Credit : http://www.organicfood-benefits.com Organic Farming Joanna & Matthew Steven February 2009

Organic Farming Smart Self-Sufficient Sustainable Higher Food Quality Ethically Justified Mainstream Growth Industry http://www.fao.org/

Smart

Self-Sufficient

Sustainable

Higher Food Quality

Ethically Justified

Mainstream

Growth Industry

Background Original Farms Modern Farming Protests 1970s Organics Contemporary Growth Slow to Spread to developing nations The figure of 600 million should read 6 billion

Original Farms

Modern Farming

Protests

1970s Organics

Contemporary Growth

Slow to Spread to developing nations

Developing Nations Current chemical dependencies – fertilizers and pesticides Unethical exploitation by corporations Mis-educated to rely too much on artificial crop stimulants Organic yields can be in parity with industrial style farming (Badgely) Composting of organic waste can replace fertilizer Inter-cropping and rotations can preserve soil quality

Current chemical dependencies – fertilizers and pesticides

Unethical exploitation by corporations

Mis-educated to rely too much on artificial crop stimulants

Organic yields can be in parity with industrial style farming (Badgely)

Composting of organic waste can replace fertilizer

Inter-cropping and rotations can preserve soil quality

Getting Off Chemicals Nitrogen easily replaced by proper crop rotation, Crop rotation also prevents disease and insect infestations Manure can provide P205, K20, Ca, and Mg, necessary crop nutrients as well as organic matter http://www.newforestsproject.org

Nitrogen easily replaced by proper crop rotation,

Crop rotation also prevents disease and insect infestations

Manure can provide P205, K20, Ca, and Mg, necessary crop nutrients as well as organic matter

Progress So Far Land used for organic agriculture varies widely by continent Organic production limited mainly to developed world Organic farming can replace conventional but equity of supply must be improved

Land used for organic agriculture varies widely by continent

Organic production limited mainly to developed world

Organic farming can replace conventional but equity of supply must be improved

Competitive Yields? “ Model estimates indicate that organic methods could produce enough food on a global per capita basis to sustain the current human population, and potentially an even larger population, without increasing the agricultural land base.” “ These results indicate that organic agriculture has the potential to contribute quite substantially to the global food supply, while reducing the detrimental environmental impacts of conventional agriculture.” (Badgley, C.) http://elizabethredmond.greenoptions.com/ category/food-production/

“ Model estimates indicate that organic methods could produce enough food on a global per capita basis to sustain the current human population, and potentially an even larger population, without increasing the agricultural land base.”

“ These results indicate that organic agriculture has the potential to contribute quite substantially to the global food supply, while reducing the detrimental environmental impacts of conventional agriculture.” (Badgley, C.)

But Is It Realistic? India : - “The organic area in India is 2.5 million hectare including certified forest areas. Non-certified organic area is more than certified organic area. India has developed National Standard under NPOP programme. The National Centre of Organic Farming under Ministry of Agriculture is promoting organic farming as facilitator across the country and providing various assistance to organic entrepreneurs and farmers.” (Bhattacharyva, P. & Chakraborty, National Centre of Organic Farming Ghaziabad)

India :

- “The organic area in India is 2.5 million hectare including certified forest areas. Non-certified organic area is more than certified organic area. India has developed National Standard under NPOP programme. The National Centre of Organic Farming under Ministry of Agriculture is promoting organic farming as facilitator across the country and providing various assistance to organic entrepreneurs and farmers.” (Bhattacharyva, P. & Chakraborty, National Centre of Organic Farming Ghaziabad)

Organic Farming in India “ India, which has about 13,000 hectares under organic production, is eyeing a bigger share of the global market in such products. "India is planning to set up 50 model organic farms to act as live demonstration centres on organic farming," Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh said here Thursday inaugurating the International Conference on Organic Products.” (http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/India_plans_50_model_organic_farms___-nid-17750.html)

But Is It Realistic? Africa: - “The research conducted by the UN Environment Programme suggests that organic, small-scale farming can deliver the increased yields which were thought to be the preserve of industrial farming, without the environmental and social damage which that form of agriculture brings with it. An analysis of 114 projects in 24 African countries found that yields had more than doubled where organic, or near-organic practices had been used. That increase in yield jumped to 128 per cent in east Africa. ” (Daniel Howden, 2008)

Africa:

- “The research conducted by the UN Environment Programme suggests that organic, small-scale farming can deliver the increased yields which were thought to be the preserve of industrial farming, without the environmental and social damage which that form of agriculture brings with it.

An analysis of 114 projects in 24 African countries found that yields had more than doubled where organic, or near-organic practices had been used. That increase in yield jumped to 128 per cent in east Africa. ” (Daniel Howden, 2008)

Organic Farming in Africa Kenyan farmer: 'I wanted to see how UK did it' Henry Murage (...) spent five months in the UK, studying with the experts at Garden Organic a charity in the Midlands. "I wanted to see how it was being done in the UK and was convinced we could do some of the same things here," he says. On his return 10 years ago, he set up the Mt Kenya Organic Farm, aimed at aiding other small farmers fighting the semi-arid conditions. He believes organic soil management can help retain moisture and protect against crop failure. The true test came during the devastating drought of 2000-02, when Mr Murage's vegetable gardens fared better than his neighbours'. "Organic can feed the people in rural areas," he says. "It's sustainable and what we produce now we can go on producing." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/organic-farming-could-feed-africa-968641.html

Additional Sources The current status of organic farming in the world - focus on developing countries. Willer, H. & Yussefi, M., Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL. http://www.orgprints.org/9873/ Organic agriculture and the global food supply. Badgley, C., Moghtader, J., Quintero, E., Zakem, E., Chappell, J., Avilés-Vázquez, K., Samulon, A. & Ivette Perfecto. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems: 22(2); 86–108. http://www.eko.org.ee/gmo/images/stories/badgely_et_al_07.pdf Organic farming vis-à-vis modern agriculture. Rajendra Prasad http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/jul252005/252.pdf Organic Farming: An International History. Lockeretz, William et al. 2007. CABI Publishing http://books.google.com/books?id=25QnL3-njZQC&pg=PA264&lpg=PA264&source=bl&ots=EJ3vvw-Nk5&sig=pg_e5Q2P9PRC1-iuXGsweksMdYA&hl=en&ei=q2KlSd29DYSGnge8vPmrBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result Houston Garden Center http://www.maasnursery.com/organictechniques.htm

The current status of organic farming in the world - focus on developing countries. Willer, H. & Yussefi, M., Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL. http://www.orgprints.org/9873/

Organic agriculture and the global food supply. Badgley, C., Moghtader, J., Quintero, E., Zakem, E., Chappell, J., Avilés-Vázquez, K., Samulon, A. & Ivette Perfecto. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems: 22(2); 86–108. http://www.eko.org.ee/gmo/images/stories/badgely_et_al_07.pdf

Organic farming vis-à-vis modern agriculture. Rajendra Prasad http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/jul252005/252.pdf

Organic Farming: An International History. Lockeretz, William et al. 2007. CABI Publishing http://books.google.com/books?id=25QnL3-njZQC&pg=PA264&lpg=PA264&source=bl&ots=EJ3vvw-Nk5&sig=pg_e5Q2P9PRC1-iuXGsweksMdYA&hl=en&ei=q2KlSd29DYSGnge8vPmrBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result

Houston Garden Center http://www.maasnursery.com/organictechniques.htm