Organic farming 'could feed Africa'

[SPN]

There was another thread some months back which this article should really be appended to, but I can't find it right now.

Anyway, here's some good news for a change:

Organic farming 'could feed Africa'

Organic farming offers Africa the best chance of breaking the cycle of poverty and malnutrition it has been locked in for decades, according to a major study from the United Nations to be presented today.


New evidence suggests that organic practices – derided by some as a Western lifestyle fad – are delivering sharp increases in yields, improvements in the soil and a boost in the income of Africa's small farmers who remain among the poorest people on earth. The head of the UN's Environment Programme, Achim Steiner, said the report "indicates that the potential contribution of organic farming to feeding the world maybe far higher than many had supposed".

.....

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

.....

The study found that organic practices outperformed traditional methods and chemical-intensive conventional farming. It also found strong environmental benefits such as improved soil fertility, better retention of water and resistance to drought. And the research highlighted the role that learning organic practices could have in improving local education. Backers of GM foods insist that a technological fix is needed to feed the world. But this form of agriculture requires cash to buy the patented seeds and herbicides – both at record high prices currently – needed to grow GM crops.

.....

Saving money on fertilisers and pesticides helps farmers afford better seeds, and composting and crop rotation are improving the soil. Traditional maize, beans and livestock farming in the area have been supplemented with new crops from borage seeds to cayenne peppers and honey, with buyers from the US to Europe. Now he is growing camomile for herbal tea, with buyers from the UK and Germany both interested.

This is all common sense, as was pointed out in the previous thread, but we still keep getting people who swallow the ridiculous Monsanto PR.

Caveat Emptor!

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[lostexpectation]

maybe all sides should not make such grand claims

[Thac0man]

There was another thread some months back which this article should really be appended to, but I can't find it right now.

Anyway, here's some good news for a change:

Organic farming 'could feed Africa'



This is all common sense, as was pointed out in the previous thread, but we still keep getting people who swallow the ridiculous Monsanto PR.

Caveat Emptor!

..
.

Organic farming produces higher yields that standard modern farming methods? I think that claim is highly misleading and even wreckless in the context of African development.

Trying to peddle that organic muck to a vunerable continent that spends its time teetering on the verge of mass starvation is highly irresponsible. African agriculture requires modernisation and industrialisation. That badly needed upgrading does not require Monsanto or GM, but neither does it involve taking a giant leap backwards. African farming by and large is organic, and is already a proven failure when it comes to meeting the needs of its burgeoning urban populations.

If the Organic lobbies only contribution to solving Africas food crises is self serving platitudes they should stick it up their ar$e. The stakes are far to high to be pushing bullsh*t claims that don't wash here in a society with efficient agricultural practices. Targeting highly vunerable people with false promises is on a par with Monsanto.

[goosebump]

Organic farming is fine for local production on small holdings.

Its is far too energy intensive for industrial scale food production.

[cHeal]

Organic farming is fine for local production on small holdings.

Its is far too energy intensive for industrial scale food production.

Well I'm not sure where you're coming up with that. I would support the use of Organic farming, anything which means they do not become indebted to multinational corporations, peddling farming products which these farmers probably can't afford, regardless of need. These debts are used as a noose around the neck of the poor to force the sale of cheap crops.

I think the biggest danger facing the world at the moment is the GM crop market. The idea that we would hand over the power over all our foods to corporations when the seeds needed to be produce food can be sourced for free is quite a scary thing. Famines could be quite easily manufactured, in the same way recessions currently can.

I have no doubt that the corporations which peddle GM crops will do all they possibly can to force their product on the poorest farmers in the world, that's how the world seems to be going. It's really quite sad.

[jpc]

Organic farming is fine for local production on small holdings.

Its is far too energy intensive for industrial scale food production.

Its not too forest friendly either.

[Thac0man]

I get the impression that the Organics lobby are presenting a scenario where their preferred methods are the only alternative to GM. Africa needs large industrial scale food production. Organic will not deliever that and neither is GM required for it.

I assume that the Organics lobby see themsevles pocketing a chunk of aid ear marked for Africa for their own pet projects on that continent. I hope that is not the goal, because the stakes are far to high.

