Rich sustainable agri traditions
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| Kavita Mukhi |
In my last despatch, I had written about the growing natural farming movement which is gathering momentum across the country. There is increasing awareness that the need for expensive chemicals which endanger the soil keeps escalating to maintain per acre yields. In this despatch I press the case for natural or organic farming further.
Agricultural malpractices such as infiltration of soils with genetically modified hybrid seeds, irradiation, etc are the reason for human cell mutations and many forms of disease (some incurable) and birth defects that have become commonplace in modern civilization. People like Dr. Vandana Shiva and her organisation Navdanya, are doing invaluable work in building seed banks to prevent the influx of dangerous chemicals into our food chain.
At present certifiers of organically grown produce are licensed by the Union ministry of commerce through a national level accreditation committee. The process is very costly, time consuming and complicated. Which is why at the most recent (January 2005) conference on organic agriculture in Bidkin, near Aurangabad it was strongly argued that if certification agencies must multiply to lower the certification cost of farmers, we need to evolve processes by which local certification bodies can be accredited, preferably by the voluntary sector empowered to certify small growers.
I remember attending an organic farming conference in Bidkin where a marketing company volunteered to set up a certifying agency — a proposal which was unanimously vetoed. The Bidkin conference was organised by the Institute for Integrated Rural Development (IIRD) which was awarded a prize for sustainable agriculture and rural develop-ment. Farmers, scientists and professionals under the auspicies of IIRD prepared a set of national voluntary standards in 1997, revised in 2001.
IIRD spokespersons say that its standards are a guarantee mechanism not just for marketing of organic foods but for preserving indigenous agricultural practices and conserving traditional knowledge banks — important factors to be considered while drawing up regulations for the organic farming sector. Since then only recently in 2005 have our law-makers decided to include the word ‘organic’ within the definitions of the proposed Modern Food Law. We await to see how this legislation evolves. It is estimated that nearly 18 million hectares of farmland tilled by small farmers could be certified ‘organic’ immediately after documentation for certification is completed.
Meanwhile as a vendor of organic produce, I trust the certification of people like Kapil Shah, Baroda; D.D. Bharamagoudra, my first farmer friend from Karnataka (who has himself been accredited to certify); Dr. Sushil Sharma of Aarohi and Bharat Bhist of INHERE, Uttaranchal (who has managed to group 1,200 farmers, certified them and markets for them); Mathew of Keystone, Tamil Nadu; Raju Joseph who lives as he preaches in Kerala; Claude Alvares of Other India Books in Goa who put together the first Organic Farmer’s directory, and other great sons of the soil who spend their lives tirelessly working towards being leavers rather than takers as Daniel Quinn says in his must-read book, Ishmael.
The pioneers who have switched to organic farming practices have already transformed desolate tracks into paradises. For example the Timbaktu collective in Andhra of Choitresh (alias Bablu) and his wife Mary. Vivek and Juli Cariappa have done likewise in Mysore as has Bernard in Auroville. Bernard is a foreign national who has regenerated many hectares under different projects in Auroville. He is also one of the promoters of ARISE, a group of farmers and NGOs propagating organic farming, seal banks, certification, etc.
Moreover the organic farming movement is not entirely focused on agriculture. Vermiculture experts like Bhawalkar have shown how civic garbage can be converted into organic manure. Our rag pickers are another reason we need to be grateful to live in this country where every thing gets recycled and reused, given half a chance. We need to assist them by separating our garbage, and practising the "buy less-need less-use less" philosophy. We need to thank our heart-breakingly young and neglected rag pickers for being an integral part of a national Indian tradition — conservation.
Although markets and shops rarely stock labeled organic produce, there is much happening in village India which will slowly but surely surface. I am wholly convinced, having been involved in this field for 23 years, that there is no other way but to go organic. Unfortunately the greatest danger to the organic farming movement is posed by corporate farmers who manage their farms by proxy. Corporates are unsentimental about the soil and the chemicals that go into it. The quiet organic farming revolution is gathering momentum right under their collective nose but they are oblivious of it just like professional chemical companies. Some shrewd corporate types have begun vending ‘natural’ remedies for the soil and pests. But that’s like giving the body synthetic antibiotics and supplements. If the right food in terms of compost, cow dung, etc, is given and the soil’s ph balance maintained, it will build its own resistance and nutrient base with the elements of nature that surround it.
It is my belief that it’s the small farmer who will uphold our sustainable agriculture traditions and conserve our national wealth. I look forward to the day when every neighbourhood grocery and kirana store (if any are allowed to function with the influx of supermarkets) will be full of organic produce. Then there will be no need for organic bazaars, special sections in supermarkets, co-operatives, health food stores and the like. And no more conferences and meets!
(Kavita Mukhi is a Mumbai-based eco-nutritionist and director of Conscious Food)