VICTORIA – Increased scientific data and educational aids are needed to
move organic agriculture from movement to mainstream, says Janine
Gibson, president of the Canadian Organic Growers, or COG.
She said organic farmers are their own researchers, largely because of
the site-specific nature of their chemical-free farming practices.
“We need that knowledge, to network and experience and share what has
worked for them,” she said. “All of us are smarter than one of us.”
Gibson said government, industry and farmers must work together to help
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overcome the gaps in production knowledge and move from input
dependence to more sustainable agricultural systems.
Last week, COG brought together 1,200 delegates to share their
knowledge at the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements world congress in Victoria.
COG also educates its members though other educational seminars and
publications such as its quarterly eco-farm and garden journal. They
offer help for those making the transition to organics or expanding
organic production.
Gibson said more research translates into greater legitimacy and
credibility for organic farming.
Certification’s costs and bureaucracy were among concerns reported by
numerous delegates, particularly small-scale producers.
Annual audits are cumbersome, awkward and expensive as the system
develops itself, but Gibson, a long-time organic inspector from near
Steinbach, Man., said the net returns per acre for organic producers
are also much higher than for conventional farms.
Gilles Lavoie of Agriculture Canada said organic production has grown
from niche to mainstream, evidenced by its move into supermarkets,
where half of all organic products produced are now purchased,
amounting to $1 billion in sales in Canada annually.
IFOAM president Gunnar Rundgren praised supermarkets for bringing
organics to greater numbers of consumers and to helping release more
land from a reliance on chemical inputs.
He advised focusing on the good models, making them visible, and giving
them a platform for their promotion and for an exchange of experiences.
“The future of small farms and local markets lies in innovation and
creativity,” he said.
Anne Clark of the University of Guelph cautioned organic growers
against taking the same path as conventional growers.
She said what sets them apart from conventional farming is their
avoidance of input dependence and specialization, large-scale
dominance, long-distance transportation and export-oriented market
thinking.
“We will lose our advantage if we don’t keep that in mind,” she said.
At the college level, there needs to be profound and fundamental
changes acknowledging the uniqueness and differences of organic systems.
Colleges need to deliver information and research, but integrate that
with the expertise of the organic farming community.
“Organics need the rigour of a designed, interdisciplinary curriculum
rather than a marginalized offering,” she said.