[SPN]

maybe all sides should not make such grand claims

These are not "claims". The UN is reporting the results of trials.

Organic farming produces higher yields that standard modern farming methods? I think that claim is highly misleading and even wreckless in the context of African development.

"standard modern farming methods" require expensive hybrid seeds, require expensive chemical fertiliser, require expensive chemicals, and require expensive diesel oil.

Poor people in third world countries don't have the money to buy these expensive technologies (unless they get into debt - and I don't think we should be encouraging others to get into the same mess we are in).

Giving people the skills, and low-cost technologies, that will enable them to achieve equivalent output is surely a good thing, no?

Trying to peddle that organic muck to a vunerable continent that spends its time teetering on the verge of mass starvation is highly irresponsible. African agriculture requires modernisation and industrialisation.

It certainly needs modernisation, but the new modernisation is Organic.

What worked in the 70s and 80s will not work in a global economy without cheap credit, or without cheap fossil fuels.

If the Organic lobbies only contribution to solving Africas food crises is self serving platitudes they should stick it up their ar$e. The stakes are far to high to be pushing bullsh*t claims that don't wash here in a society with efficient agricultural practices.

Read the article you muppet!

They have given them proven techniques, and proven technologies, and have delivered the higher yields. That is not "platitudes"!

Organic farming is fine for local production on small holdings.

Its is far too energy intensive for industrial scale food production.

Total nonsense!

Industrial agriculture requires 10 calories of energy input for every calorie of output. This input comes from fossil fuel.

Teagasc in Oak Park have recently come up with an Organic rotation that gives potato yields equivalent to chemically farmed potatoes (which surprised them - they hadn't expected it to be that successful).

Organic uses natural techniques to improve the soil, natural techniques to prevent/reduce pests, and natural techniques to breed the plants. All these natural techniques use less energy than the chemically based alternatives.

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[cHeal]

I get the impression that the Organics lobby are presenting a scenario where their preferred methods are the only alternative to GM. Africa needs large industrial scale food production. Organic will not deliever that and neither is GM required for it.

I assume that the Organics lobby see themsevles pocketing a chunk of aid ear marked for Africa for their own pet projects on that continent. I hope that is not the goal, because the stakes are far to high.

That's all very well and good, but rather than throwing industrialisation at them, how about we allow them achieve it by themselves. Industrialisation is a natural result of supply and demand, allowing these farmers to cheaply produce low quantities of food, enough to survive and trade will lead to them to at some point in the future having the capacity to industrialise the process and invest in their farms.

Forcing industrialisation on Africa is just another way of forcing Debt on Africa because these people do not have the money yet to industrialise. We push industrialisation on them so that they can mass produce cheap crops for our gain. Give them the capacity to farm without heavy investment, enough to survive just as Europeans once did, and they will eventually industrialise the process, just as Europeans did.

All interference in food production in Africa by governments or corporations is conducted to produce profit for that government or corporation and is to the detriment of food production in Africa and those poor farmers who rely on it.

[Thac0man]

SPN, you are twisting things and ignoring the fact that countries like Ireland DO NOT HAVE GM. In case you had not noticed, up until fairly recently we had a primarily agricultural economy. Therefore Africa, to reach comparable output does not have to go down the GM root.

Zimbabwe also had a modern agricultrure sector until Mugabe schredded it. If any two sizable African nations were to achieve Zimbabwes previous output levels by adopting the tried and tested methods used there, most of Africas food shortages might be solved. There is simply no need to adopt organic methods, as defined by niche European interests. Abandoning or ignoring practices that are standard in places like Europe is not the answer.

Modern agriculture does not require hybred seeds or artificial fertalizer. These things can be used, but nitrates are not per say artificial, you seem to be trying to bracket them with GM, which is nonsense Before you jumped wholesale on the Organic bandwagon you might have taken time to find out a little about how real agriculture works, rather than revise the terms of referance in retrospect.

As for the article you posted, I did read it, and its bullsh*t. Solely organic farming DOES NOT result in higher yields, it is a laughable and deluded claim based on artificial comparisons. Hence it is nothing more than a lobbyist document, thus worthless.