Hugh Martin MAN IS happiest when he finds himself in an environment untouched by the contaminants of civilisation; where the air is free of pollution, the grass is lush and green and the water is clean, clear, crisp. Early man enjoyed this state as he lived in harmony with the land taking of its bounty according to his need. And then he got greedy and discovered that he could manipulate the environment to produce more. The result is modern agriculture with its high-producing hybrids, its genetically modified products.
But along with those great achievements have come, through the millenniums, the pests - insects, diseases, unwanted plants - weeds. And the harmony that existed was replaced by the never-ending struggle to control these enemies.
Pesticides, poisonous chemicals that work in various ways, soon proved the most effective method of control. Widespread use ensured the production of insect and disease-free cosmetically beautiful fruits and vegetables - for a while. The pests, with remarkable adaptability, soon developed resistance to these chemicals forcing the manufacturers to produce even more toxic chemicals.
If it is poisonous to the insects it is poisonous to humans as well. Soon it was discovered that several of them were carcinogenic and most were not biodegradable. In other words when used they did not just kill the pests and go out of existence. They remained in the soil, air, in rivers and on the crops. They killed birds and fishes and made humans sick. They had to be removed and less toxic ones produced. Many of the earlier ones such as DDT, which helped in the eradication of diseases like malaria, have been banned from use but even the much safer ones still present some risk to human health. Plants sprayed with pesticides tend to retain some residues even after reaping and many countries now have minimum levels of residues that are allowed on fruits and vegetables offered to the trade.
It is against that background that the organic farming movement originated. The concept is to produce crops and livestock by the use of natural methods and natural systems and to shun the use of synthetic or artificial materials of which most agro-chemicals are produced. This does not mean that no form of pesticides or fertilisers is used however, because that would make it almost impossible for crops to survive. Naturally occurring materials such as gypsum, limestone, phosphate rock, ash, potassium rock, natural sulphur and a number of the micronutrients such as Epsom salt, are allowed as fertilisers. Pest control is done with the use of naturally occurring substances, some plant extracts, garlic barriers, sulphur, pepper spray and pesticides like Bordeaux mixture.
Essentially the integrated pest management system is employed in organic farming where a combination of mechanical control, sanitation, selective chemical control and the use of resistant varieties are involved. It is obvious that there are two main objectives of organic farming. These are to protect the environment and to provide healthy food for human consumption. It requires meticulous planning and careful management. It can be a costly undertaking especially if done on a large scale where labour costs could escalate especially in the matter of weed control. However, considerable savings can be realised in the case of material inputs and this could balance things out. The question arising though is "Is it worth the effort"?
The demand for organically produced foods is well established in Europe and North America. The price is generally a great deal higher than for other types of products, in some cases as much as twice the price of similar items. To reach those markets though the product must have attained certain established standards and must carry a label indicating that it has. Organic farms must therefore have international certification to be able to enter the lucrative international market.
With the decline in our export crops in terms of production, market accessibility, competitiveness and prices, shouldn't we be taking a very close look at this farming system? There is already an organic growers association started about twelve years ago known as the Jamaica Organic Agricultural Movement (JOAM). It has been doing some good work in getting its members trained and certified to international standards. Two large coffee farms have gained certification and another was recently inspected and awaits approval. In addition some fourteen inspectors have been trained and certified placing Jamaica among the top countries with qualified organic farming inspectors.
Seems to me we are well poised to enter a niche that may very well turn out to be a major enterprise. Dr Joseph Lindsay, Director of Research in the Ministry of Agriculture, is Chairman of JOAM and is willing to answer all questions related to the movement. He can be reached at the Bodles Research Station in Old Harbour.
Hugh Martin is a communication specialist and farm broadcaster. E-mail: humar@cwjamaica.com.
