Apr 30
Food Security and Mitigating Climate Change: The Case for Organic Agriculture, Mervyn Claxton
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Is Caricom ignoring the merits of organic agriculture in its policy choices for regional food security? A detailed and critical review that draws on a several authoritative sources raises troubling questions for consideration by consumers, public health professionals, educators, environmentalists, farmers organisations and government policy makers.
CUBA HOSTS INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON ORGANIC AGRICULTURE.
(Note: As in so many things concerning health, education, and the use of science and technology to promote sustainable development and to serve the needs of the population, Cuba appears to be ahead of the rest of the region–Norman)
Havana, May 3 (Prensa Latina) Experts from 22 countries will attend the 9th International Meeting on Organic and Sustainable Agriculture, which will be held here from May 21 to 24, an official source reported.
Over 300 specialists are expected to participate, 110 of them foreigners, told Prensa Latina the president of the Cuban Association of Agricultural and Forestry Technicians (ACTAF), Idalmis Namco.
Discussions at that meeting will focus on the most relevant results of the agro ecological farmer movement, the urban and suburban agriculture, and research in those sectors.
The local agricultural development, sustainable forest management, youth and gender in agri-food industry and information technology and communication for agriculture, are among the topics of analysis.
Discussions also include, among other topics, global warming, climate change, alternative energy use, management and evaluation of ecosystems, cooperatives, self-management processes and agro ecological education. (Ends)
Just a brief note on an initiative I’m promoting. The TT Govt and some sugar cane farmers have expressed an interest in restoring the sugar cane industry (distinct from ‘sugar industry’) at some scaled down level. I have done a short paper on the ‘Muscovado sugar option’ that I feel is possibly the best way for us to go. Muscovado sugar is considered ‘organic’, except that the growers would necessarily use fertilisers and some herbicides and pesticides to achieve optimum yields from their fields.
Processing Muscovado is age-old technology which can be conducted by small operators (say, a farmer with 10 hectares of cane) or larger interests (500-plus hectares). No chemicals are used in boiling the cane juice to make the dark sugar, which is rich in several minerals. Modern technology will intervene in packaging and, of course, marketing.
By rough calculation, I have determined that from one hectare (60 tonnes cane), a farmer can gross a minimum of US $30K, and net, maybe, $10K. Muscovado sugar retails on European markets at around US $6 to $8 a kg. The supply side is miniscule (I believe less than 100 tonnes globally), but with the demand side growing significantly, there is a niche market small operators in the Caribbean could exploit. One major advantage TT has in the boiling process (over current producers like the Philippines, India, Mauritius) is usage of NG or propane over bagasse (kinda messy).
Try to buy some Muscovado on amazon.com and you will better understand why I am proposing this option to Govt. Whether they would bother…well, that’s an unanswered question. But it’s a good way to get back into sugar without talking huge investments and huge losses. Note, too, I have not mentioned the development of a niche market for this ‘healthy sugar’ here in the Caribbean. It could be a hit in the hospitality business.
Raffique
Very good initiative, Raffique. But the sugar cane growers involved in your initiative can
achieve optimum yields without having to resort to chemical fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. Have a look at the findings of the following scientific study on a comparison of organic and inorganic sugarcane production. “Organic Sugarcane Farming for Development of Sustainable Agriculture in Maharashtra”.
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/57785/2/DrKG-Kshirsagar.pdf
The results showed, inter alia that “OSF [organic sugarcane farming] is labour-intensive, but its cost of cultivation is lower due to savings on chemical fertilizers, irrigation, seeds and agrochemicals. The yield on OSF has been reported lower but it is more than compensated by the price premium received and the yield and profit stability observed on the OSF.”
The author of the above paper (apparently) utilizes data from the same or similar research to evaluate the economics and water use efficiency of organic sugarcane cultivation. Improving water-use efficiency is one of the objectives of the RFSNP. “IMPACT OF ORGANIC SUGARCANE FARMING ON ECONOMICS AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN MAHARASHTRA” http://publications.iwmi.org/pdf/H042300.pdf The results showed inter alia, that: “Crucially, OS [organic sugar] farming substantially enhances the water use efficiency (WUE) measured by different indicators.”
