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Organic farming
Citation preview
Sustainable Cocoa production and market
Growth in the American
organic sector
SOSSave Our Seeds
ecology AND
No 2 // June 2013
BCS - the Number 1 - for worldwide certification of organic products according to different standards.
BCS certifies more than 500.000 farmers and over 1.400 processors, importers and exporters worldwide. Our services cover all vital agricultural crops, as well as aquaculture and ornamental plants. We serve all levels of processing and handling industries.
Many wellknown names from the market place have given their trust to BCS.
1-Stop-Shopping at BCS, the # 1 certifier means: Certifications according to EU, NOP, JAS, GlobalGAP, GOTS, UTZ, FairTSA ...: We extend permanently to serve you best!
Please contact us with your requirements and wishes: [email protected] visit our website at: www.bcs-oeko.com
Yours sincerely, Peter Grosch, General Manager and Feben Dufera Grosch, Coordination Africa
BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH - the organic certifier Number 1
BCS - the Number 1 - for worldwide certification of organic products according to different standards.
BCS certifies more than 500.000 farmers and over 1.400 processors, importers and exporters worldwide. Our services cover all vital agricultural crops, as well as aquaculture and ornamental plants. We serve all levels of processing and handling industries.
Many wellknown names from the market place have given their trust to BCS.
1-Stop-Shopping at BCS, the # 1 certifier means: Certifications according to EU, NOP, JAS, GlobalGAP, GOTS, UTZ, FairTSA ...: We extend permanently to serve you best!
Please contact us with your requirements and wishes: [email protected] visit our website at: www.bcs-oeko.com
Yours sincerely, Peter Grosch, General Manager and Feben Dufera Grosch, Coordination Africa
BCS Öko-Garantie GmbH - the organic certifier Number 1
Tableof Con
tents
JUNE 2013 // No 2
ANd morE....Editorial 7Calendar 51
MARKET
36 The global market for organic food and non- food productionCalculating the value of organic chains.
GMO
39 Gmo Safety Issues based on Science
sTAndARds46 The organic Standard
EduCATiOn
48 A birthplace for social innovationThe social innovation Centre at Heliopolis university for sustainable development.
sAfETy issuEs
MARKET
10 Growth in The american organic sectorstrong growth and new challenges in the usA.
COunTRy pROfiLE
14 Springbockvley Farm, Namibia The efficiency of low input livestock
farming
MARKET
20 Cocoa Where does your chocolate come
from?
AGRO biOdivERsiTy
24 SoS save our seedsThe Global seed Alliance.
pHOTO iMpREssiOn
28 doug Tompkin’s Laguna Blanca
COunTRy pROfiLE
30 The UK’s organic marketsigns of revival.
OpiniOn
33 developing a Communication Strategy for the organic Sector
Certification body
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTInspection and certification of products, systems and services
Drafting of standards
Training
A WORLDWIDE NETWORK OF EXPERTSName and seal recognized by authorities and consumers
Expert in organic farming and inputs, food quality and safety, fair trade, organic cosmetics, organic textiles, carbon balance, social responsibility
Ecocert SA - BP 47 - 32600 L’Isle-Jourdain - France - T +33 (0) 5 62 07 34 24 - www.ecocert.com
7ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
dEnisE GOdinHO pETER bRuL
INTrodUCTIoN
Best practices, beautiful farms
How can organic farming help to feed a growing world
population and remain a sustainable form of agricul-
ture? This was one of the interesting discussions that
emerged from the ifOAM working group on ‘best prac-
tices in organic agriculture’. The publication on best
practices will soon be available and you will be able to
read more about it in the coming editions. There are
very different solutions for solving the big challenges
facing agriculture. Monsanto, for example, has a quite
different approach for tackling problems and develop-
ing agriculture. Their strategy is aggressive since it
threatens other more sustainable ways of developing
agriculture. More than two million people around the
world have just shown that they are angry and worried
by marching against Monsanto. Elsewhere in this issue
André Leu, the president of ifOAM, summarises the
scientific findings about the potential health effects of
consuming GMOs.
This issue covers other activist topics. Jozef fincke, an
organic farmer in ireland, invites us to develop a more
successful communication strategy for organic agricul-
ture. i agree with him that we can and should do much
more in this field. in our opinion one of the best strate-
gies for this is to show the results of best practices in
organic farming world wide. Another activist article, a
call to save our seeds, comes from bernward Geier.
While citizens may protest and demand food label-
ling, so they can choose the food they want (or don’t
want) and a food production system they want. but the
organic sector can work – together with others – on
good agricultural practices with a wide range of (local)
resilient varieties. Exchanging and developing seeds is
one way to do this.
best practice not only involves good yields, quality
food and a diverse and clean environment. it is also
about beauty. That is the message of doug Tomkins,
who was interviewed in the previous edition. now we
show you some more pictures of this beautiful farm.
We hope they inspire you!
people working in the organic movement are often
inspired by good and beautiful farms. but another
source of inspiration is the continuous development of
the organic sector and the market for organic produce.
in these difficult economic times in the main markets
for organic products, the usA and Europe, the mar-
kets continue to grow. new ways are continually found
to make links between producers and consumers. in
this issue you will find reports about the world mar-
ket, (worth 70 billion us dollars last year), and market
developments in the usA, the uK and for cocoa. All
hopeful stories!
peter brul
Our organic seeds grow your success
Rijk Zwaan is a world-leading specialist in
creating high-quality vegetable varieties; also for the organic
market. We do this through innovative research & development,
led by the needs of our customers. It is our aim to be a
knowledgeable, collaborative partner, with infinite respect for
the environment. Rijk Zwaan. www.rijkzwaan.com
423797RZW_adv187x126.indd 1 03-02-11 09:17
Let’s join forces on our way to sustainability!
We set up emission reduction projects in developing countries and generate sustainable carbon credits through organic composting.
We develop and manage composting projects and help farmers improve soil fertility.
We deliver customized sustainability solutions worldwide.
Interested? Find out more about our services at www.soilandmore.com or contact as at +31 (0)880 079 500 / [email protected]
•Measure: Calculate your CO2 Footprint
•Improve: Reduce your emissions
•Neutralize: Become climate neutral
•
•
•
9ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
tively allows Monsanto and other corporations that use GMOs to plant and sell genetically altered products even if legal action is being taken against them. Effectively this means that the U.S. Congress has given Monsanto (and others) a carte blanche to largely ignore the country´s judiciary.According to Food & Water Watch, the rela-tionship between Monsanto and the U.S. government extends even beyond Congress and the Supreme Court. They claim that Wiki-Leaks has uncovered communications from the U.S State Department that actively lobbies foreign governments to adopt pro-agricultural biotechnology legislation, seeks to improve the image of biotechnology and challenges commonsense biotechnology safeguards and rules. This lobbying also extended to food labelling laws in Europe and other coun-tries. Monsanto is quite tough, but so it seems are its opponents. A German newspaper (Süddeutsche Zeitung) recently reported that a spokesman of Monsanto has declared that they will stop lobbying in Europe, due to lack of support for GMOs among farmers, citizens and politicians.
More information can be found on March Against
Monsanto’s website: www.march-against-monsanto.comLink: http://tile.openstreetmap.org/2/1/1.pngAs
As readers of Ecology & Farming might know, Monsanto is accused of aggressively pushing the introduction of genetically modified crops, manipulating research and political decisi-ons about consumer rights and denying the rights of farmers to reproduce seeds. They are accused of routinely denying any health and environmental risks. ‘March Against Monsanto’, a small group in the USA, took the initiative to raise awareness about the lack of action from the US and other national governments. The initiative developed into a global campaign and demonstration with over two million people protesting.March Against Monsanto Director Nick Berna-be: “What we’re trying to do is raise awareness about GMOs and the health effects that they’re causing and bring about some solutions as to what people can do to take back control over their food supply,”
In March 2013 the U.S. Congress passed a biotechnology rider which was dubbed the ’Monsanto Protection Act’. The legislation effec-
// 2 mILLIoN proTESTErS mArChEd AGAINST ThE BIoTECh mULITINATIoNAL moNSANTo.
News
The ‘March Against Monsanto’ was organised on May 25 in
436 cities, in 52 countries. Around 200,000 people were expec-
ted to rally against Monsanto, but more than two million took
part in the day of action campaign.
Advertisement
9x5cm_Final.pdf 1 5/28/13 2:22 PM
10 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
BarBara Fitch haumann
in October 2012, the u.s. department of Agriculture’s (usdA’s) national Agricultural statistics service (nAss) published the results of its first survey focused exclusively on certified organic production throughout the nation.
Strong growth and new challenges in the USA
Growth in the American organic sector
nAss conducted the survey for
usdA’s Risk Management Agency to
help refine federal crop insurance offer-
ings for organic producers. The findings
showed that u.s. certified organic grow-
ers sold more than $3.5 billion worth of
organically grown agricultural commodi-
ties in 2011.
This total of farm-gate sales means that
the organic sector would rank as the fifth
largest commodity class in the united
states, and is larger than peanuts and
cotton combined. Thus, as pointed out
by the Organic Trade Association (OTA),
this means that there is a very good case
for the organic sector having a seat at the
table when agricultural policy is decided
by policy makers in Washington, d.C.
According to the survey, certified organic
farmers and ranchers sold more than
$2.2 billion in organically grown agri-
cultural commodities and more than $1
billion in livestock products in 2011. The
9,140 u.s. certified organic farms gener-
ated $1.1 billion in farm-gate sales of
vegetables and $494.8 million in sales of
fruits, including $122.2 million for certi-
fied organic apples and $160.6 million for
certified organic grapes. Organic berries
accounted for $125.3 million in farm sales.
The states with the most certified organic
farms were California (1,898), Wiscon-
sin (870), new york (597), Washington
(493) and iowa (467). Wisconsin led the
nation in organic field crop acreage, with
110,000 acres harvested in 2011, followed
by new york, with more than 97,000 acres
and California, with more than 91,000
acres.
The average sales per organic farm
worked out to be $414,726, compared
with the $134,807 average for all farms
taking part in the 2007 u.s. Census of
Agriculture. sales of certified organic live-
stock products included $765 million for
organic milk, $276 million for eggs, and
$115 million for chicken.
The survey also asked certified farms
where their products were marketed.
Eighty-one per cent of sales were through
the wholesale market, 13 per cent of sales
were made directly to retailers and the
remaining 6 per cent concerned direct
sales to consumers.
With added staff in the past few years,
usdA’s national Organic program (nOp)
announced in september 2012 that it had
suspended the organic certifications of
200 operations and revoked six so far that
year. it also issued seven penalties, worth
a total of $80,000, for wilful violations of
national organic regulations.
nOp has explained that a suspended
operation may not sell or represent its
products as usdA Organic until it is
reinstated in writing by nOp. A revoked
operation or a person responsible for a
revoked operation may not obtain certifi-
cation for a period of five years.
driven by consumer demand, the u.s.
organic industry grew by 9.5 per cent
overall in 2011 (or $2.5 billion) to reach
$31.5 billion in sales. Of this, the organic
Stronger enForcement in
the noP
CoUNTrY proFILE
Organic is an important part of the diverse U.S. agricultural landscape. The Organic Trade Association represents over 6,500 farmers, ranchers, handlers, processors, distributors, and retailers across the organic supply chain. Learn more at OTA.COM
GENERATED BY CERTIFIED ORGANIC GROWERS IN FARM-GATE SALES IN 2011
81% OF U.S. FAMILIES ARE
ORGANIC FOOD AND FARMING GENERATES
FIBER PRODUCTS, SUCH AS CLOTHING, LINENS, AND MATTRESSES, ACCOUNT FOR THE
LARGEST SHARE OF THE $2.5 BILLION ORGANIC NON-FOOD MARKET
OF PARENTS REPORT THEIR TRUST IN THE USDA ORGANIC SEAL HAS INCREASED
OF ALL FRUIT AND VEGETABLES SOLD TO U.S. CONSUMERS ARE ORGANIC
TWO U.S. ORGANIC EQUIVALENCY ARRANGEMENTS
ORGANIC APPLE EXPORTS MORE THAN TRIPLED IN 2012
FOURTH IN U.S. FOOD/FEED CROP PRODUCTION AT FARM-GATE VALUES
$ $$
OF THE ORGANIC MARKET IS DAIRY
IN 2012, THE ORGANIC INDUSTRY GREW BY
OF PARENTS BUY ORGANIC TO AVOID TOXIC PESTICIDES AND FERTILIZERS
$3.5 BILLION
BUYING ORGANIC
ORG
AN
IC
RAN
KS
OV
ER
16
MORE THAN A HALF MILLION AMERICAN JOBS
17,750 CERTIFIED
ORGANIC FARMS, RANCHES, AND BUSINESSES IN THE UNITED STATES
42% O V E R 10%
WITH CANADA AND THE EU EXPAND GLOBAL MARKETS
TEN
OV
ER 30%
$35 BILLION
IN 2012 U.S. CONSUMER SALES OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS
REACHED
%
PERCENT
11ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
12 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
The White House report notes rapid
growth in the u.s. organic industry, echo-
ing a report released by OTA in April,
which showed that the organic food
industry generated more than 500,000
American jobs in 2010. Organic dairy and
fresh produce, which are the two largest
organic product categories, were specifi-
cally highlighted for their central roles in
creating opportunities for farmers and
ranchers, and helping rural businesses
become more competitive.
in addition, a report by the union of
Concerned scientists, released in mid-
november 2012 once more confirmed
that the organic dairy sector provides
more economic opportunities and gener-
ates more jobs in rural communities than
conventional dairies. The first-of-its-kind
study, Cream of the Crop: The Economic
benefits of Organic dairy farms, calcu-
lated the economic value of organic milk
production based on 2008-2011 financial
data from vermont and Minnesota, two
major milk-producing states.
