Organic Products, Social Qualities with Equal and Fair Trade

It’s Constrain and Future

Why organic farming is necessary?

In Pakistan most of large farms are run by absentee land lords, in this case land is
cared by the workers, who have no feeling of ownership amount of production,
margin of profit. On other hand small land owners, who are present on the farms,
have constraints of purchasing large amount of inputs associated with risk are
forced to diversify their investments. To cover risks they usually reduce farm
inputs but are not able to reduce environmental degradation like soil erosion,
pollution, excess water input, water logging drainage, control of perennial weeds
etc. Organic farmer pays more to the labors also controls his farm as well as off
farm environmental costs. They cut production cash costs by putting family labor
eliminate inorganic fertilizers, pesticide and herbicides and reduce soil erosion.
Conventional food may contain carcinogens, chemicals that cause diseases
including cancer. Additive in processing may further activate carcinogens. This
food may contain nitrates and other preservative or nitrosamine which is potent
carcinogen. Conventional farmer spent more on input of fertilizers, pesticide and
these wastes goes to the environment specially ground water. This type of
farming enters into industrial production processing and distribution system the
whole chain of which adds some more chemicals. The cost of this industrial model
for agriculture are phenomenal and extremely wide reaching, yet unrecognized as
industrial production making use of more chemicals and machine produces food
cheaper, better in cosmetic look and yet poisoned by chemicals. Organic farming
has potential of niche markets for local high valued, non-conventional, indigenous
and local agricultural products like medicinal herbs, traditional agriculture and
non-timber tree products. Farmer’s trends to switch to organic farming are
correlated closely with the size of conversion grants. The subsides for
conventionally produced food currently limit the growth of organic agriculture to
the size of market that is willing to pay higher price to the consumer. Although
organic products and its market outlet are limited but premium prices may boost
the market.
World picture of organic farming.

In 1989, subsidies were introduced in several European countries, like

Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Austria, and
Switzerland, to encourage conversion to organic farming, which
changed 376,000 hectares of land by 10,000 farmers into organic
farming. In Germany where subsidies are available for two years so
7.9% of farm of farm and 3.6% land changed to organic farming.

In 1989 Europe is able to increase 200,000 hectares to 900,000 hectares

organic farming. In Iran total 20,000 ha with production of 107,000 kg
per year well adapted to social structure of family oriented activity. It is
based on manual work, production and processing based on indigenous
methods and animal manure is the main source of plant nutrition. In EU
countries the number of organic farmer has increase from 6,000 in
1985 to 48,000 today. Italy has 30,000 certified organic farmers. In
Scandinavian countries 8% are certified organic farmers. Australia has
10%, U.K 5% organic farmer. The total farm area in Pakistan 19.7 million
hectares, which is 28% of the total area of the country. The average size
farm in 1972 was 5.2 hectares. In Pakistan only few farmers are organic
farmers. Ministry of Agriculture, fisheries and food in U.K pay support
of 50 per ha per year for 5 years to convert to organic farming.
Expected growth rate of organic farming in the World is 20-30% but
organic agriculture will never be able to feed the rapidly growing world
population due to low labor output in spite of high yields. Due to over
use of chemicals, land is depleted of organic matter and average
production per ha decreases. Food produced in excess to demand
serves to reduce commodity prices, received by farmers but hungry
people ill afford high priced organic food.

Organic agriculture.

Organic approach is to minimize the adverse impacts on the

environments, by avoiding the use of materials from non-renewable
resources, recycling where possible, use minimum amount of
pesticides, avoiding the use of resources which cause pollution, relying
on crop rotation, using crop residue recycling animal manure, legumes,
and green manure, biological pest control, minimum tilth to be used to
maintain soil productivity, to minimize the energy costs of production
and transportation materials, to keep soil more fertile. Organic
methods improve soil health, increase population of healthy worms,
fungi and other soil organisms. Organic agriculture saves the land from
losses due to erosion and soil degradation, improves soil fertility and
enhances moisture conservation. Diverse varieties only are used under
unfavorable conditions.

