To give the reader an idea of the energy intensiveness of modern agriculture, production of one kilogram of nitrogen for fertilizer requires the energy equivalent of from 1.4 to 1.8 liters of diesel fuel. This is not considering the natural gas feedstock.
In a very real sense, we are literally eating fossil fuels. However, due to the laws of thermodynamics, there is not a direct correspondence between energy inflow and outflow in agriculture.
Modern intensive agriculture is unsustainable. It is damaging the land, draining water supplies and polluting the environment. And all of this requires more and more fossil fuel input to pump irrigation water, to replace nutrients, to provide pest protection, to remediate the environment and simply to hold crop production at a constant. Yet this necessary fossil fuel input is going to crash headlong into declining fossil fuel production.
~ Eating Fossil Fuels, by Dale Allen Pfeiffer ~“Food has something in common with energy — they're both commodities that you use up. And they're both worth fighting over. Naturally, if food is a problem that could blow up in our faces, the smart thing to do would be to think strategically.”
~ AgriWarfare & Strategic Food: The Agriculture Ticking Time-Bomb: F-O-O-D, is a Fighting Word, like OIL ~Today, 6.5 billion humans depend entirely on oil for food, energy, plastics & chemicals. Population growth is on a collision course with the inevitable decline in oil production.
~ The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror, by Free Will Production ~
Organic seed to be produced in the Klein Karoo
Farmers Weekly | Organics South Africa
Farmers Weekly | Organics South Africa
30 December 2005
New legislation will require organic farmers to use only organically produced seed to grow crops and feed livestock, but no one in South Africa produces 100% organic seed. Now empowerment company Diverse International has taken the gap in the market and set up a community seed production project in the Klein Karoo, an area hit hard by poverty and unemployment.
The project, known as the Klein Karoo Organic Initiative (KKOI), will improve the lives of the people of Zoar, a tiny village between Ladismith and Calitzdorp in the Western Cape. Chairperson Liz Eglington says the project, run from the farm Amalienstein, will create jobs and alleviate poverty by producing and marketing organically produced fruit and vegetables.
Hendrik January, Liz Eglington, James Jacobs and Magdalene Barry believe the organic seed project could eradicate poverty in the Zoar community Most of the world's organic producers use non-organic seed in their operations. But pending South African legislation will soon restrict fruit, vegetable, herb and cereal producers to using only certified organic seed if they wish to maintain their certified organic status. Even the feed used in organic animal production will have to be produced from organic seed.
Unfortunately, there is no organic seed available in South Africa. Empowerment group Diverse International identified this shortage as a market opportunity and launched the National Organic Seed Project.
The group has spent over four years planning the project and has established partnerships and relationships with various government departments, seed companies, overseas buyers and funding organisations to support the project. They lacked only the farmers to grow the seed.
Zoar is ideally situated for organic seed production, given the Klein Karoo's dry climate. The mountains that separate the valleys help prevent contamination from neighbouring non-organic farms. Klein Karoo ideal for organics
Only a few places in the world are suitable for organic seed production. The Klein Karoo, with its dry climate, is one such place and is already one of the country's largest seed-producing regions.
It is also ideally situated for organic production because several mountain ranges separate the land, helping prevent agrichemical contamination and cross-pollination from neighbouring non-organic farms.
Diverse International approached the KKOI to spearhead the project because they were already involved in organic production in the area.
Eglington believes the project will do more than benefit commercial farmers - it will transform the entire Klein Karoo.
"Many small-scale farmers in the Klein Karoo are struggling to survive, never mind remain sustainable, and most lack access to markets," she says. "But farmers can be empowered through the production of organic seed. Organic seed can even be produced in people's backyards and then sold to a central marketing agent."
The first step in realising this dream is to set up a training centre to teach farmers organic seed production techniques. Initially, Eglington and her KKOI colleagues wanted to buy a farm from which to provide the training. But they found this was too expensive, and it would be better to conduct the training on an existing farm. After thorough analysis and research, Amalienstein was identified as the most suitable project site.
Amalienstein is owned by the South African government, and was made available to the Zoar community under the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development programme. Unfortunately, the 7 000ha farm currently runs at a substantial loss. Of the 5 000 people living in the community, fewer than 30% are employed on the farm.
"There isn't any work here," says Hendrik January, chairperson of the Zoar Community Trust. "A handful of people are employed at Amalienstein and on other farms in the area. The rest of the people depend on seasonal and piece work."
Small-scale farmers are organic farmers
Amalienstein is ideal for the National Seed Project as it already has the required infrastructure and the storage facilities. Existing enterprises on the farm, such as the dairy and small-scale farming projects, will continue, but as organic projects.
James Jacobs, a Zoar Community Trust member, says most small-scale farmers are already farming organically because they cannot afford agrichemicals. For most of these farmers the switch to organic farming will be natural.
"The organic seed initiative will have many spinoffs for the community," Jacobs says. It will not alleviate poverty - it will eradicate it."
Eglington believes the project will create many job opportunities, and not only in agricultural production.
"Our vision is to turn the entire Zoar community into an organic village," she says. "First we want to set up the organic training centre. To do this we will need trainers and administrative staff. Compost, compost teas, organic sprays, pesticides, repellants and fertilisers will be made from material sourced from Amalienstein. This will create job opportunities in the making and marketing of these products."