Here is another useful paper on organic sugar cane farming: “Organic Farming in the Tropics and Subtropics: Sugarcane”
http://www.naturland.de/fileadmin/MDB/documents/Publication/English/sugarcane.pdf
Here are three watchable youtube videos on organic sugarcane cultivation:
“How to plant organic sugar cane” (Youtube – 8 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iABjhb_Ekg8
An organic sugarcane farm in the Costa Rican jungle (2 minute Youtube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2jllsmjet8
“Organic Farming In Shivamogga” (4 minute Youtube for Hindi(?) speakers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtuzZS6kbIo
On the general subject of organic substitutes for agrochemicals, there is relevant information in the documentation cited below, the most important of which concerns the biopesticide, Neem. Its superior efficacy to inorganic pesticides was described in my paper. Furthermore, even if it has to be purchased, neem will be much cheaper than any inorganic pesticide. But since the neem tree grows in several Caricom countries and many of its parts – leaves, roots etc – can be used, either in direct application or in the form of extracts – neem might cost sugarcane cane other other organci farmer nothing at all.
The neem tree grows in Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, Haiti and other Caricom countries. Haiti has planted 200,000 neem trees.
“Neem: A Product of nature’s laboratory” http://www.neem4organicfarming.com/
Here is some useful documentation on organic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.
Organic pesticides
“Organic Pest Control Gardening With Red Pepper” at National Geographic
http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/organic-pest-control-gardening-red-pepper-3140.html
“Ecological Pest Management Database” https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/biorationals/
Organic Herbicides
“10 Steps Toward Organic Weed Control” (University of Vermont Extension)
http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/orgweedconrtol.html
“Vinegar as an Organic Weed Killer” http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/VinegarKillsWeeds.html
Organic fertilizer
“Organic Fertilizer and Soil Amendment Guide”
http://www.extremelygreen.com/fertilizerguide.cfm
“Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening”, 2009.
https://www.rodalestore.com/rodale-s-ultimate-encyclopedia-of-organic-gardening.html is the standard reference work on Organic gardening. It is currently on sale (US$20.78 reduced from US$31.95) at Amazon.com. Readers’ reviews at Goodreads gave the Encyclopaedia a rating of 4.1 (out of a maximum of 5). See the reviews at this link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5671605-rodale-s-ultimate-encyclopedia-of-organic-gardening
“The Organic Business Guide: developing sustainable value chains with smallholders,” 2010 http://www.louisbolk.org/index.php?page=publication&pubID=2294
is sold by Wiley, a leading UK academic publisher, but, surprisingly, it can also be downloaded (free of charge) in PDF format at the following link:
http://www.louisbolk.org/downloads/2294.pdf It is an excellent book (171 pages) for organic farmers, aspiring farmers, and civil society groups interested in promoting organic farming in the region. The book provides useful information on international sources of funding for organic farming projects and it also has a section entitled “Towards the Empowerment of Women in the Organic Initiative”, that should interest womens’ groups.
The purpose of the business guide is explained on the book’s last page:
“This guide is written for those who are actively engaged in setting up or managing organic businesses with groups of smallholders. It provides practical know-how and essential information for planning, managing and expanding such a business. Covering topics from designing production and internal control systems to business planning and amrketing, it attempts to be a comprehensive reference book for organic entrepreneurs, cooperatives and facilitators. The guide was developed in a participatory process involving people who are active and experienced in managing or supporting organic businesses in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It draws on a wide range of practical examples and provides links to useful resources available on the internet.”
There is more than enough valuable information in the above documentation to encourage Caricom sugar farmers and farmers of other crops to go “organic”.
CUBAN MILL PRODUCES OVER 5,000 TONS OF ORGANIC SGUGAR
In view of the Shah-Claxton ezxchange the following report is of interest
Saturday, 07 April 2012 13:08 ACN Hits: 198 .
SANTA CLARA, Cuba, Apr 7 (acn) Carlos Baliño Sugar Mill, located in the Cuban central province of Villa Clara and the only such facility to produce 100 % organic sugar in the country, finished this harvest with some 5 200 tons produced.
Bismat Mesa, director of the sugar mill, said that the figure represents a 20 percent increase over the previous year, and that this was the eleventh totally organic harvest to meet the requirements agreed upon with different European nations.
He told ACN news agency that this production is highly demanded around the world, and the fact that no chemicals are used to produce that sugar, its value in the market is very high.
For full report go to http://caricomnewsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7286:cuban-mill-produces-over-5-thousand-tons-of-organic-sugar&catid=82:latin-a-central-america&Itemid=457
Norman,
Spot on! There is a growing, profitable market for organic foods. Organic sugar, I’m sure fetches premium prices, especially in EU countries and Canada. Muscovado sugar fares even better because it is viewed as a ‘healthy sugar’ at a time when the sweetener is seen by many as ‘poison’, given its negative impact on people’s health (diabetes). We are on the right track…if only we can spur those in authority, and farmers, into action. The Minister (Food Production) assured me that he will soon name a committee to examine my proposal and other options.
Raffique