“Over the past 30 years, dairy farmers
have had a choice: either get big or get
out. dairy farmers either had to expand
dramatically and become large industrial
operations or they went out of busi-
ness,” said Jeffrey O’Hara, agricultural
economist for the food and Environment
program at uCs and author of the report.
“However, organic dairy production
offers farmers another option – one that
is better for the environment, produces
a healthier product, and leads to greater
levels of economic activity.”
The report also compared the economic
value that would be generated by conven-
tional and organic farms in the two states
if both experienced the same hypotheti-
cal level of increased sales. under this
scenario, organic dairy farms in vermont
could be expected to contribute 33 per
cent more to the state’s economy than
conventional farms, and employ 83 per
cent more workers. similarly, in Minne-
sota, organic dairies would increase the
state’s economy by 11 per cent more and
employment by 14 per cent more than
conventional dairy farms.
Consumer demand for organic dairy
products has jumped dramatically over
the past decade, with emerging research
showing that well-managed organic dairy
farms are less harmful to the environment
than conventional dairies, and that the
milk produced may be better for human
health. Organically raised cows graze on
pasture during the growing season, eat
organically grown feed, and are not treat-
ed with synthetic hormones or antibiotics.
Meanwhile, the Organic farming
Research foundation released a science-
based, peer-reviewed report extolling the
multiple societal benefits of organic farm-
ing in north America. The report, entitled
Organic farming for Health and prosper-
ity, also outlines policy recommendations
to support the expansion of organic farm-
ing in the united states.
One of the biggest challenges for the
organic industry during the year was the
unresolved outlook for a new farm bill.
Although the u.s. senate approved its
version of a new farm bill last summer,
the House of Representatives never voted
on it. As a result, provisions in the 2008
farm bill expired in september 30, 2012.
in the waning hours of 2012, u.s. sen-
ate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of
Kentucky and vice president Joe biden
negotiated a nine-month extension of the
2012 farm bill which was attached to the
complex ‘fiscal cliff’ legislation, known
as the American Taxpayer Relief Act.
This legislation passed the senate early
food and beverage sector was valued at
$29.22 billion, while the organic non-food
sector reached $2.2 billion, according to
findings from the Organic Trade Asso-
ciation’s (OTA’s) 2012 Organic industry
survey.
Overall growth outpaced that among
comparable conventionally produced food
and non-food items, which experienced
4.7 per cent growth in the same year.
Organic food sales experienced 9.4 per
cent growth in 2011. The easing of the
recession, consumer price inflation due to
increases in input prices and consumers’
increasing desire for convenience prod-
ucts were all contributory factors. The
fruit and vegetable category contributed
close to 50 per cent of those new dol-
lars, although the fastest-growing sector
was the meat, fish & poultry category,
which posted 13 per cent growth, but still
remains the smallest of the eight organic
food categories.
Organic food sales now represent 4.2 per
cent of all u.s. food sales, up from 4 per
cent in 2010. Meanwhile, organic non-
food sales experienced a strong 11 per
cent growth, compared to 5 per cent for
comparable non-organic items. prospects
for 2012 and 2013, as indicated through
the 2012 survey results, indicate that
organic food and non-food sales will con-
tinue to sustain growth levels of nine per
cent or more.
in June 2012, the Obama Administration
released a report on rural communities
and businesses highlighting the tremen-
dous value of the organic sector in the
nation’s diverse agricultural economy. The
report, prepared by the Council of Eco-
nomic Advisers, the White House Rural
Council and usdA, pointed to numerous
examples of how organic agriculture and
trade are expanding opportunities for agri-
cultural production.
market growth continueS at
almoSt 10% P.a.
13ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
as primary natural disaster areas and
approximately 390 other counties as
contiguous disaster areas. usdA grant-
ed temporary derogations for organic
ruminant livestock producers in counties
declared as primary or contiguous natu-
ral disaster areas and with non-irrigated
pastures. These derogations allowed
organic farmers in these designated dis-
aster counties to supply just 15 per cent
of their dry matter intake (on average)
from certified organic pasture for the
remainder of 2012.
The u.s. organic industry continues to
discuss a possible sector-wide organic
research and promotion programme
(ORpp). The OTA has been facilitating
the process, hosting numerous in-per-
son and online meetings with the goal of
reaching an industry-wide decision on
whether this is a viable option.
The goal of such a programme would
be to offer a collective industry solu-
tion to distinguish organic products in
the marketplace, increase demand, and
educate consumers about the wide
range of benefits of purchasing organic
products. There are currently numerous
commodity ORpps in the usA, most
notably those promoting milk, beef and
eggs. These are industry funded but are
administered by the government.
several technical legislative fixes are
required in order for the organic industry
to even have the option of pursuing an
ORpp. The organic sector is not recog-
nised as a distinct commodity class, as it
covers a wide range of commodities. This
means that the organic sector would not
qualify for a promotional programme such
as the existing ones. The legislation would
require amending the current ORpps so
that organic products are recognised as a
commodity class. The OTA has begun to
pursue solutions to these issues, but it is
up to the entire organic sector whether to
pursue such a programme.
it is evident that there is a need for addi-
tional research into organic agriculture
and more consumer education about the
benefits of organic food and farming. dur-
ing 2012, several research reports added
to consumer confusion as the media
and the framework offered by research-
ers claimed that organic products were
no more nutritious than conventional
counterparts, even though the studies
cited actually revealed numerous benefits
associated with organic agriculture and
products.
for example, a review article published
in september in the Annals of internal
Medicine by stanford university research-
ers confirmed that consuming organic
foods reduces consumers’ exposure
to pesticide residues and to bacteria
resistant to antibiotics. in addition, a clini-
cal report published online in October
by the American Academy of pediatrics
highlighted the many attributes of organic
foods and provided guidance to par-
ents confused by conflicting marketing
messages about making healthy food
choices for their children. The OTA hailed
the report as a major milestone for the
organic sector and confirmation of the
significance of the benefits of organic
food. OTA noted that the science cited
in this report points firmly towards the
positive aspects of organic farming, and
provides many reasons for purchasing
organic foods.
Barbara Fitch Haumann is Senior Editor/Writer with the Organic Trade Association e [email protected]
on January 1st, with the House of Rep-
resentatives approving it less than 20
hours later. While this passage brought
general taxpayer relief, the organic sec-
tor was not so fortunate.
The farm bill Extension Measure (going
through to the end of september 2013)
slashed essential organic programmes
including organic data collection,
organic research and extension, and
partial reimbursement to farmers for
certification costs. it also eliminated any
investments in the future of rural com-
munities, family farming and organic
farming. smaller, targeted programmes
that invest in proven strategies to create
rural jobs, revitalise rural communities
and initiatives to foster a new genera-
tion of family farmers and ranchers were
completely absent from the final farm bill
extension. The eleventh hour deal also
prevented farmers and ranchers from
being able to improve soil and water
conservation through enrolling in the
Conservation stewardship program in
2013.
Thus, in 2013, work must begin anew on
a full five-year farm bill. such legislation
will need to work its way back through
committee stages and onto the floors of
both House and senate prior to being
enacted into law.
Meanwhile, for u.s. farmers, whether
organic or not, 2012 will be remembered
as the year of severe drought. A tell-
ing indication of the drought’s impact
on organic farmers was reflected in
the temporary derogations issued by
usdA’s national Organic program to
address the problems that organic pro-
ducers’ had in meeting requirements for
at least 30 per cent of dry matter intake
for ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats)
to come from organic pastures.
The severe drought led usdA to desig-
nate approximately 2.200 u.s. counties
CoUNTrY proFILE
usdA’s strategic plan aims to have
2,719 additional u.s. farms and
businesses certified to its organic
regulations by 2015, reaching a goal of
20,000 u.s. organic operations. deputy
secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merri-
gan said in a video address given at the
autumn 2012 meeting of the us nation-
al Organic standards board that this
is “an audacious goal, but if everyone
does their part to help organic farm-
ers and ranchers and processors, we
believe we will cross that finish line.”).
“An audacious goal…”
14 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
Ekkehard Külbs took over the farming business from
his parents in 1989, with his wife Judith isele joining the
running of the farm in 2004. in January 2013 Ekkehard sadly
passed away after an accident. since then Judith has been
running the farm on her own, with four permanent employ-
ees, each of whom is responsible for managing one of the
four ‘flerds’, a combined flock of sheep and herd of cattle.
This article describes the operation until 2012. in the past
few months Judith has introduced several changes to herd
compositions and water supply, but all these changes are
based upon the planning, monitoring and management pro-
cesses described below.
Animals and infrastructure – imitating nature
A year after taking over the farm Ekkehard started to imple-
ment the principles of Holistic Management, focussing on
Springbockvley Farm, Namibia
ekkehard külBS, Judith iSele & wieBke Volkmann
The efficiency of low input livestock farming
15ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
CoUNTrY proFILE
commnent
the grazing and watering haBitS
oF the SheeP and cowS are
comPlementary, allowing a higher liVeStock denSity
springbockvley farm is located 180 km southeast of the namibian capital Windhoek. situated on the wes-tern edge of the Kalahari dune landscape, but in almost completely flat countryside, it covers 9,500 hectares of predominantly red sand and partially limestone soils, mainly covered with open grassland, with some shrubs and trees. The long-term average annual rainfall at springbockvley is 260 mm, although this has varied between 70 mm and 680 mm in the last seven years.
16 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
This is partly because of the very low species diversity of the
grasses: only two relatively narrow leaved species (the peren-
nial stipagrostis uniplumis and the annual
schmidtia kalahariensis) make up 90% of the
grasses. despite much emphasis on grazing
management over many years, there has still
been no evident increase in grass diversity.
The diversity and nutritional value of the graz-
ing on springbockvley are closely inter-related
with the condition and production capability
of its animals. The animals and grazing have
developed together, so grazing can only be
improved together with and through the ani-
mals that live on it – and vice versa. Hence,
the main strategy to improve the farm’s profit-
ability is to select cattle and sheep that thrive
under the prevailing circumstances (rather than giving in to the
ever-present temptation to ‘buy better genes’).
The average grazing period in the growing season is between
four and six days per camp, provided there is fast growth. With
the current strategy of rotating through each cell approximately
every 180 days, two rounds must be done between each rainy
season in the non-growing season. so the animals get fresh
grazing every 10 to 12 days for almost six months. during the
second round, there is probably some newly-grown forage in
the camps as well as left-overs from the first one: There will be
pods and leaves that have dropped, and new shoots on peren-
nial grasses or new leaves on the bush after winter. The moves
are designed to optimise the performance of the rumen’s diges-
tive flora and to avoid the animals having to adjust to new con-
ditions every time they move to a new camp. despite this there
is still ample pressure on the animals in the flerds to force them
to utilise less valuable plant material.
Assessment and planning – producing peace of mind
At the beginning of the dry season after the growth has
stopped, the amount and quality of available forage is assessed
by taking two to three samples in each camp using what is
known as the sTAC method. This gives a fair indication of the
amount of grazing available and the condition of the soil.
The results from the samples are calculated into the total for-
age available in each camp, each cell and ultimately on the
entire farm. These calculations can be cross-checked using
the ‘square estimation’, which visualises the area necessary to
provide one cow with sufficient feed for one day. Judith feels
confident enough to build the entire animal production plan for
the rest of the year on this early assessment. This method is
quite time consuming as it takes the best part of two to three
the financial and grazing aspects. He combined herds and
flocks into ‘flerds’ and started to move them around, following a
time plan based around the quantity and
quality of fodder available in each area
or ‘camp’ as well as considering the time
that plants need to recover after having
been grazed. in planning this rotation he
took into account the nutritional needs of
the animals at different times of the year
so as to optimise their condition and pro-
duction. now there are three big cells of
16 to 17 camps each, (containing up to
2000 sheep and 300 cattle). in the fourth
cell, 11 camps close to the farmyard are
grazed by a smaller ‘flerd’ of around 500
sheep and 100 cattle.
The farm has 17 water points (reservoirs and troughs) each of
which serves 4 – 5 camps. There are 7 boreholes (5 – 25 m
deep), all of which are wind-powered (no engines are used on
the farm). The water gravitates along approximately 25 km of
pipeline from the central reservoirs at the boreholes to the other
water points. The 40 mm plastic pipes are buried into the Kala-
hari sand and are almost maintenance free.
Alongside the cattle and sheep, approximately 350 springbuck,
100 oryx and varying numbers of kudu and warthog also graze
on springbockvley. They are used for home consumption of
venison and occasionally their numbers are controlled by pro-
fessional hunters. The numbers of oryx and springbuck have
increased substantially in the last 10 to 12 years. They now
roam freely, and readily pass through the camp gates that are
open whenever the camps are not occupied by the livestock.
Oryx sometimes even allow themselves to be moved between
camps, which is done to rest the camps after grazing by the
livestock.
in addition there are also duiker, steenbok, aardwolf, bat-eared
fox and other small animals, as well as predators such as the
African wild cat, cape foxes, the caracal and black-backed
jackals. The latter are seen as a threat by sheep farmers. Their
movements are closely monitored and whenever they come
within close range of the sheep, they are trapped and killed.
despite such measures the farm accepts losing approximately
5% of its sheep to this predator each year. Although it would be
preferable to co-exist with jackals, the current practice keeps
losses down to an acceptable level.
