ZOPPA is working on formulating organic standards compliance and certification with the Standards Association of Zimbabwe and expects this to be ready by August.
Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances ecosystem health, including biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimising the use of external inputs, avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
According to FiBL, an independent, non-profit, research institute, 35 million hectares of land were under organics worldwide by 2010. The research team works with farmers to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions to boost agricultural productivity while never losing sight of environmental, health and socio-economic impacts.
Alongside practical research, FiBL gives high priority to transferring knowledge into agricultural practice through advisory work, training and conferences. Some 417 000 hectares are certified organic in Africa and managed by at least 175 266 farmers.
“The organic market is among the fastest growing market segments globally with a growth of about an average of 20% in the last seven years,” says FiBL. The global market is projected to reach more than 60 billion by end of 2011.
ZOPPA is working on strengthening its institutional capacity to lead and coordinate all actors along the value chains, standardizing organic production, putting strategic focus on research into organic friendly technologies and solutions, fighting for government policy support on organic farming including raising awareness and information provision.
Post published in: News
While we all support the uptake of organic farming in Zimbabwe I would advise caution around your referencing this FiBL organization. Reframing organics’ performance through the Conventional (GM and more intensive agri-chemical fertilizer use) versus all-natural Organic lens we see organics’ leadership inferring huge growth in organic farmland currently recording this at 37 million hectares. Here the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) and this Swiss-based organic research institute FiBL, obfuscates recent growth trends by failing to note that without the inflationary inclusion of vast organic Australian (accounts for 32% of the world’s total) and Brazilian ranchland meaningful growth is absent. Contrast this to GM farmland at 330 million hectares and a 10% share of global agriculture. Over ten times (10x ) organics’ share in just 8-10 years. Again $575 billion GM farmgate sales are about 10x the $59 billion being reported for organics. [again tricks-at-play as IFOAM and FiBL neglect to declare that this is retail value sales not farm gate sales]. The scoresheet shows GM achieving over 10x organics’ share in just 8-10 years while this year organic’s leaders IFOAM and FiBL have the temerity to proudly celebrate their 40 year anniversaries “promoting†Global organic agriculture.
Alternatively, looking through another lens, how does organics’ $59bn market position stack with Frost & Sullivan’s 2011 recorded $13 trillion value for global conventional food and beverage market? First consider the 1:1,000 billion to trillion ratio explained say by the 5 minute/one mile trip to the local grocer and the 12 hours needed for a 1,000 mile road trip. Doing the math gives organics’ a 0,42% share of the global food system. Attaining a scant 0,42% market share after 40 years, and failing to stop the advance of GMOs, is not a model ZOPPA should follow.