Organic farming is based on fewer inputs, better market demand due to

having environmental and social concerns. It also based on local
resources and technologies that provide farmer better independence
and more control over their means of production. Environmental
impacts of organic farming are:

 Improvement of soil biological activity.

 Improvement of physical characteristics of soil.
 Reducing nitrate leaching.
 Increasing and improving wild life habitat.

Organic farming in Pakistan.

Its objective are to develop low capital less labor intensive, high
yielding, better quality and healthy organic farming. Reducing the cost
of production to minimum to achieve self-sufficiency in all inputs. It is
recognized as a long-term solution to the problem caused by nitrate
pollution. Organic agriculture in the beginnings shows lower yields than
conventional cropping but as its input are lower than conventional
agriculture and labor in Pakistan is cheap, in long when organic
agricultural methods have improved soil characteristics, soil fauna and
established worm activity and large production of vermicasts, the yields
will surpass the conventional methods.

Nutritional criteria of organic products.

People's choice of food is based not only on prices, taste, but also takes
in to account, moral, religious and dietary reasons. Some even think in
terms of exploitation of human and natural resources and degradation
of environments. The organic food on the whole is nutrition and meets
anatomical and physiological requirements of human. It also helps in
interaction of food clean like production, processing, packaging and
trading within the environment and the social structures.

Organic practicing.

The organic farmers used garlic pyrethrum and neem to control pest
and diseases, also use predators like Encarsia Formosa used to control
green house, white fly and phytoseinlus persimilis a predator mite used
for two-spotted mite control also get composts are a wonder producing
by recycling garden and kitchen wastes. Mulch is magic and not helps in
suppressing weed but gives plants raised all macro and micro-nutrients,
in chelated forms and vermicasts rich in nutrients and antibiotics.
Biomass use as organic matter and also does the same. Crop rotations
and inter cropping is designed to improve soil fertility. Organic matter
composts and manures improve the soil health and thereby plant
health to the extent that pests attack on crop is reduced and damage is
negligible.

Animals and organic farming.

The organic farmer must work hard to integrate animals in to the

farming system:
  The non-agricultural public must understand that organic animal
husbandry is fundamentally better the kind of animal production
they constantly criticize.
 Some livestock farmers also find difficulty to justify conversion to
organic production, due to high restructuring cost and lack of
premium prices to compensate for yield reduction and also
reducing in the area for organic production rotational constraints.

Market trends.

Organic products have premium market which make not available to

the whole population due to prices constraints. The prices of organic
products is increased by factor such as: small scale production, widely
dispersed farm, separate packing facilities more expensive recycled
packaging and pricing policies of shops. Some consumers are ready to
pay more for food that has superior quality. Consumer demand for
organic products is gradually increasing due to concern about the
environments and health implications of industrial agriculture although
there is no relation between consumer and producer but the poor
financial performance of organic farming reflects the financial problems
of small farmers in some cases due to lack of access to premium market
helps. Such difficulties have forced out from the business the small
organic farmers. It is possible that organic farmers market their
products directly but it requires more labor and organization. Organic
food is supplied to supermarket also provide home delivery. Seasonal
production and regional markets remain an important objective in
organic farming. We have to maintain National Organic Standards
Board to decide the criteria of what is organic? An international
movement (IFOAM) has formulated basic standards to define organic
production. Food containing products of gene technology should be
labeled, so consumer has an option, Bioethics influences the
marketability of products derived from biotechnology. It is the
consumers who decide on the prospects of biotechnological markets.
Organic food should be labeled that consumer products not derived
from genetically engineered varieties. Organic product must boost-out
agribusiness, chemical-biotech Corporation and giant supermarket
chain. The most developed markets for organic food are Northern
World.

There are 300 organic trade marks on the market. Organic label is
common in 15 countries. Organic trade should strengthening the local
communities for better social and environmental accountability, food
security, conserving natural resources, control biological and cultural
diversity.

Fair trade.