Livestock and vegetation – combining needs
At the present time the limiting growth factor is the ability of
the animals to perform on the resources available on the farm.
the main Strategy iS to Select cattle
and SheeP that thriVe under
the PreVailing circumStanceS.
17ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
humus. This trampling effect critically depends on the amount of
hooves per hectare, not on the type and weight of the animals.
On the soft soils of springbockvley, the sheep do tremendous
work, although animal density alone is still not enough to really
break down the harder perennial grasses. Higher numbers and
tighter densities of cattle change the behaviour of the animals,
instilling a herd effect, where they trample the land indiscrimi-
nately and with greater force, increasing the healthy disturbance
of the soil. Each camp is, on average, 160 hectares large so
the density could be calculated as averaging 15 animals per
hectare: in reality higher densities occur as the animals are not
evenly spread over the whole camp but usually tend to bunch
together.
breeding smaller-framed animals
in 1989 Ekkehard took over the livestock from his parents: 250
simmentaler cattle and 3000 Karakul sheep. by 2010 he had
changed breeds and raised the numbers to about 700 nguni
cattle and 5000 damara sheep. He was not enthusiastic about
the Karakul breed and prices for them were constantly declin-
ing. He soon introduced damara rams to the Karakul flock,
building on the existing adaptation of the flock, and occasion-
ally bought small damara flocks to speed up the replacement
process. Over twenty-five years he converted his flock to
damara. This breed fits well with the prevailing system, being
well-adapted to the climatic circumstances and vegetation
days walking in the veld to collect the samples. However
knowing what to expect early on in the year and seeing the
outcomes of all the decisions and processes of earlier actions
makes it worthwhile. With the amount of forage assessed, a
non-growing season (including a drought reserve of 300 days)
is planned for, based on the experience that the first growth
only occurs at the end of January.
The idea is to build a grazing plan that aims for the livestock
‘to be at the right place for the right reasons at the right time’.
by using this plan, springbockvley has almost continually
increased its carrying capacity, even in years when rainfall
was less than a third of the average (1995, 1996 and 2007)
and some drastic temporary de-stocking had to take place.
in 2010 springbockvley stocked almost 40 kg of live animal
mass per hectare in the Kalahari sandveld, much more than
most farms in the region are able to achieve.
in addition to a detailed, careful and yet ambitious grazing
plan, another tool employed is to manage the animals’ impact.
Combining the livestock into four large flerds and keeping
them in specified camps for periods means that the animals
live at a relatively high density, and are closer to each other
while grazing and walking to the water point. This stimulates
them to eat less selectively and also to be less selective about
where they place their hooves. This means they trample down
more brittle plant matter, which helps build soil cover and
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19ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
available in the area. They also have good mothering abilities
and, like the Karakul, they have strong herd instincts and hence
function well in large flerds.
in 1994 Ekkehard introduced nguni bulls to the mixed sim-
mentaler-Afrikaner herd and over the last 15 years the animals
have developed into a compact medium-frame crossbreed (see
picture). This allows for more animals to graze the available land
while maintaining the animal’s reproduction and with this an
increase of the farm’s productivity and profitability.
Even with larger flerds and higher animal densities, cattle and
sheep do not bother each other when in the same camps. in
fact they complement each other very well, not only in their
daily routines but also in their diet and grazing habits. While
the sheep come to the water point in early mornings and late
afternoons and quickly return into the veld, the cattle character-
istically hang around the water point to drink, rest, and ruminate
from late morning until early afternoon. A very important part of
the sustenance of the sheep (being 60% browsers) are leaves
and other parts of bushes, as well as herbs and small leaves
and spikes of grasses, while the cattle (as grazers) mainly eat
more fibrous grass plants and only a small part of the diet that
sheep prefer. This means that a camp that would be considered
as being fully stocked by sheep, still has space and fodder for
cattle and vice versa.
by farming with these two indigenous breeds – ngunis and
damaras – springbockvley achieves remarkable production
rates. since 2000, annual meat production has averaged 11 kg/
ha (with a maximum of 14.8 kg/ha in 2003) – in a country where
10kg/ha is considered good or very good.
selection – breeding well-adapted animals
The changes shown in figure 1 were not just brought about by
changing to smaller indigenous breeds. it was also combined
with a strict selection of animals from within the herd, keeping
the ones that appear the healthiest and best-suited to thriving
under the prevailing conditions.
The first priority in the cattle selection process is high and early
fertility – meaning every cow has to give birth within its first two
and a half years and every year thereafter. The rams are kept
in the flock throughout the year. With the sheep the aim is to
maintain very low input levels. The goal is to produce meat from
the available natural resources with the least possible external
inputs. Minimal supplements are provided and the sheep get no
licks at all (the design of the cattle lick troughs make them inac-
cessible to the sheep). The sheep meet their mineral require-
ments by browsing bush components
Animal handling – reducing frequency and stress
springbockvley keeps working the animals in kraals or in the
chute to a minimum. All the cattle have to go through the chute
once a year for compulsory vaccinations. Apart from that they
only go through the handling facilities for weighing, branding
and ear tagging before being transported (and for branding,
castrating and dehorning as calves). There is almost no han-
dling of the sheep except the regular sorting and tagging three
to four times a year. They are not routinely treated, except in
individual cases, when ticks are causing obvious pain or injury.
The grazing management makes this possible, as the short
stays in each camp (not longer than 5 to 14 days, depending
on temperature and moisture) and a return cycle that is never
less than 60 days, which breaks the breeding cycles of internal
and external parasites, and ensures that the animals are able to
handle the remaining pressure.
Management of the whole – keeping it simple and efficient
A big part of daily life at springbockvley is keeping the feed-
back loop running, not only planning for healthy finances and
grazing etc., but also monitoring and controlling to show where
goals are not being met. Consequently, much of the routine
farming work consists of checking tasks. Much time is spent
checking border fences for intrusion by predators and all herds
are visited and checked for wellbeing, sufficient water and lick
supply at least every second day.
Apart from the high time input in these management tasks, the
setup on the whole farm is deliberately kept as simple, clear,
and efficient as possible. A low level of technical and financial
inputs is involved. The aim is for the farm to be as self sustain-
ing as possible: it relies completely on renewable energies. All
the boreholes are equipped with low-maintenance windmills.
The electrical power is supplied from an efficient solar system.
The garden supplies a variety of vegetables and fruits that are
consumed fresh or preserved for the rest of the year. They bake
their own bread, hunt springbuck and oryx for fresh and smoke
meat or salami. Judith processes milk from their cows into
yoghurt and different cheeses.
Ekkehard and Judith have followed the dictum that ‘maintaining
income while controlling costs produces profit’ in their personal
lives and farming business. before buying a product they con-
sciously ask themselves if it is really necessary, worthwhile and
what its benefits? This approach combined with all the manage-
ment factors discussed above means that springbockvley’s
farming business is highly profitable. The farm has been able to
continually increase its income while keeping expenses almost
stable. since the year 2000 the farm’s expenses have account-
ed for one third or less of turnover.
Judith Isele, Livestock Farmer, Springbockvley Farm, Namibia, HYPERLINK “mailto:[email protected]” [email protected] Volkmann, Holistic Management Certified Educator – Earthwise Enterprise and Training Coordinator – Community Based Rangeland and Livestock Management, Namibia HYPERLINK “mailto:[email protected]” [email protected]
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GAZE AT THE BEAUTY OF EARTH’S NATURE.
NOW, START READING.
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20 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
By Peter Brul & Bo Van elzakker
Where does your chocolate come from?
CocoaCocoa is the basis for one of the world’s most popular treats: chocolate. Cocoa is predomi-nantly a smallholders’ crop. it is estimated that some five million farming families around the world grow cocoa on 7.5 million hectares. it provides a means of livelihood for up to 40 mil-lion people. it is mainly grown within 10 degrees of the equator and production is heavily con-centrated in the West African countries of the ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ghana and nigeria. The fruit is harvested twice a year in the form of a main crop and a mid-crop, which provides lower yields.
21ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
mArKET
in 2010 global cocoa production was
around 4.3 million tonnes (iCCO).
besides organic, there is also fair Trade,
Rainforest Alliance and utz Certified
cocoa. Altogether certified sustainable
cocoa production was around 275,000
tonnes in 2010 and the certified market
share almost doubled from 3% to nearly
6% between 2009 and 2010. Certified
organic production continued to grow to
more than 45,000 tonnes (circa 1% of the
total) in 2011.
in the year 2000 11,680 tonnes of certi-
fied organic cocoa was produced in 13
countries, but strangely not in the main
cocoa producing area of West Africa. it
was around this time that the first organic
cocoa projects got off the ground in
Africa. by 2011 world production had
increased to around 45,000 tonnes. This
growth rate is far beyond average growth
within the global organic sector, which
runs at more than 10% per year. However,
the volumes of certified cocoa grown do
not equal the volumes sold.
Organic chocolate has increased in popu-
larity during the last ten years and is now
manufactured by several producers and
available in health food shops and super-
markets in the usA and Europe. in 2011,
organic chocolate posted almost 20%
growth in the usA. Overall, the global
market for organic chocolate products
was probably worth a little less than us$
1 billion in 2012. A large part of that is not
only certified organic but also fair Trade
labelled. The organic chocolate market
also shows a trend towards purer choco-
late, with a higher cocoa content (up to
70%). by contrast, milk chocolate may
contain just 25% cocoa with the rest con-
sisting of sugar and milk powder.
Cocoa, like coffee, is best cultivated
under the shade of native canopy trees in
a landscape that mimics the natural for-
est. such agroforestry systems conserve
the habitats of plant and animal species;
protect the natural pollinators of cocoa
and the natural predators of its pests, and
create beneficial microclimates and bio-
logical corridors that maintain biodiversity
and the stability of ecosystems. shade
trees in an agro-forestry system should
include species of economic value, pro-
ducing timber or fruits. However, in many
countries, farmers have been growing
cocoa in a kind of shifting cultivation, cut-
ting down forests to open up new fields
once the old field becomes tired. Modern
cocoa farming does not use shade trees,
as this improves yields in the short-term.
However, this method is only suitable for
hybrid plants that require the applica-
tion of agrochemicals. Growing cocoa
in full sun leads to more weeds that
require pesticides. it also increases ero-
sion and run-off; compaction and water
contamination. in these modern systems
the fields are generally abandoned after
30 years because of soil degradation. in
contrast to this, an organic agro-forestry
system can be productive over a very
long period of time, provided that farm-
ers are trained in improving soil fertility
(composting, recycling, green manure and
other measures), renewing the trees and
increasing the diversity of valuable crops.
sustainable cocoa production has often
been rather neglected: iCCO, the cocoa
boards, cooperatives and small farmers
have not invested enough in nurseries,
replanting, maintaining soil fertility, and
certainly not in the ecosystem in which
cocoa thrives. it appears that the world
has reached ‘peak Cocoa’. production is
stagnant. Consumption is increasing and
there are hardly any rainforests left to cut
down. Current cocoa production needs
to be more productive and to become
sustainable. in the last five years there
has been a change in attitude. Large
chocolate companies such as Mars,
nestlé and Kraft are trying to work with
governments, cocoa boards and farm-
ers’ cooperatives to improve production.
unfortunately this often leads to intro-
ducing short cycle hybrid crops without
shade trees and using more artificial
fertilisers and pesticides, which means a
further loss of biodiversity and a negative
impact on the environment. At the end
of the day it is questionable whether it is
the farmers who profit from the improved
yield, or other stakeholders further up
the chain. The challenge is to start larger
programmes using more sustainable
production systems such as organic and
agroecological ones.
The international Cocoa
Organisation (iCCO), which
is based in the uK, con-
stantly monitors the world cocoa market.
Every month, it reviews recent market
developments, together with longer-term
trends and forecasts. Any findings resulting
from studies and analyses are subsequently
translated into recommendations and action
plans. These include initiatives to work in
co-operation with governments in cocoa
producing countries to improve the provision
of cocoa market information to smallholder
cocoa farmers (www.icco.org).
ICCO
it aPPearS that the world haS reached ‘Peak
cocoa’.
22 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
Table 1:
Volumes certified
2010 2011
fair trade 106,400 150,000
Rain forest 56,000 98,000
utz 70,000 214,000
Organic 42,500 45,000
(tonnes)
Cocoa production under the Rainfor-
est Alliance (RA) is increasing in Latin
America and West Africa. interestingly,
some organic buyers insist on the combi-
nation of organic with RA as this is a bet-
ter guarantee of social and environmental
sustainability. RA standards are much
stricter in prescribing fair employment
conditions and nature conservation meas-
ures (including buffer zones and shade
trees) than organic standards.
uTZ certified is a sustainability labelling
organisation based in the netherlands
that mainly works for and with the large
market players. it started off with coffee
and now works in cocoa for key indus-
try members such as Mars, nestlé and
Heinz. its goal is to create a certification
and traceability programme for socially
and environmentally responsible cocoa
production that meets the needs of both
producers and markets.
A cost-benefit analysis by KpMG in
2012 showed that incomes from certified
producers are much higher than in non-
certified production. These certification
programmes are an improvement but do
they guarantee long-term sustainability?
does organic certification provide that
guarantee?
Child labour and cocoa
in 2000, the u.s. state department
reported that as many as 15,000 children
between the ages of nine and twelve had
been sold into forced labour on cotton,
coffee and cocoa plantations in the ivory
Coast. The increased exposure of the
practice and consumer disgust at this has
prompted action. The presence of child
labour forced the conservative cocoa sec-
tor to open up to consumer concerns. A
little later, environmental sustainability was
added as another major issue.
several different sustainability pro-
grammes for cocoa have since been
established, which include social criteria.
