Organic agriculture could be Africa’s best chance of breaking many years of poverty and malnutrition improving agricultural productivity and raising incomes with low-cost, locally available and appropriate technologies - without causing environmental damages.
A major study released in October 2008 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reports organic agriculture could be Africa’s best chance of breaking many years of poverty and malnutrition1.
Dr. Andrew Monk, Biological Farmers of Australia Standards Chair, says far from being a high priced ‘food fad,’ the research shows organic food returns more to communities. “This is in contrast with other major agricultural developments like GMO’s – which cost more, and can return devastating environmental and social impacts when implemented.”
The report found most of the chronically hungry in Africa are small farmers who rely on what they produce to eat, supplementing incomes with cash crops where possible. Farmers did not have access to, or could not afford to buy, synthetic chemical farm products. It stated organic agriculture could improve agricultural productivity and raise incomes with low-cost, locally available and appropriate technologies - without causing environmental damage.
The report also challenged the ‘popular myth’ that organic agriculture could not increase the quantity of food grown. “In all cases, there was an increase in per hectare productivity of organic food crops,” it stated.
Dr. Monk says findings that organic was more financially and environmentally sustainable in Africa could be applied world-wide. “Even in Australia, organic systems, farming practises and their related social benefits deliver far more than just a premium opportunity for producers’ extra hard work.
“Australian organic producers have the potential to be less under the thumb of retailers and chemical manufacturers, and make an invaluable environmental contribution to their communities – as do the consumers who choose organic every day.”
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More information about this topic in our food and drink section.
1 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development United Nations Environment Programme, Report: UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity-building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development, Organic agriculture and food security in Africa, Unite Nations, New York and Geneva, 2008 Link from: http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=548&ArticleID=5957&l=en
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Organic agriculture could be Africa’s best chance of breaking many years of poverty and malnutrition improving agricultural productivity and raising incomes with low-cost, locally available and appropriate technologies - without causing environmental damages.
