. Paull, Expo Milano Expo 2015: Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life
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OrganicFarmingPressMentions
Number of mentions of Organic Farming in the Australian
press before and during the life of the AOFGS.
Paull, 2015
Organics Advocacy
48. References
Paull, J. (2009). The Value of Eco-Labelling: Price premiums & consumer valuations of organic, natural,
and place of origin food labels. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Verlag.
http://orgprints.org/16980/1/16980.pdf
Paull, John (2011) The Fairtrade movement: Six lessons for the organics sector. Proceedings of the Third
Scientific Conference of ISOFAR, 2, pp. 317-320.
http://orgprints.org/19527/1/Paull2011FairtradeISOFAR.pdf
Paull, J. (2013). A history of the organic agriculture movement in Australia. In B. Mascitelli & A. Lobo
(Eds.), Organics in the Global Food Chain (pp. 37-60). Ballarat: Connor Court Publishing.
http://orgprints.org/26110/7/26110.pdf
Paull, J. (2014). Ernesto Genoni: Australia's pioneer of biodynamic agriculture. Journal of Organics, 1(1),
57-81. http://orgprints.org/27514/18/27514.pdf
Paull, J. (2014). Opportunities and challenges for organic food and agriculture: China and Australia. In B.
Mascitelli & B. O'Mahoney (Eds.), Good Food for All: Developing knowledge relationships between
China and Australia (pp. 50-80). Ballarat: Connor Court Publishing.
Paull, John (2015) The threat of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to organic agriculture: A case
study update. Agriculture & Food, 3, pp. 56-63. http://orgprints.org/29110/8/29110.pdf
Paull, John (2015) Organic farming: The arrival and uptake of the dissident agriculture meme in Australia.
Journal of Organics, 2 (1), pp. 49-63. http://orgprints.org/28825/7/28825.pdf
Willer, H., & Lernoud, J. (Eds.). (2014). The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends
2014: Frick, Switzerland: Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) & Bonn: International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
Editor's Notes
Density equalising map of global organic agriculture hectares.
Organics advocacy by Australia’s first organics society was effective. The rise and fall of mentions of organic farming in the Australian press corresponded with the rise and demise of the Australian Organic Farming & Gardening Society (AOFGS). The AOFGS founded in 1944 and wound up in 1955.
After the demise of the AOFGS in 1955 there was a long winter for organics - with scant mentions of organic farming in the Australian press over the following three decades.
The Italian artist Ernesto Genoni was the first Australian to join Rudolf Steiner’s Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers & Gardeners. This was the beginning of biodynamic agriculture in Australia. (The image shows Ernesto Genoni as a stretcher bearer in the Australian Army during WWI; he served on the Somme).
Steve & Sue Marsh, organic farmers, Western Australia
GM canola material -
swathes, stalks, seed pods & seeds were blown across the Marsh farm.
They had been left to the vagaries of the winds for 3½ weeks.
Just 4 crops account for 99% of GMO agriculture.
Soy, corn, cotton & canola.
The Marsh v Baxter case is about GM canola.
Worldwide, the uptake of GMO agriculture has been very limited.
5 countries account for 90% of GMO plantings.
and north & south America account for 85% of the world’s GMO plantings.
In the UK, in a single year, Fairtrade sales increased over 12%
while at the same time organic sales decreased over 12%
The fairtrade logo is distinctive
& the text reinforces the logo.
It is a versatile logo - here it is paired with a slogan -
a clear and strong message:
‘Guarantees a better deal for Third World Producers’
What about this logo?
It is the new mandatory EU logo for organic.
An exhibitor at Biofach told me earlier this year...
“Itʼs another logo ... it shows a fish, thatʼs the main thing”
... and there is no text!
Unfortunately we have no global logo for organic.
Organic uncertified
Australian Certified Organic
“Australian Certified Organic” but “Product of Spain”
Organic certification in Korea: 4 levels of certification.
Of the premium for certified organic product, for consumers, “organic” contributes half of the value of the premium and “certified” adds half of the value of the price premium.
Provenance can add more value for consumers than organic or certified organic.
Irrespective of the provenance of food, for consumers, “organic” contributes premium value and “certified organic” doubles that premium value.