There are fLO (fair Trade) certified cocoa
producer associations in 12 countries.
Their production levels are low but
increasing. in January 2013, the interna-
tional Cocoa Organisation (iCCO) report-
ed: “Most fair Trade producer organisa-
tions in Latin America are also certified
as organic. They joined fair Trade first,
worked on their businesses and once they
reached a certain level of organisational
development, they converted to organic
production. in this case, they used the
fair Trade premium funds to invest in the
infrastructure and fees needed for organic
certification. The fair Trade minimum
price is $1600/tonne + $150 premium.
When the new york price is higher than
$1600, the fair Trade price is the new
york price + $150. Other benefits for cer-
tified producer organisations are better
capacity building and market access”.
The market for organic cocoa beans is
dominated by a few companies. The four
leading companies in Europe are pro-
natec and barry Callebaut (both swiss),
Mapryser (spanish) and Tradin Organic, (a
dutch based daughter of sunopta). Tradin
plans to open a new cocoa grinding facil-
ity in the netherlands in mid-2013. This
facility will specialise in processing certi-
fied cocoa beans into derivatives, such
as cocoa powder, butter and liquor. The
investment in a new factory is a clear sign
that there is a bright future for these prod-
ucts. iCAM in italy is the largest organic
chocolate maker, producing chocolate for
major European brands.
These traders deliver cocoa liquor, but-
ter and powder, and other ingredients to
different organic chocolate makers such
as blanxart, Callebaut, dagoba, Green
& black’s, newman’s, Rapunzel, Tcho,
Theo, valrhona and vivani. Often organic
retailers have their own brands of organic
chocolate. in many countries organic
chocolate can also be ordered through
the internet. Go and get it!
A study in 2011 identified 27 different
organic cocoa projects in nine African
countries. in 2013, another four were
added to this list. some of these pro-
jects have been in existence for ten years or more, such as the french company
Koaka which operates in sao Tome and Madagascar, and Callebaut working in
Tanzania, the ivory Coast and sierra Leone. beans from these projects are not sold
on the international market but are sold in processed form. Other projects have
been developed and perhaps exported once or twice but could not maintain them-
selves. such projects may fail for a variety of reasons: donor funding can run out,
it may be difficult to find a suitable buyer or to communicate in the international
market place, or there is insufficient access to trade finance. some projects have
had organic beans available at harvest but did not find an organic buyer, so sold
the produce as conventional, only to be approached by an organic buyer some
months later. synchronising supply and demand is often difficult. Although there
are problems, however, the potential is definitely there.
From: ‘A survey of certified organic cocoa in Africa and an analysis of the problems and opportuni-ties in the export market’, by Niyi Olabiran, 2011, Van Hall Larenstein-Wageningen / AgroEco-LBI.
Farmers finding markets
Cocoa project Philippines
Orange project Mexico
ProjectVietnam
Sesame projectEthiopia
Over the years Tradin has initiated a number of own projects. These projects are the backbone of Tradin’s trade activities:• Sesame and Green Coffee from Ethiopia.• Frozen Fruit from Serbia and Bulgaria.• Original Basmati Rice from Pakistan.• Vietnam’s Cashews, Pineapples and Passion fruit.• The Seeds and Pulses from China.• Iranian Raisins.• Coconut Oil from Indonesia.• Cocoa and Banana Chips from the Philippines.• Orange Juice and Pink Grapefruit Juice from Mexico. These projects do not only supply safer raw materials, but also they are exemplary and have a positive spill-off effect in their regions. Beyond the organic agricultural techniques, sustainability, CO
2 footprint, and Fair Trade concerns are at our top priority, all these characteristics have been embraced into our daily operations to provide the best possible social organic products with the smallest environmental impact.
Organic Raw Materials – The Safer Choice
Fruit project Serbia
Consumers expect a lot from Organic products:health, safety, well-being and environmental friendliness. Food producers therefore need appropriate organic raw materials and Tradin Organic Agriculture BV provides these: certifi ed, controlled, analysed organic raw materials. A wide range of products is being imported from over 36 countries all over the world, coming from well established packers and processors: Dried Fruits and Nuts / Seeds, Pulses and Grains / Cocoa products / Juices, Purees and Concentrates / Sweeteners / Fats and Oils / Frozen Fruit and more. From the cultivation, to the harvesting and further processing or refi ning Tradin is present. We can organize, control and manage all part of our supply chain, allowing us to meet the expectations of our customers. Therefore, we can provide a full traceability report to each of our customers for each products.
bringing well-being to life
More projects in China, Iran, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Pakistan...
Tradin BV – Your source for organic raw materials
Bernward geier
The Global Seed Alliance
SOS
25ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
This is a dangerous threat to our food
security. Most people are still unaware
of this development towards a seed dicta-
torship and do not realise what disastrous
consequences it could have. fortunately
the threat has mobilised resistance. Here
the resistance not only involves political
action and lobbying but also, and perhaps
most importantly, actions by seed grow-
ers and multipliers and in peoples’ fields
and gardens.
sEEd in nEEd
for thousands of years, farmers have
practised seed production and we owe
them a debt of gratitude for the enormous
crop diversity they have generated. farm-
ers’ reproduction of their own seed mate-
rial is crucial to preserving biodiversity,
enables them to maintain their independ-
ence and guarantees the voluntary (and
often free) exchange of seeds. but now
seed freedom is under extreme threat
from new technologies, such as genetic
manipulation and in particular, from pat-
ents that transform seed from a public
good to a commodity that is controlled by
multinational corporations. The develop-
ment of hybrids, sterile seeds and genetic
engineering in particular prevents farm-
ers from reproducing seed and threatens
future food security.
This could erode fundamental freedoms.
The companies that have so success-
fully brought seeds under their control are
mainly those who originally benefited from
the war industry. After the second World
War they evolved into the agricultural
chemical industry, and are now becoming
‘bio-pirates’, hijacking the world’s seed
supply. The main victims are peasants
and farmers who are increasingly losing
the diversity of their seeds and becoming
enslaved by these multinational corpora-
tions and moneylenders. india has been
one of the hardest hit countries. since the
introduction of GM cotton into india, there
have been an estimated 250,000 suicides
by cotton-producing farmers who fell
hopelessly into debt as a result of buying
patented genetically engineered seeds
from Monsanto.
The freedom to save and sow seeds
Worldwide, there are hundreds of organi-
sations and institutions, and millions of
seed multipliers and defenders who are
committed to defending seed freedom.
These people think within a global context
but act locally. until now, however, there
has been no global alliance to develop
synergy between these activists. To fill
this gap the Global seed Alliance was
formed last year under the leadership of
the indian activist and eco-feminist van-
dana shiva, winner of the Right Livelihood
Award (the ‘alternative’ nobel prize). With
the help of navdanya and many friends
around the world she has published a
global citizens’ report entitled ‘seed
freedom’. This is a unique work of over
Crops and seeds are not only a source of life. They are also a fundamental precondition for our being. in the last 20 years, there has been a tremendous con-centration of the control of seeds by a handful of mul-tinational corporations. This has been accompanied by a rapid erosion of both seed diversity and seed independence.
‘Since the introduction oF gm cotton into india, there haVe
Been an eStimated 250,000 SuicideS By cotton-Producing FarmerS who Fell hoPeleSSly into
deBt’
AGro BIodIvErSITY
26 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
tions of the multinational seed corpora-
tions. Companies such as Monsanto
have multi-million dollar budgets: it is
therefore better to coordinate resistance
in a way that empowers the millions of
people who are already active. priority
must be given to informing people, but
above all the political leaders, about the
‘state of emergency’ concerning seeds.
The ultimate objective is the ambitious
target of abolishing unlawful instruments
that patent seeds and laws that criminal-
ise the reproduction of seed.
The publication of the seed Report was
timed to coincide with the launch of the
Global seed Alliance and its first globally
coordinated action. in the two weeks
between Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday
(2nd October) and World food day (the
16th October) 2012, 160 actions and
activities to liberate seed were held all
over the world. They ranged from the
exchange of seed at free markets to
actions of civil disobedience that fol-
lowed in the spirit of Gandhi. With the
rapid increase in the seed Alliance’s
organisational capacity and ongoing
networking, there are plans for a much
larger signal of resistance in the same
two weeks this year.
Organic agriculture is a central pillar in
the struggle for seed freedom. ifOAM
contributed to the seed report and many
of the initiatives discussed are from the
organic movement. Humberto Rios from
Cuba, a finalist in the 2012 One World
Award, drew up a fascinating report of
best practice. Organic agriculture has a
very specific interest and need for free
seeds and has also developed a lot of
solutions. The organic movement should
play an active role in this new alliance,
fully support its political struggle and
share the solutions we have developed.
GET pERsOnALLy ACTivE
The seed Alliance needs the commitment
of many individuals. seed is the first link
in the food chain. Consumers are the
last, crucial link. What we don’t buy will
not be seeded and grown. in addition to
our consumer behaviour there is also the
need to change the political framework
and to abolish exploitative seed laws.
The first step that any individual can take
here is to sign the Global seed Alliance’s
‘declaration on seed freedom’. The tar-
get is to get one million signatures for the
declaration. if all members and support-
ers of ifOAM members and associates
were to sign this and encourage organic
consumers to do so, this would have a
huge impact.
You can sign the declaration on www.navdanya.org.Bernward Geier [email protected]
320 pages, which highlights the alarm-
ing threat to seed freedom. it provides
a necessary wake-up call by drawing
together a wealth of existing information,
including a large report on the subject of
genetic engineering ‘The genetic engi-
neering emperor wears no clothes’. The
study was supported by more than 100
organisations, institutions and networks
who were involved in creating it. There
are inspiring reports compiled by seed
savers and growers from each continent.
These reports look at past initiatives,
but focus on what is happening now,
showing how diverse resistance is and
how people from all around the world
are engaged in fighting to liberate the
planet’s seed stock.
The report is illustrated with beautiful
photos and paintings that show how
diverse the existing alternatives already
are, and how it is possible to cre-
ate a future full of diversity, controlled
by human communities instead of a
future dominated by monocultures and
monopolies. This book is a feast for the
eyes with beautiful drawings and paint-
ings, as well as wonderful poems. The
complete report can be downloaded
from navdanya’s website: www.navdan-
ya.org.
THE nEW sEEd ALLiAnCE
Activists of the seed movement have
been well connected, but mainly at
national level. Although the ‘Let’s liber-
ate diversity’ movement has existed in
Europe since 2005 until now there has
been no global network to unite seed
growers and multipliers and political
activists and defenders of seed freedom.
such international cooperation, which
has the potential to generate synergies,
is urgently needed to resist the machina-
‘in octoBer 2012 160 actionS and
actiVitieS to liBerate Seed were held all oVer the
world’.
AGro BIodIvErSITY
PrIOrITy muST Be GIveN TO INFOrmING PeOPle, BuT ABOve All The POlITICAl leADerS, ABOuT The ‘STATe OF emerGeNCy’ CONCerNING SeeDS.
28 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
29ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
Doug Tompkin’s laguna Blanca in Argentina:
“A good farm is a beautiful farm”
phoTo ImprESSIoN
30 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
photo description
Signs of revival
roB Sexton
31ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
The uK’s organic market has been in sharp decline since the start of the global financial crisis. in 2008, the uK market was valued at £2.1 billion and had been growing at over 10% per year for the past decade. since 2008, the market has fallen every single year – bucking the trend in organic markets almost everywhere else in the world. While uK organic sales have fallen by 22% since 2008, global sales have risen by 25.1%.
Why is the uK market so unusual? What
lessons can be learnt? And what does
the future hold? The soil Association’s
Organic Market Report 2013 provides
a robust assessment of this disturbing
trend, and there is much to discuss. it
shows that current sales patterns are
improving and the decline in the uK
market is rapidly slowing. sales in 2012
experienced a slight dip of 1.5%, that in
a year that the uK re-entered recession.
The uK organic market now stands at
£1.64 billion – still the third largest organic market in Europe,
behind Germany and france. Globally the market is dominated
by the usA, which accounts for 44% of global sales. The 2013
Organic Market Report highlights some significant new trends
and predicts that the uK organic market should soon bounce
back.
young shoppers are leading the way. in 2012 ethically aware
consumers under 35 significantly increased their average
spend on organic products. The youngest category of shop-
pers (under 28 years of age) spent more on organic food in
2012 than in previous years. This is a new trend that we have
noticed in the last two years and its scale is growing: specific
examples include the 15% growth in sales to students at
planet Organic stores.
Online and independent. The uK’s organic shoppers are
increasingly choosing the convenience and variety offered by
online shopping and specialist stores
over the inconvenience and frustration
of finding more limited ranges and stock
at many supermarkets. Online and box
scheme sales grew by 4.4% and inde-
pendent store sales grew by nearly 1%.
dedicated organic grocery stores saw a
growth of up to 10%.
The catering sector is also opening up.
belatedly, compared with the rest of
Europe, and uniquely without any gov-
ernment support at all, the organic catering market is begin-
ning to develop in the uK. Organic catering and restaurant
sales rose by 1.6% in 2012, despite a general tendency to eat
out less often in tough economic times. The soil Association’s
food for Life Catering Mark is filling the gap left by the uK
government’s procurement policies. Over 140 million meals
are now part of this award scheme, which certifies caterers
who use healthy, fresh, seasonal and, at silver and gold levels,
organic food. This labelling scheme covers schools, hospi-
tals, universities, nurseries, care homes and workplaces. it is
putting healthy, sustainable eating at the top of the catering
agenda, despite inaction from the uK government (although an
honourable exception should be made for the scottish parlia-
ment).