The farm will produce organic seed and seedlings for international and local markets, while vegetables and fruit, and other byproducts of seed production, will be sold or consumed locally. The production of value-added organic products, such as herbal and medicinal plants, essential oils, soaps and even cosmetics, is also planned. This will again provide production as well as marketing and processing opportunities.
Community ownership
Eglington emphasises that KKOI and Diverse International don't want to take over Amalienstein.
"We need a training centre and Diverse International needs seed. But we want the community to take ownership of the project and benefit from it. We will supply expertise and support as long as the community needs it."
As Amalienstein is owned by the government, KKOI will require approval before it starts anything new on the farm. Eglington has met with Western Cape agriculture MEC Cobus Dowry and says he's willing to look at the feasibility document of using Amalienstein for the seed project. She says Dowry wants the entire Zoar community to buy into the project before approving it.
Kannaland district mayor Magdalene Barry is optimistic the project will take off.
"Zoar is sitting on a goldmine," she says. "All the community leaders have bought into the dream. Now we only need the community to vote and commit to the project - and that will be easy since the benefits of the project are very transparent and people have been suffering under poverty for a long time."
Source: Organic South Africa
The benefit of mulch to organic growers
Farmers Weekly
Farmers Weekly
Certified organic growers have to adhere to the rules laid down by the governing body. They are restricted in what can be sprayed and what fertilisers to use. However, there is no requirement for a healthy soil organic content. The organic content of the soil makes a huge difference to the nutritional content and taste of the vegetables and provides for much easier management and general health of both the foliage and root system. To maintain and increase the soil humus content, combining no-till with the addition of organic material – in the form of organic mixtures, manures and compost, all applied to the soil surface – will ensure success.
Organic growers should not be tilling the soil and accelerating the depletion of soil carbon, and these fertilisers work very well when placed on the soil surface.
They will enter the soil by the action of earthworms and soil microbial life. tHIS process is slow and effective. An additional refinement which is ideal for organic growers is the use of surface mulch. This can consist of many organic materials but dry grass is the most abundant and easily procurable.
Some may worry about weed seeds brought in this way but this mulch layer prevents weeds from growing. If any weeds poke through, throw more mulch on top. This means no weeds, which is extremely important for organic growers who aren’t permitted to use herbicides.
The mulch placed over the layer of organic fertiliser will provide perfect conditions to activate the soil organisms which take the manures, etc, down into the soil. The point of contact between the soil/organic fertilisers will also become moist and, with the fertility of the organic content, start to decompose.
When the soil is partially broken down, the earthworms will spring into action and consume this material, which is greatly enriched when passing through the earthworms before being deposited in the root zone.
Not only will available nutrients be released as a byproduct of the mulch and manures, but the populations of many beneficial microorganisms are increased by this process.
it’s so gradual, this form of decomposition doesn’t cause a negative period in the soil. Initially there are few earthworms present, soil fungi will do the job.
When more fertilisation is required, a concentrated organic fertiliser, such as that supplied by Talborne Organics, can be placed over the mulch before irrigation. The same can be done with chicken manure but when it comes to compost or kraal manure, it is best done occasionally and preferably when the mulch needs topping up, so the fresh mulch can be placed on top. The more the mulch is decomposed, the greater benefit to the soil’s organic content.
Bill Kerr ((016) 366 0616 or e-mail alphaseed@lantic.net). |fw
Source: Farmers Weekly
Project helps emerging farmers go organic
Farmers Weekly
Farmers Weekly
The organic farming industry could provide 100 000 jobs within the next seven years through the Organic Freedom Project (OFP), a newly established non-profit organisation focused on helping developing farmers to farm organically. Heinrich of the said the project is currently focusing on Levubu in Limpopo but has plans to expand to the Lowveld, KwaZulu- Natal and the Eastern Cape. Anglo Coal, who are co-sponsoring the together with Pick ‘n Pay, stated that this project will create new jobs for miners after mine closures and retirement.
Anglo Coal’s unused land, among other land, will be used for organic farming. The mining company identified farming as a means to ensure job creation and the development of entrepreneurs. As far as crops are concerned, the will mainly focus on soya, alternating with canola and sunflower, said.
The oil produced by the soya will be used by Pick ‘n Pay for diesel trucks that the company hope to implement in the near future. The rest of the soya oil will be used for bioparaffin, which will be sold through Pick ‘n Pay. Soya will also be used to create textile fibres, which will be transformed into clothing and sold in this chain store. The remains of the soya will be used as cattle feed. The OFP has also discussed the possibility of brewing organic beer with South African Breweries.
Organic farmer Tim Jackson, however, warned that this project is a recipe for disaster. “It took me 65 years to become an organic farmer,” he said, pointing out the fact that the OFP wanted to train developing farmers in a much shorter period of time. But Schultz said it’s easier to teach upcoming farmers how to farm organically than established farmers. “We’re trying to develop farmers who aren’t stuck in a rut with their ideas of farming.” He added that he wants to help all farmers.
Another point of concern raised by Jackson was the fact that existing farmers will probably be at the losing end of this deal. “If Pick ‘n Pay wish to go organic, then I suggest they get proactive in supporting the existing farmers,” Jackson said.
However, Ernst Kloklow, general manager of Organics SA, believed this project could be wonderful for the whole organic farming industry. He said this will not take anything away from any SA organic farmers, but rather add to their benefits. When faced with a local oversupply farmers will always be able to export, Kloklow said.
Source: Farmers Weekly