Healthy food and fair trade organizations accept the principal of

external monitoring by labeling. Organization are awarded label of
approval. The Fair Trade based on equal partnership between the
Southern producers, Northern importers, labeling organization, fair
trade shops and consumers this organization work with the producer
organization. They produce to improve the ecological sustainability of
production. It also provide protection to the new comers in this field,
this will be helpful to the farmer's organization to secure working
capital, long term loan for investments, market information,
communication, management, and technical support and assistance,
but it also required guarantee that labeled products meet fair trade
criteria. Fair trade can lead to environmental benefits.

Fair trade need fair and real cost covering prices for farmers all over the
world but its products must be up to international standards in terms of
quality and quality and must be accountable to the labeling
organization. International fair-trades help strengthening local
economics. National fair-trades designed their own label and define the
condition under which producers, trade and industry acquire the right
to use the fair trade label in their commercial promotion. The fair trade
rules exist for coffee, cocoa, banana, honey, sugar but royalties are
imposed to cover operating cost when one uses these fair trade label.
Certification either from fair-trade or organic Agriculture Movement
produce confidence and trust. This protects the consumer's rights. Fair
trade must provide social fairness, ecological responsibilities as pre-
conditions, for sustainable production. It contributes to improve the
living standard of economically disadvantaged small farmers to
strengthening their self-governing organization. Certifying organization
has devised special criteria for quality assurance, in-co-operation with
the inspection organization IMO (Institute for Market Ecology) and in
accordance with IFOAM's accreditation programme.

Fair trade may have problem due to lack of management skill, private
interest could be more than co-operative interest, market
diversification into conventional, fair trade and organic market. Organic
certification is slow, laborious and costly process and is a challenge to
small producers. The price premium above the market price is
insufficient, while inflexibilities inherent in fair trade model eroded a
substantial part of the price premium. Fair trade movement is able to
seriously challenge the social dumping that involves the exploitation of
cheap labor and child labor.

Constraints.

 The barrier in trade is: restrictive trade policies perverse subsidies

and bureaucratic regulations, integrating environmental factors
are used to design better export strategies.
 Farmer's rights and protection of traditional plant varieties. Also
trade related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) under
aegis of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATI), must
include farmer privilege. Small farmer have little access to
information on World market prices, lack of transparency and
politically inspired distortion, small farmer usually receive low
prices for their produce. Farmer has insufficient information on
 improved technologies and scientific understanding of the process
involved in their farming system, in efficient extension service.
Under present unstable market conditions, procedure is not
adopted according to the need of farmer's organization.
 The factor responsible for market development is government fair
and the sole of major super markets.
 Government price policies, monopolies on market of agriculture
produce, causing low agricultural income.
 Organic agriculture requires time and well trained extension
workers. Since organic farming is a new practice it needs
competent and reliable management.
 Major problem is lack of public awareness of organic food.
 Development of viable producer and consumer linkages.
 Poverty alleviation, sustainable development, food security,
agrarian reforms and appropriate technologies better farm
management is needed.
 Due to lack of marketing structure, organic products are sold at
the market rate of conventional produce. Artificial price structure
bring disadvantage to consumer as well as producer.
 Organic farms spent more on labor for spreading manure. Organic
farmer suffers due to high labor cost and labor scarcity.

Future.

 In future we have to check the economic market and policies in

which organic products produce and marketed and check in the
financial results which fluctuate by the resources, farm business,
better management, labor availability.
 In future Government design better Trade regulation which are
socially fair, ecologically sound and better standards for green and
fair trade.
 Future we have to establish promotion and training programmes
to foster export opportunities for organic products.
  Future attention should be given to meet the guarantee system
that will ensure organic quality and allow consumer to develop
their preferences for organic products with feeling of trust.
 In future we have to develop a practical and sophisticated
monitoring procedure that is applicable to different farming
structures and maintain international standards.
 In future need proper organic standards, rules and regulation.

About the Auther

By Farzana Panhwar (Mrs)
The Sindh Rural Women's Up-lift Group
157-C, Unit No.2, Latifabad, Hyderabad (Sindh), Pakistan.
farzanapanhwar@hotmail.com
Fax: 9221-5830826 and 92221-862570

I am a bio-chemist working in the field of organic agriculture and effects of pollution and
environment of human and animal and plant health.