These patterns show a positive future for the uK organic mar-
ket. yet the uK organic market faces very different challenges
than most other similarly placed countries.
CoUNTrY proFILE
the uk market iS dominated By multiPle retailerS
32 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
The uK grocery market is unique in the
extent to which it is dominated by a
small number of large retailers – the
‘big four’ account for over 80% of all
grocery sales. They claim that they only
stock products that people want to buy,
but when the first recession hit in 2008, they made sweep-
ing reductions in organic ranges, and increased their range of
economy products. not surprisingly with less available choice,
organic sales declined, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Waitrose has been a notable exception and has continued to
invest in organic products. Organic sales now account for 5%
of their total sales and continue to grow year on year.
The lack of investment in organic ranges is most marked when
looking at own label organic sales at the major retailers. sales
of organic own label products fell by 11.2% in 2012, although
organic brands grew by 2.2%. This is the biggest difference
we have seen and it is fair to say that the decline in retailer
own label organic products is single-handedly responsible for
keeping the uK organic market in a state of decline.
sales of organic products in the Eu have increased by more
than 25% since the start of the global economic downturn in
2008. Our government has much to learn from its European
counterparts, who have been backing the organic sector
strongly through a combination of environmentally-based
producer support, firm targets for public sector procurement
of organic food and investment in the promotion of organic
products.
in the last 10 years, the uK has fallen from
2nd in the league table of government
support for organic food and farming, to
2nd from bottom. This is a pretty damning
statistic. Elsewhere in Europe the situa-
tion is markedly different; for example, the
danish organic action plan target is 60%
organic food in all public canteens.
several supermarkets turned their predictions of falling demand
for organic food into a self-fulfilling prophecy by dramatically
cutting back on organic ranges and shelf space, reducing
the availability for shoppers who wanted to carry on buying
organic. This has triggered disproportionate cuts in the pro-
duction of some commodities, such as eggs, causing supply
challenges. it is important for retailers to work more closely
than ever with their organic suppliers to ensure higher farm-
gate prices, forward planning and decent forward contracts,
all of which are needed to restore producer confidence and
safeguard future supplies.
despite relative neglect from policy makers and some super-
markets, there is much cause for optimism, due to the success
of specialist retailers, the enthusiasm of young shoppers and
the long-overdue questions being asked about our reliance on
cheap, low-quality, untraceable food (especially in the wake
of the horsemeat scandal). it is difficult to anticipate precisely
when the uK organic market will return to growth, but we are
increasingly confident that it will do so in the near future.
Rob Sexton is Chief Executive of the Soil Association Certification Ltd. E-mail [email protected]
The Soil Association’s Organic Market Report 2013 report can be found at http://www.soilassociation.org/marketreport
our goVernment iS out oF SteP
The UK market is dominated by multiple retailers
Our government is out of step
Supply shortages threaten growth
33ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
mArKETS
vested interests from the agri-chemical and global food indu-stries have identified organic food and farming as the major obstacle to achieving their goals of more control over the food sector.
opINIoN
Developing a Communication Strategy for the Organic Sector
in the past the organic sector has had only limit-
ed success in getting its message across to the
consumer. firstly, the issue of food quality and
environmental impact only concerns a section of
our society (estimated at around 25%). secondly,
the message itself is rather complicated as it
touches so many aspects it can be difficult for
the consumer to follow the debate and make up
his or her mind. food produced without synthetic
fertilisers and pesticides are the main criteria
that consumers recall when asked about organic
food.
it also needs to be remembered that the organic
message is not static; it evolves, is shaped by
events, and influenced by food scandals, opinion
leaders or new scientific research results.
JoSeF Finke
- - - >
34 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
On the basis of this scenario industries, representing vest-
ed interests, have developed the following strategy, which
has been confirmed by the Cornucopia institute in the us
and follows the same patterns as the campaign to discredit
those who warn about climate change, orchestrated by
vested interests in the us. The latter strategy has been so
‘successful’ that no statement is published in the us media
without being followed by a contrasting statement from the
climate change deniers.
1 science is the chosen route providing the basis for their
message. in today’s world we are used to believing in and
following scientifically based information and knowledge.
2 High profile people with an unquestioned level of compe-
tence, credibility and authority are chosen as messengers.
When the message exceeds the understanding of the con-
sumer, the messenger becomes a decisive part of the mes-
sage. On this basis they have selected scientists, profes-
sors, academics, ‘reputable’ journalists and other ‘experts’.
no consumer of course knows that these messengers are
being paid to deliver the message.
3 They shape the message by starting with research results
from recognised universities, taking fragments of this
research out of context and presenting them in isolation
so as to show organic food and farming in a negative light.
The message can also be shaped by designing research in
a way that guarantees the desired outcome, using flawed
research methods. The aim is to confuse consumers and
make them doubt the benefits of organic farming and food.
4 This strategy is complimented by attempts from a biased
sector of the ‘scientific community’, which, using the same
flawed methods, plays down the harmful role and effects of
pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and food additives in con-
ventional agriculture and food.
5 At the same time the organic sector is discredited by
portraying its representatives as dreamers, romantics,
yesterday’s men, not for today’s world, hopeless idealists,
heads-in the-clouds, incompetent scientists, elitist or too
affluent.
now consumers find themselves increasingly exposed to a
situation where any positive claims about organic food are
immediately contradicted by ‘credible’ scientists and they
This is their strategy
do not see the Machiavellian strategy behind it. The result
is that consumers, now confused by these statements take
a step back and their belief in organic food and farming
has been replaced by uncertainty.
Where does this leave the organic community? Entering the
academic debate trying to counteract this cannot be the
solution. The past shows that every argument will be fol-
lowed by a counter argument. Whereas serious scientists
work thoroughly, with peer-reviews to back up their state-
ments, these ‘bought’ scientists, working for vested inter-
ests, throw out statements that are biased and not backed
by proper science. They know, once their position is out
in the public realm, that their job has been done: the mes-
sage has been delivered and made consumers insecure. it
will take more time again for the serious scientists to prove
that their claims were wrong. This will then be replaced by
another ‘scientific’ statement and the whole game starts
again. Eventually the consumer switches off and stops lis-
tening to the debate.
A better communication strategy with the consumer is to
leave the academic debate to academics and to focus
consumer communication around a ‘common sense’ posi-
tion. unfortunately the organic debate has become quite
removed from its origins. Reliance on academic mes-
sengers has taken the issue of organic farming away from
farmers and citizens. it seems that today only scientists are
qualified to have an opinion about organic farming. This is
wrong. Organic food and farming is, and always has been
an issue for concerned farmers and citizens. This common
sense element must be brought back into the debate.
Common sense is simple, understandable by everyone,
down to earth and leaves no room for arguing. it puts the
ball firmly back into the court of the consumer, allowing
him or her to make a judgement and form an opinion. We
must remember that this is about forming a perception
among the general public. but at the same time it forms a
back drop and reassures organic producers who can use
this for their own communications.
The mantras of the industry opposed to organic farm-
ing (e.g. organic farming cannot feed the world) must be
matched by our own mantras; and the mantras must be
simple.
The following (next page) is an
example of what this could look like. - - - >
35ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
1 Avoiding food sprayed with pesti-
cides can eliminate several health risks.
(scientific studies have linked pes-
ticides to autism, Attention deficit
Hyperactivity disorder, parkinson’s and,
Alzheimer’s diseases and cancer. now
researchers at the Albert Einstein Col-
lege of Medicine of yeshiva university
have found an association with food
allergies).
2 A farming system which produces healthy animals is bet-
ter than mass animal production systems which depend on
high levels of medication.
(Multi Resistant strains of Antibiotics (MRsA) are the result
of irresponsible overuse of antibiotics, especially in ani-
mal feed in conventional farming. 80% of all antibiotics
produced are now destined for animal feed. What are we
going to do when these antibiotics won’t work anymore?
And what are the possible consequences for the effective-
ness of antibiotics among humans?)
3 A tasty, naturally-grown tomato is better than a watered-
up, fertiliser-pushed tomato.
(Chemical fertilisers increase the water content in vegeta-
bles by an average of 20%, which means that, even at an
organic premium of 20%, you are paying the same price as
conventional food on a dry matter basis).
4 A farming system which protects bio-diversity is better
than one that leads to its continuous decline.
(Large scale industrial farming practices have led to an
irreversible decline in bio-diversity. The latest victims are
bees who are dying from exposure to nicotine based seed
dressings. One third of our food depends on pollination
through bees).
5 A vibrant, diverse food culture is better than an industrial
food sector where power is concentrated in ever-fewer
hands.
(food diversity is under threat from GM tech-
nology which gives patent protection and
thereby ultimate control over our food to a
small number of profit-driven global compa-
nies).
6 A sustainable form of food production is
better than industrial farming methods which
exploit the soil for short term gains.
(The world is fed by a few inches of top soil.
This top soil, which needs to be protected and cared for, is
being lost in industrial farming at an alarming rate. if we want
to feed the world of tomorrow the only answer is to sustain
the soil – through organic farming).
7 i don’t have to be concerned about E numbers if these are
not in my food
(The human body is not equipped to protect itself from most
synthetic chemicals and our immune system is not capa-
ble of processing or removing these. Tests of thousands
of volunteers have discovered an average of 700 different
synthetic chemicals in their bodies, absorbed through food,
water and the air. Children today particularly show a lack
of concentration, aggression, hyper activity, mood swings
and a range of allergies never before witnessed, and there
is evidence to link all of these changes (at least partially) to
synthetic chemicals in food. Organic food is the most strictly
regulated food sector in Europe and covers not only farm-
ing but also processing.), with artificial additives not being
allowed.
We must remain aware that the companies and lobby groups
seeking to discredit the organic sector are very well organ-
ised internationally and have harmonised strategies. As such
they will always be ahead of the organic sector as long as it
organised at national level. it is vital that European organic
organisations see and accept the need for a common com-
munication strategy. This process should start as soon as
possible. i encourage European organic organisations to
team up and get working on this common strategy.
Josef Finke runs an organic farm in Co. Tipperary, Ireland [email protected]
Putting common sense into food
Consumers are getting increasingly confused. Just when one scientist states a new finding
another scientist comes along and claims the opposite. for consumers it is not always easy to
know when and where vested interests are involved. perhaps common sense is a good advisor in
this situation. Here is some common sense advice for confused consumers.
opINIoN
36 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
The global market for organic food and non-food production
Peter Brul
ING BANk (NOT kNOwN AS The
‘GreeNeST’ OF BANkS) rePOrTS ThAT
The DuTCh OrGANIC mArkeT IS GrOwING FASTer ThAN The ChINeSe eCONOmy
Calculating the value of organic chains
despite a recession and difficult eco-
nomic conditions in the two main
markets for organic products, Europe and
the united states, the market share and
volume of organic products has continued
to grow in recent years. The worldwide
acreage of organic land is also growing.
However the relationship between the two
is not always straightforward.
The world’s organic market is made up of
a number of segments. by far the most
important market is that for food and bev-
erages. Western Europe and north Amer-
ica account for more than 95% of the
world market for certified organic foods.
The consumption of organic products per
head is more or less the same in the usA
and north-western Europe, around €57
per person in 2011. in Europe as a whole
the average was €24 per person, but in
denmark and switzerland it was more
than €130. Other markets, such as brazil,
China, Russia, Turkey and the Middle East
are growing strongly, but only make up a
small part of the entire market. Almost all
countries apart from the us, Canada and
north-western Europe are net exporters of
organic products.
Organic farming is regulated by law in the
us and Europe, so the statistical data on
acreage and turnover in organic foods
are pretty reliable. This is much less the
case for the markets for organic textiles
(mainly cotton) and cosmetics and well-
ness products. These markets are also
quite large and have grown fast over the
last ten years.
mArKETS
Organic cotton is mainly certified through
the Global Organic Textile standard (GOTs).
The number of facilities certified by GOTs
increased by 11% in 2012, growing from
2,714 facilities in 2011 to 3,016 facilities
in 2012. The countries with the most pro-
cessing facilities are india (with 1062 certi-
fied), Turkey (400) and China (252). Market
demand in Europe grew by more than 20%
for the second year in a row.
india is by far the largest producer of organ-
ic cotton, producing just over 100,000 tons
of cotton fibre in 2010-11 on nearly 250,000
hectares of certified land. The top ten cus-
tomers of organic cotton through the Textile
Exchange are mainly large textile retail
chains: H & M (sweden), C & A (belgium),
nike, inc. (usA), inditex (Zara) (spain), Adi-
das (Germany), Green source (usA), Anvil
(usA), Target (usA), disney Consumer prod-
ucts (usA) and the Otto Group (Germany).
Table 1 (based mainly on figures from the
Textile Exchange) shows the growth in the
global organic textile market over the last
five years.
Wellness
The third significant market segment is for
cosmetics, skin care and widely used natu-
ral medicines such as arnica, neem and
echinacea. This segment is also not covered
by the regulations and there no clear dis-
tinction between ‘natural‘ and organic prod-
ucts. some large producers consistently use
organic ingredients, and this is an integral
part of their corporate identity and their
brands, but there is no organic label on the
packaging. According to market researcher
Textiles
Less than 30 years ago, the first certified
organic cotton was grown, spun and then
woven into t-shirts and other products.
now there are more than two hundred
thousand organic cotton growers around
the world and the market is worth approx-
imately €5.65 billion. Organic cotton is
grown in 22 countries: the leading ten (in
rank order) are india, Turkey, syria, Tanza-
nia, China, united states, uganda, peru,
Egypt and burkina faso. Textiles are not
regulated under European organic legisla-
tion and this almost inevitably means that
the data are far less reliable than for food-
stuffs. in addition to organic cotton there
is a range of environmental and sustain-
ability labels for cotton. Large textile com-
panies often mix organic and conventional
cotton. They bring the products to the
market without organic certification to ful-
fil their own overall sustainability criteria.
The textiles industry is also under con-
siderable pressure to significantly reduce
pollution. Conventional cotton cultivation
involves intensive pesticide use, cot-
ton is a large consumer of scarce water
resources and the processing of cotton
(including bleaching and dyeing) involves
extremely polluting processes that dye
rivers in developing countries red, blue
or purple, depending on the fashions of
the day. Only a few of the environmental
improvements in the textile industry are
associated with certified organic produc-
tion; far more improvements come in
small steps or are made by the industry’s
own environmental labels.
ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013 37
38 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
Calculating the value of the organic chain
fibL produce pretty reliable global organ-
ic statistical data every year. According
to their latest report there were 37 million
hectares of certified organic land in 2011
in 162 countries. One hectare of organic
land thus represents a retail value of
almost $1900. However there is a huge
difference between intensive production
in countries where the organic markets
are strong and low input production in
exporting countries. for example, the
dutch organic market is worth around
€750 million, the sector exports around
€550 million worth of produce a year
and imports account for €300 million. so
dutch production has a retail value of
about €1 billion, grown on 47,400 ha. This
gives a retail value per ha of a little over
€ 20,000. One hectare of organic wheat
provides around €1875 for the farmer and
around € 27,000 retail value (9000 x 800
gram loaves of bread). in north-western
Europe and the usA, which make up more
than 95% of the world market there is a
strong link between production and market
value. virtually all organic produce is sold
as certified organic products, unless the
quality is poor or there is temporary over-
production of certain products.
some segments are still hidden
in many other regions, the link between
organic production and organic market-
ing is weak or almost non-existent. Only a
part (sometimes a small part) of the total
production goes into organic export chains.
for example, a family farm in Ethiopia pro-
duces all the food for a large family, and
will use less than 20% of the land for their
cash crop, coffee. The domestic market
for organic produce is almost non-existent.
but in neighbouring Kenya, there is a
small organic market, with shops, farmers
markets and consumer groups. Organic
produce sold on these local markets is gen-
erally not certified by third party certifiers,
as this would increase the prices too much
without adding much value. so both these
forms of organic production and market-
ing are totally under the statisticians’ radar,
suggesting that the organic market is larger
than we generally believe.
in 2011, the gloBal market
For organic ProductS
waS 70 Billion dollarS
Kline & Company, the total market for nat-
ural cosmetics and natural care products,
(including organic ones) was 26.3 billion
in 2012, twice the size it was in 2005.
This is about 12% of the total market
of €210 billion, i.e. €160 billion. Organic
cosmetics account for around 3% of the
total global market in 2012. The German
natural cosmetics market alone is worth
€815 million. sales grew rapidly until 2010
(by 11% in 2010 but only 2.5% in 2011
and stagnated last year). However with a
market share of 6.5%, it is still a signifi-
cant market.
70 billion dollars
Taking these three segments into account
we can calculate that the global organic
market was worth some us$70 billion or
€54 billion, 84% of which is accounted
for by food and drink. The organic food
market is still growing, the textile one
probably not, because of lower yields in
india and the cosmetics segment is grow-
ing slowly, probably because of the reces-
sion in Europe. According to the Organic
Trade Association’s 2012 Organic industry
survey the u.s. organic industry grew by
9.5 per cent overall in 2011 to reach $31.5
billion in sales. Of this, the organic food
and beverage sector was valued at $27.4
billion, while the organic non-food sector
reached $2.2 billion.
Table 1:
The global organic textile market in us$
year 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Market $3.2 billion $4.3 billion $5 billion $6.2 billion $7.4 billion
39ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
These pictures (right) are examples of the types of mammary gland tumours (breast cancer) that the scientists found in the rats. source: (seralini et al 2012)
basedon Science
andre leu
GMOs were prohibited by the organic sector primarily due to the use of the precau-tionary principle. The precautionary principle is embodied in ifOAM’s principle of Care. ‘This principle states that precaution and responsibility are the key concerns in management, development and technology choices in organic agriculture. science is necessary to ensure that organic agriculture is healthy, safe and ecologically sound. Organic agriculture should prevent significant risks by adopting appropriate techno-logies and rejecting unpredictable ones, such as genetic engineering.’ This concern about artificially transferring genes between kingdoms and species in a way that has never occurred naturally is now being validated by a large body of science.
Gmo
40 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
GMO’s are currently being pushed as the solution to feed
the world’s ever growing population. This logic has to be
seriously questioned in the light of the scientific studies that
show numerous serious health issues that are connected to the
consumption of GMO food. A long term feeding study found
that rats fed a diet that contains a proportion of GM maize or
minute residues of Roundup has resulted in significantly higher
increases of cancers, kidney disease, liver damage and other
negative health effects. The study led by professor Gilles-Eric
seralini and published in food and Chemical Toxicology has
found that both the GM maize and Roundup acted as endo-
crine disrupters and resulted in the females dying 2 - 3 times
more than the control animals. (seralini et al 2012). The females
that were fed either GM maize or non GM maize with minute
roundup residues, developed large mammary tumours almost
always more often than and before controls. All the non-control
females, except for one that had ovarian cancer, had mammary
hypertrophies (enlarged mammary glands) and in some cases
hyperplasia with atypia (nodules in the mammary glands).
The pituitary gland was the second most disabled organ and
the sex hormonal balance was modified in females fed with the
GMO and Roundup treatments.
The treated males presented 4 times more large palpable
tumours than controls and these occurred up to 600 days ear-
lier. The treated males had liver congestions and necrosis that
were 2.5 - 5.5 times higher than the controls as well as marked
and severe kidney nephropathies (kidney damage) that were
also generally 1.3 - 2.3 greater than the controls.
This study was the first 2 year feeding trial conducted on rats
designed to see the effects of GM over an animal’s lifetime.
Currently, no regulatory authority requests mandatory chronic
animal feeding studies to be performed for edible GMOs. How-
ever, several studies consisting of 90 day rat feeding trials have
been conducted by the biotech industry even though there is no
requirement to do this.
Regulatory authorities use a basic chemical analysis of a GM
variety and compare this with it closest non GM variety. if this
chemical composition is much the same, the GM variety is
declared as substantially equivalent and suitable for uncon-
tained commercial release.
The comparison of the chemical composition of the GM maize
used in this study (nK603) revealed no particular difference
and consequently it was classified as substantially equivalent.
similarly a 90 day feeding trial showed no significant differences
between the controls and the rats fed the GM maize variety.
The results of the 2 year feeding study show that the current
regulatory system for approving GM crops for consumption are
inadequate for assessing the effects of eating these foods over
a normal lifetime.
Multiple Health problems
professor Gilles-Eric séralini and colleagues published a study
that reviewed 19 studies of animals fed with GMO soy and corn
in the peer reviewed scientific journal Environmental sciences
Europe. The studies covered more that 80% of the GMO varie-
ties that are widely cultivated around the world.
Their review found significant levels of negative effects to
kidneys and livers in the animals that were fed GMOs. The
scientists stated: ‘...the kidneys were particularly affected, con-
centrating 43.5% of all disrupted parameters in males, whereas
the liver was more specifically disrupted in females (30.8% of all
disrupted parameters).’
One of the key conclusions is that the current testing method-
ologies, length of feed trials and the parameters measured are
insufficient to evaluate the health problems that are caused by
diets of GMOs. The scientists clearly stated that this lack of
proper testing protocols is socially unacceptable in terms of
consumer health protection. (seralini et al 2011)
GM soy has Adverse Effect on the Offspring
One of the most concerning issues is the negative effects that
occur in the offspring of rats and mice that are fed GM diets.
These effects include increased infant mortality, reduced litter
sizes and reduced body weights of the offspring. in experi-
mental trials male and female mice were fed GM soy and then
mated. The early stage embryos (4-8 cells) showed a temporary
decrease in gene expression. This was not found in embryos
whose parents ate natural non-GM soy. (Oliveri 2006).There is
strong body of science that shows that subtle changes to gene
expression in embryos can cause permanent negative effects
in the development of offspring. A Russian rat study conducted
by dr irina Ermakova and colleagues found that offspring of rats
fed on GM soy had higher levels of mortality than rats fed with
non GMO soy. (Ermakova 2006)
Control Control
The scientists noted that babies of the
rats that were fed GMO diets developed at
slower rate, had lower weights and looked
markedly different than the babies of rates
that were fed non GMO diets.
41ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
difficulties with Conception
dr Ermakova and her colleagues found that the mated offspring
of the GM group did not conceive. This is a serious concern
that needs to be fully investigated with more scientific research.
One of the possible causes for the developmental differences
and the lack of fertility in the offspring of mice that are fed
GMOs is that several studies have found that GMO diets cause
structural changes to the testicles. A study published in the
European Journal of Histochemistry found that testicles of mice
fed GM soy had altered structures and function which influ-
enced sperm development. (vecchio 2004)
Effect on Mothers and Children
The greatest concern for humans is that the toxin from pesti-
cide producing GMOs can be found in bloodstream of women
and their unborn children. A Canadian study published in the
scientific journal, Reproductive Toxicology, found the pesti-
cide toxin from GMO crops in the blood samples of women
and their unborn babies. The GMO toxin was found in 93%of
maternal blood samples and of greater concern in 80%vof fetal
blood samples. (Aris and Leblanc 2011) Given the evidence of
the changes to the offspring of animals fed a GMO diet, this
Canadian study should be the cause of great concern amongst
health professionals and regulators to ensure that the GMO
foods that are currently being consumed are not doing damage
to our future generations.
studies published in the highly respected medical journal The
Lancet and in the peer reviewed Journal nutrition and Health by
dr Arpad pusztai showed multiple serious problems with rats
that were fed GM potatoes. The scientific studies found that the
rats that were fed on the GMO developed smaller brains, livers
and testicles, had partial atrophy of the liver and damage to their
immune system. The studies showed that the rats developed
potentially precancerous cell growth in the linings of their stom-
ach and intestinal walls. (pusztai 2002, Ewen and pusztai 1999)
Gmo
figure 1
non-GM soy group GM-soy group
Control group GM-soy group
non GMO-fed inestinal wall
GMO-fed inestinal wall
stomach wall non-GMO stomach wall GMO
Control group GM-soy group
The photo on the left is the offspring from
mothers fed natural soy. in the lower right
is the GM group.
The GMO group has a significant reduc-
tion in average weight.
The picture on the left is the intestinal wall of
a rat that was fed on non-GMO potato. pic-
ture on right is from a rat that was fed on GM
potato. These types of inflammatory growths
are potentially precancerous and can lead to
bowel cancer, which has become one of the
forms of cancer that is increasing in humans.
The picture on the left is the stomach wall of
a rat that was fed non-GMO potato. On the
right is the stomach wall of a rat that was
fed GM potato. These inflammatory growths
are potentially precancerous.
42 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
GMO soybean products
There are several animal studies that show a range of adverse
effects from consuming GM soybean products. Mice fed GM
soy for 8 months had a profound drop in the amount of diges-
tive enzymes produced by their pancreas. (Malatesta 2002 a,
Malatesta 2003). Researchers also found that the liver cells
were damaged or misshapen and there was altered gene
expression. They found that there was a higher rated metabolic
activity that suggested that the liver was reacting to a toxic
insult. (Malatesta 2002 b)
Control group GM fed
Control group GM fed
Control group GM soy group
Mice livers
Mice livers
Rat livers
The above photos show how the membrane
surrounding the nuclei of liver cells was
more irregular in the GM-fed mice.
The above photos show that within the
nuclei of the liver cells, the structure called
the nucleoli was also misshapen in the GM-
fed mice.
Rats fed GM soy also showed changes in
their livers
bT Corn
in a study by Monsanto made public because of a lawsuit,
rats fed bt corn developed signs of liver and kidney toxicity.
These included kidney inflammation and kidney lesions, and
decreased kidney weight. The latter symptom is typically related
to blood pressure problems. They also developed increased
basophiles which are related to allergies. The study showed that
they had increased lymphocytes or white blood cells which are
part of the immune system indicating a reaction to infection or
possibly disease. There was also a 10% increase in blood sugar
and a 50% decrease in immature red blood cells. (burns 2002,
seralini 2007)
GM Corn
When Liberty Link corn was fed to chickens, twice the number
of chickens died. but the test conducted by the industry was
designed so poorly, even a doubling of the death rate was not
statistically significant. (Leeson 1996)
flaversavr Tomato
The first GM crop that was looked at by the us fdA was the
flavrsavr tomato, engineered to have a longer shelf-life. Cal-
gene, its producers, were the only company to give the united
states fdA raw feeding study data. They did a study with rats
but the rats refused to eat the tomato.
They force fed rats the flavrsavr tomato for 28 days. 7 of 20
rats developed stomach lesions. Another 7 of 40 died within 2
weeks. in the documents made public, scientists said that the
study doesn’t show “a reasonable certainty of no harm.” The
fdA did not block the introduction of the tomato.
The company had created two lines of the GM tomato, both
with the same gene inserted. One was associated with these
high rates of lesions and deaths, the other was not. The com-
pany voluntarily decided to market the one that was not associ-
ated with the rat problems.
This also provides an example of how the same crop inserted
with identical genes, may have very different results. And it pro-
vides a good example of what can go wrong with GMOs. (fdA
1993, pusztai 2002)
GM pea
in Australia, CsiRO researchers took a gene from a kidney bean
which produced proteins that acted as a pesticide, and inserted
it into peas to kill the pea weevil. The researchers did an aller-
gic-type test on mice that no other GMO food crop developer
had done before.
When they exposed mice to the pesticide proteins from the
kidney beans, it caused no reaction. They expected the same
to happen when mice were exposed to the “same” protein pro-
duced by the transgene inside the peas. in fact, the amino acid
sequence was identical in both proteins as the one produced
43ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
by both the bean and the pea. but the mice developed an
inflammatory response to the protein produced in the GM peas.
it was an immune type response that was very dangerous, sug-
gesting that the peas might create a deadly anaphylactic shock
or other types of immune or inflammatory reactions in humans.
To understand why the GMO pea caused the severe allergy
problems, the researchers looked very carefully at the protein
structure and found that the sugars that had attached to it had
a slightly changed pattern. They said it was the slightly changed
pattern of the sugars that made the peas harmful.
The problem is that the potentially deadly GM peas had already
passed all the allergy tests that are normally used to get GM
foods on the market. The only reason they were stopped was
because the crop developer had chosen to use a mice study
that had never been used on any other GM food crop. This
shows that the regulatory system, as practiced, is a failure, and
may be letting deadly allergens on the market. To the credit of
the CsiRO they discontinued bringing the GMO pea to point
where it would be grown commercially. (prescott 2005)
LTrytophan
in the late 1980s an epidemic that killed about 100 Americans
and caused another 5-10,000 to fall sick or become perma-
nently disabled was traced to an amino acid health supplement
called L-tryptophan. Ltryptophan is a common amino acid that
is found in milk products. for many years it was extracted from
milk and sold as health supplement to help people sleep.
A Japanese company showa denko started to produce L-tryp-
tophan from genetically engineering the bacteria. The epidemic
was traced back to the L-tryptophan that was produced from
the genetically engineered bacteria.
it took years to discover that the epidemic was underway. it
required a series of coincidences, plus the fact that the disease
had three concurrent characteristics. The disease:
• Was new with unique symptoms that stood out
• It was acute so people went to doctors or hospitals
• It came on quickly, so they went to doctors right after taking it
According to the Los Angeles Times, July 10, 1991: ‘A Japanese
chemical manufacturer was ordered to pay more than $2 million
to four people who used L-tryptophan, a food supplement linked
to a rare blood disorder that killed at least 27 people. The state
arbitration panel’s order late Monday was the nation’s first dam-
age award against manufacturer showa denko Co., said Turner
branch of Albuquerque, n.M., vice chairman of a steering com-
mittee for attorneys representing L-tryptophan victims.’
The Misconceptions
The GMO protagonists promote the image that they are only
speeding up the natural crossbreeding processes used by farm-
ers and breeders for millennia by inserting the new gene with
the desired trait directly into the new organisms.
This distortion of the facts needs to be corrected.
The natural breeding Misconception
One critical issue is that multiple genes are being transferred
across kingdoms and species such as bacteria, viruses, plants
and animals in ways that do not occur by natural breeding
methods.
All living things are classified according to a ranking system
that starts with species. Closely related species are grouped
together under a rank that is called a Genus. Closely related
Genera (the plural of genus) are grouped together under the
rank of family. Closely related families are grouped together
under the rank of Order. There are seven ranks. starting with
the highest they are: kingdom, phylum or division, class, order,
family, genus, species.
plants, Animals, fungi, viruses and bacteria belong to separate
Kingdoms. natural breeding can take place between some
species that belong to the same genus and very occasionally
between species of different genera. However species that
belong to different families do not breed and definitely spe-
cies that belong to different Kingdoms such as plants, animals,
fungi, bacteria and viruses do not breed in nature. plants for
example do not breed with animals, bacteria or viruses.
Genetic engineering allows for the transfer of genes between
Kingdoms in a way that can never occur naturally. This is
something that has never occurred before and it creates a new
frontier with many uncertainties due to science’s limited under-
standing about genetics.
The single Gene Misconception
The other great misconception is that researchers are only
inserting one new gene.
At this stage science is not sophisticated enough to insert a
single gene and get it to work. To overcome this problem, sci-
entists have to combine the gene with the desired trait (such as
herbicide tolerance or pesticide production) with other genes
that will make it work. Researchers also insert genes that help
them to identify if the new gene is working within the chromo-
some.
This becomes a complex construction of transgenes that can
come from bacterial, viral, fish, plant and other sources.
inserting the Gene sequence
Another misconception is that the gene is neatly inserted into
the cell chromosome. Genes are grouped together inside the
cell in long strands call chromosomes. Researchers use what
can be best described as a shotgun approach when they push
new genes into a chromosome. They either shoot the genetic
material into the target cells, insert it after weakening the cell
Gmo
membrane with an electric shock/chemical, or use a modified
microorganism such as a virus to infect the target cell with the
new genes.
The problem with these approaches is that the researchers do
not know if genes have been inserted into a chromosome and if
they have been inserted they do not know where the new genes
have landed in any of the chromosomes and if they will work.
Antibiotic Resistance Marker Genes
The most common method of discovering if the new gene will
work involves using Antibiotic Resistance Marker Genes. These
genes come from bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. The
marker genes are attached to the gene with the desired trait
(herbicide resistance as an example) and they are shot into the
target cells. These cells are then cultured and an antibiotic is
added. The cells that live have adopted the new genes as they
are resistant to the antibiotic.
These are then grown out as plants. The big problem with these
plants is that every part of the plant has genes for antibiotic
resistance. Many scientists and medical professionals have
expressed concerns about these genes being horizontally trans-
ferred into the gut and mouth bacteria of humans and animals
eating genetically modified food. They are worried that this
could create bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotics needed
to cure infections.
Horizontal gene transfer is where microorganisms take up genes
directly through their cell walls rather than by the normal meth-
od of reproduction. it has been shown to occur with the antibi-
otic resistant super bugs that are now found in many hospitals.
When the potential danger of this was pointed out to the
genetic scientists they dismissed it as impossible. several stud-
ies have since shown that these antibiotic resistance genes can
be transferred to bacteria in as little as two hours after eating
genetically modified food.
new scientist in July 2002 reported on a scientific experiment
that showed that this can happen to bacteria in the human
digestive system: for the first time, it has been proved that bac-
teria in the human gut can take up dnA from genetically modi-
fied food. Currently every commercially released GMO plant has
antibiotic resistance genes in every cell. They should be banned
for this reason alone. Queensland researchers have developed
a fluorescent marker gene that comes from a jellyfish. This gene
can be used to select the cell with the desired trait as they fluo-
resce under an ultraviolet light. This will be a major improvement
in the safety of GMOs over the current technology, however it
does not address the multiplicity of more serious problems.
The Cauliflower Mosaic virus promoter (CaMv)
When foreign dnA is inserted into organisms, three things usu-
ally happen. The most common one is that the foreign dnA is
digested to provide energy and building blocks for the cell. it
can also be rejected. The other response is to close over the
foreign dnA and deactivate it.
All of these responses are defence mechanisms to overcome
attacks by pathogens (disease). The host organism defends
itself by getting rid of the foreign material. This is the reason
why transplant recipients have to take anti-rejection drugs.
When organisms detect foreign dnA a whole range of respons-
es, collectively known as the immune system, can be activated
to repel or destroy the invaders.
When foreign genes are shot/infected into a cell, they tend to be
digested, rejected or closed over. Either way this means that the
target organism will not have the desired trait from the new gene.
To overcome this, genetic scientists build a construction with a
section of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMv). The CaMv gives
the signal that activates or promotes the new gene. it ensures
that the gene is active so that its desired trait, like herbicide
resistance, works in the new plant.
problems with the CaMv
There are several problems with the CaMv. Every current GMO
plant is part virus. Every cell of their bodies contains the active
section of a virus. With billions of these plants now released
into the environment, many scientists believe that there is a
great risk of horizontal transfer of the viral genetic code from
GMO plants into invading viruses, creating new virulent trans-
genic viruses.
The union of Concerned scientists states: ‘Recombination
can occur between the plant-produced viral genes and closely
related genes of incoming viruses. such recombination may
produce viruses that can infect a wider range of hosts or that
may be more virulent than the parent viruses.’
According to dr Mae-Wan Ho of the institute of science in
society, London: ‘GM constructs are designed to cross species
barriers and to invade genomes. in other words, GM constructs
are more likely to transfer horizontally. Genetic engineering will
accelerate the generation of new viruses and bacteria.’
44 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
45ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
When GMO scientists and researchers are questioned on this
the standard reply is that the cauliflower mosaic virus is harm-
less and doesn’t affect humans. Many harmless viruses change
into forms that can be serious. The various forms of the flu are
the classic example. seventy years ago Aids was restricted to
monkeys and didn’t affect humans. sARs is a slightly modified
common cold virus and is now a seriously fatal disease with the
potential for massive epidemics.
According to Helen pearson writing in the journal nature, April
2003: ‘in a simple overnight experiment, researchers trans-
formed a coronavirus that is lethal to cats into one that infects
mouse cells by replacing a single gene. The result strengthens
the idea that the sARs coronavirus might have arisen when
an animal and human virus met and swapped genes, says the
study’s lead scientist’
The fact is no scientist can predict what would happen if trans-
genic viruses and bacteria emerged from GMO plants. it was
only a short time ago these same scientists were saying pollen
drift from GMOs would not affect nearby crops and that the
horizontal transference of antibiotic resistant genes from GMOs
into gut microorganisms was not possible. dr. Mae-Wan Ho
further states: ‘This CaMv promoter is also known to work for
genes all across the living world: in plants, bacteria, fungi, and,
as we discovered recently in the literature more than 10 years
old, also in frog eggs and human cells. it is able to substitute,
in part or in whole, for the promoter of many other viruses.
viruses are not only everywhere in the environment, they also
lie dormant in the genomes of all organisms, bacteria, plants
and animals without exception. And there is evidence that
such dormant viruses can be reactivated as a result of genetic
recombination.’
unstable GM Constructs
A serious problem with the CaMv is that it has been proven to
be unstable within the chromosomes of GMO plants. Research-
ers from the John innes Center, uK one of the world’s major
biotechnology research centres, have found that during field
trails of GM plants, later generations became unstable and
variable. The CaMv moves from one part of a chromosome to
another and activates the new gene next it. This means it ran-
domly causes genes within the plant to work in ways that would
not occur normally. it could lead to all sorts of future problems
like making plants that have small amounts of beneficial phyto
nutrients, express them in toxic amounts cause hormones and
other regulatory functions to be pushed out of balance and
cause future chaos in the genetic makeup of plants and animals
that we do not understand. it is the equivalent of Russian Rou-
lette with dnA.
dr. Mae-Wan Ho sums up the potential dangers of this technol-
ogy: ‘GM constructs are designed to cross species barriers
and to invade genomes. in other words, GM constructs are
more likely to transfer horizontally. Horizontal gene transfer will
increase the opportunity for genetic recombination. The GM
constructs are already of mixed origins, with base sequences
similar to the genetic material of many pathogenic bacteria and
viruses. That, again, as every geneticist should know, will great-
ly increase the probability for genetic recombination, and with a
wide assortment of bacteria and viruses.’
What is most concerning with this is that this viral promoter
gene and other GM constructs have escaped into the wild rela-
tives of GMO plants and also contaminated a sizeable propor-
tion of non GMO crops like corn, canola and soybeans.
The potential danger is being completely ignored by regulatory
authorities, with no ongoing research looking at these poten-
tial pathogenic transgenic viruses and bacteria. dr. Mae-Wan
Ho warns: ‘The scientists set up guidelines, based largely on
assumptions, all of which have fallen by the wayside as the
result of new scientific findings. instead of tightening the guide-
lines, our regulators have relaxed them as commercial pres-
sures built up. it does not take a great feat of imagination to see
why genetic engineering will accelerate the generation of new
viruses and bacteria.’
Lack of Research
Many scientists have expressed concern that the current regu-
latory systems are inadequate in ensuring the safety of GMOs,
professor seralini and his colleague have expressed great
concern over the lack of scientific testing for the adverse health
effects associated with GMOs. They stated: ‘...that it is unac-
ceptable to submit 500 million Europeans and several billions of
consumers worldwide to the new pesticide GM-derived foods
or feed, this being done without more controls (if any) than the
only 3-month-long toxicological tests and using only one mam-
malian species, especially since there is growing evidence of
concern...’ (seralini et al 2011)
Conclusion
We a looking at a large scale uncontrolled experiment and we
do not know the outcomes. Logic and common sense would
state that we need a moratorium on the release of all GMOs
anda until there is good quality, long term peer reviewed sci-
ence that ensures that there are no risks. To do otherwise is to
leave a massive problem for future generations.
never forget that the scientist who invented ddT received a
noble prize because of the immense benefits this discovery
was supposed to bring to the world. We are still paying the
hidden price of a lack of understanding of the long term conse-
quences of this discovery.
Many of the pictures and some of the text comes from a comprehensive GMO presentation by Jeffrey M. Smith, Executive Director, Institute for Responsible Technology. www.responsibletechnology.org
Gmo
46 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
QuOTe QuOTe
nuria alonSo, eVa mattSSon, kolBJörn örJaVik, gunnar rundgren & StePhanie wellS
Table 1:
Number of certification bodies per region
Grolink, The Organic Certification directory 2013
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Africa 9 7 8 8 10 10 12 19 19
Asia 91 117 93 147 157 164 165 179 222
Europe 142 157 160 172 177 180 214 213 213
Latin America & Caribbean
33 43 43 47 48 47 51 51 38
north America 97 85 80 83 78 76 78 74 72
Oceania 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 13 12
Total 383 420 395 468 481 489 532 549 576
The Organic Standard
47ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
Canada and switzerland recognise each
other’s organic programmes
One more bilateral equivalency agree-
ment has been added to the list of those
achieved recently, this time between
Canada and switzerland. The equivalence
arrangement has some limits as it requires
all products, as well as all ingredients in
processed products, to be grown in or
originate from Canada, switzerland or the
European union. products outside the
scope of the arrangement can continue to
be traded as usual (being certified to the
standards of the importing country).
public Consultation on the Eu Regulation
The Eu is currently immersed in a revision
of its organic legislation. One of the steps
in this process was a public consultation
(which recently closed but can still be
found at http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/
consultations/organic/2013_en.htm).
This was open to all citizens interested
in organic production in Europe. The Eu
Commission will use the responses from
this questionnaire together with other
studies and evaluations as the basis for a
renewed political and legal framework for
organic agriculture in Europe. it is antici-
pated that a first draft will be available
from the Commission around the end of
2013.
The tenth edition of The Organic Certifica-
tion directory was published in february
2013. The directory lists all the organic
certification bodies in the world and can
be found at www.organicstandard.com/
directory
in 2012 there were 576 certification bod-
ies operating in the world, up by 27 from
549 in 2011. The majority are located in
the European union, followed by south
Korea, Japan, the united states, China,
india and Canada. According to the direc-
tory, there are only 39 countries in the
world that do not have organic certifica-
tion bodies, most being tiny micro-states
such as Andorra, Liechtenstein and
ToS
stork-friendly rice in Japan
A scheme for stork-friendly farming has
allowed the oriental white stork – which
became extinct in Toyooka City, Japan
at the beginning of the 1970s due to the
introduction of intensive rice farming
methods – to return to its old home.
since 2003, farmers have been encour-
aged to apply the ‘white stork-friendly
farming method’. participating farmers are
required to reduce pesticide use by 75%,
to use no fertilisers, to sterilise seeds by
soaking them in hot water (rather than
buying treated seeds), to flood their pad-
dies deeper and to retain the water in the
paddies for longer. pure organic farming is
also being promoted among farmers, and
while the uptake is still small it is growing.
Toyooka City farmers are paid by the gov-
ernment to follow the rules of this scheme
and receive a 60% premium for rice sold
under the stork-friendly label.
imports to south Korea
from 1 January 2013, all fresh organic
products exported to south Korea must
be certified to the Korean standard. How-
ever this requirement will not apply to pro-
cessed organic products until 1 January
2014. This means that processed organic
products certified to other standards
can still be imported into south Korea
throughout 2013.
Equivalency system dominates imports
into the Eu
The new equivalency system introduced
in 2012 for accepting imported organic
products into the Eu now accounts for
around 90% of all product acceptances
carried out in the importer approval sys-
tem. The previous imports derogation sys-
tem (whereby the competent authority in
an Eu country applies for approval of an
import to the Eu) will run in parallel until
the end of June 2014 when this route will
be closed down.
Nuria Alonso: [email protected] Wells: Canadian Organic Trade Association (COTA)
Monaco in Europe, pacific archipelagos
such as Micronesia or countries with
unstable political situations such as
Afghanistan. (see
fewer standards and more countries with
legislation for organic production
Around one hundred countries have either
finalised or are working on legislation for
organic production. This has changed the
role and space for private standards for
organic production. The Organic Certifica-
tion directory asked certification bodies
whether they have their own standard.
121 of the 267 that responded said yes.
This number has declined since 2011,
when 127 answered that they had their
own standards (The term ‘own standards’
includes both private standards with a
wide scope (such as the standards used
by organisations like the soil Associa-
tion) and standards made by public or
private organisations to cover specific
areas (such as aquaculture). The term also
includes products outside the food/feed
sector, such as cosmetics.
uAE will introduce organic regulation
The united Arab Emirates (uAE) has initi-
ated a process to regulate
organic production and certification.
These regulations are currently being
drawn up, before the Government dis-
cusses them. More information: www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/uae-moves-toregulate-organic-food-production
48 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
w
Education is the base for
human and societal develop-
ment. it is a challenge that
all countries face in today’s
world. Teaching knowledge,
raising awareness and buil-
ding skills are the foundation
for improving the living con-
ditions of humans and com-
munities in the long run and
for transforming the current
state of our society.
maximilian aBouleiSh-BoeS & maryam el maSry
A birthplace for social innovation
The Heliopolis uni-versity campus
The Social Innovation Centre at Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development
49ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
w
Egypt has suffered from weak educa-
tional systems for decades and this
has created many structural issues and
problems. it is not just technological solu-
tions that are required: social innovations
are much more important for successfully
resolving burning social issues.
in 1977, dr. ibrahim Abouleish founded
the sekem initiative on an untouched
part of the Egyptian desert (70 hectares)
in an area 60 kilometres northwest of
Cairo. He was awarded the Right Liveli-
hood Award in 2003, became a schwab
social Entrepreneur in 2004 and won the
business for peace Award in 2012. The
sekem initiative is now seen as a model
for sustainable development. Alongside
the sekem Holding and the sekem devel-
opment foundation (sdf) there is now
the newly established Heliopolis univer-
sity for sustainable development. The
sdf runs a community medical centre,
a kindergarten, several schools, a centre
for children with special needs, differ-
ent vocational training centres, an adult
arts training centre and various research
labs. The companies within sekem are
involved in farming, post-harvest process-
ing, phytopharmaca, textiles and foods.
The integration of these different roles
creates strong synergies and is backed up
with strong international partnerships in
EdUCATIoN
of over 95% desert which leaves less than
0.02 feddan (= 84 m2) of arable land per
person for over 85 million people. The fact
that the population is growing annually
by an average of
2% raises serious
questions about
future food security
in Egypt. desert
land reclamation is
a necessary stra-
tegic approach to
increase Egypt’s
arable land
resources. sekem’s
farms in sinai,
bahareya and
Minya contribute
to ensuring future security which creates
jobs to sustain the farms. it can thus be
seen as a form of social innovation. but
how to encourage more innovations of a
similar nature?
Heliopolis university will play a crucial role
in this. it was officially established in sep-
tember 2012 to continue the work of the
educational system in the sekem initiative
and to extend the cycle for life-long learn-
ing. it aims to further enhance the sustain-
able development of individuals, commu-
nities and nature in Egypt. This approach
to sustainable development includes a
holistic worldview which involves seeing
the world as an integrated whole, rather
than a dissociated collection of parts.
it involves striving for a future where all
human beings can unfold their potential,
where people live together in social forms
the organic movement and beyond. All of
the 600 farmers who supply biodynamic
and organic raw materials to sekem are
members of the Egyptian biodynamic
Association (EbdA) that provides capacity
building and is supported by sekem. in
2008, sekem started further expanding its
own farmlands on a number of locations
in the Egyptian desert.
sekem’s approach to agriculture is based
on regeneration. by turning desert into
living soils through the application of
compost and biodynamic concepts and
methods, sekem has shown that desert
land can be reclaimed and regenerated.
for over 30 years, sekem has been build-
ing up living soils in desert land, imple-
menting a closed nutrients cycle, and
integrating livestock with a diverse range
of crops, plants and trees. Egypt consists
our miSSion iS to emPower
our StudentS to Become
chamPionS oF SuStainaBle
deVeloPment and agentS oF change
within Society
students in a fine arts session in the core programme
49ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
50 2-2013 | ECoLoGY & FArmING
that respect and foster human dignity, and
where all economic activity is conducted
in accordance with ecological and ethical
principles.
Our mission is to empower our students
to become champions of sustainable
development and agents of change within
society. Heliopolis university provides a
place where new ideas can find fertile
ground for further research and teach-
ing. Our education combines teaching,
research and practice with a unique
humanistic core programme to develop
curious and creative personalities. This
will prepare a new generation of future
leaders able to tackle the challenges that
Egypt and the world face, such as climate
change, water and food scarcity and the
depletion of energy resources.
Currently in its first phase, Heliopolis
university presently has three faculties:
the faculty of Engineering, with depart-
ments of renewable energy, water, and
mechatronics; the faculty of business
and Economics for sustainable manage-
ment and economics, and the faculty of
pharmacy and drug Technology. Our way
of teaching includes an advanced dynam-
ic curriculum, which has been developed
together with international partners.
prominent faculty members, small stu-
dent numbers, modern teaching methods
and student exchange programmes all
enhance the learning environment and
ensure a high standard of education. All
degree programmes are accredited by
the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Educa-
tion and based on the credit hour system.
This system is easily transferable into the
European Credit Transfer system (ECTs),
facilitating international mobility.
humans and the earth. This implies a
broader understanding of the term and
the practices involved in agriculture, one
that emphasises that agri-culture is an
essential foundation for societal develop-
ment that holds the key for many burning
contemporary issues (such as the deple-
tion of soils, scarcities of water, energy,
food and mineral resources and the loss
of biodiversity). The leverage effect of the
agricultural sector is particularly signifi-
cant in developing countries situated in
arid climate zones. in Egypt around 40%
of the population is directly employed in
agriculture and over 85% of all available
water is used in irrigation. The problem
is that no one wants to become a farmer
anymore. but looked at from the holistic
development perspective, being a farmer
can have a totally different meaning
and ‘sustainable desert reclaimer’ could
become one of the most exciting jobs of
the century. Our next faculty will therefore
be the faculty of sustainable Agri-Culture
and we welcome everybody who wants to
contribute to this endeavour!
Maximilian Abouleish-Boes is Sustainable Development Manager at Sekem and is setting up the Social Innovation Center at Heliopolis University. Contact [email protected] El Masry works in Sekem’s fundraising departmentHelioplis’ University’s website can be found at http://www.hu.edu.eg/
Heliopolis university has strong links
with the sekem initiative. This is a unique
characteristic that differentiates it from
other private or public universities. The
institutional setting or ecosystem can
be considered as a birthplace for many
social innovations, as it combines all
dimensions of life: economy, ecology,
society and culture. The aim is to further
upscale and transfer the sekem model
and we have explicitly created a social
innovation Centre for that purpose. This
focuses on trans-disciplinary research,
building staff capacity and developing
curricula for sustainable development.
One of the centre’s main priorities is the
challenge of water scarcity. “The first dif-
ficult step is to understand ‘water’ from
a different perspective and to define the
problem adequately before we try to find
solutions or implement them within our
specific context. We are therefore happy
to engage with any serious actors in the
field that know more about water apart
from the fact that it is H2O.” (Maximilian
Abouleish-boes)
Another focus of Heliopolis university
and its partners is the development of
an inclusive concept for ‘agri-culture’.
by highlighting the word ‘culture’ we
seek to emphasise that agri-culture is
not only about cultivating farming land,
but equally about the development of
our next Faculty will Be the Faculty
oF SuStainaBle ‘agri-culture’
students exploring farm life at sekem’s farm close to bilbeis
51ECoLoGY & FArmING | 2-2013
Agroecology for sustainable food systems in Europe: A Transformative Agenda. June 26-27brussels, belgiumhttp://www.ensser.org/
Organic Marketing forumJune 17 -19 2013Warsaw, polenfair and conferencehttp://www.organic-marketing-forum.org/
The East African Organic ConferenceJuly 2-4 2013 dar es salaam, Tanzaniawww.ifoam.org/partners/projects/osea.html
ifOAM-EuJuly 2-4 2013vilnius, Lithuaniahttp://icoas2013.org/registration/
natural products Expo AsiaAugust 29-31 2013Hong Kong, Chinawww.naturalproductsasia.com
natural products Expo EastSeptember 25-28 2013baltimore, usAwww.expoeast.com
biofach JapanOctober 31 – November 02 2013 Tokyo, Japanwww.biofach-japan.com
Textile sustainability ConferenceNovember 11-13 2013istanbul, Turkey http://textileexchange.org/event/2013-textile-sustainability-conference-istanbul-turkey
Middle East natural & Organic product ExpoDecember 3-5 2013dubaiwww.naturalproductme.com
Calendar
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Publisher Jaap van westering
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Contributors to this issue Authors & photos: André leu, Barbara Fitch haumann, Bernward Geier, Bo van elzakker, eva mattsson, Gunnar rundgren, Josef Finke, kolbjörn Örjavik, maximilian Abouleish-Boes, Nuria Alonso, Peter Brul, rob Sexton, Stephanie wells, wiebke volkmann
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IFOAM The International Federation of Organic Agriculture movements is the umbrella organisation for the organic movement. established in 1972, IFOAm has over 800 affiliates in more than 100 countries. and represents the common interests of the organic movement based on the principles of organic agriculture (ecology, health, fairness, care). IFOAm’s mission is to lead, assist and unite the organic movement in its full diversity.
Peter Brul has been working in the organic sector as afarmer, researcher and consultant for more than 35 years. he combines the role of Chief-editor of ecology & Farming with his own consultancy.
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JUNE 2013 - dECEmBEr 2013 //
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