Organic farming has potential

 IT has been reported that the remote Fijian island of Cicia has launched a novel business in organic produce that could prove to be a template for other developing communities around the world. According to the report, the island declared itself chemical free and fully organic eight years ago and is now producing food that’s attracting the interest of foreign buyers. 

Cicia islanders can now sell their produce consumers as far as Europe after setting up their own certification process with help from UN and Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom).

Farmers in the Pacific Islands have traditionally used organic farming methods, but because their produce was not officially certified, they were unable to enter the US$18 billion global market. Now, with the help of new regional organic standards, a growing number of island farmers are getting a good price for their produce in international markets, improving life for themselves and their families.

The 22 countries and territories of the Pacific Islands region include a mix of continental and volcanic islands, and low and raised coral atolls. They are island nations with small populations – totalling 9.5 million – scattered across an ocean area of approximately 30 million square kilometres. Less than 2 per cent of this area is land.

While outsiders may view the region as a palm-fringed paradise, life for the islanders can be difficult. The local economies are uncertain and slow-growing; domestic markets are small and poorly integrated.

But island farmers have a potentially lucrative asset: because of their widespread use of traditional farming methods, without the application of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides, they have been using organic farming methods for centuries.

In recognition of the potential benefits of linking farmers to organic markets, a Regional Organic Task Force (ROTF) was set up in 2007 to develop and implement a new organic standard for the region. The task force is a public/private partnership that includes experienced organic practitioners, farmers, processors, exporters, organic inspectors, researchers and staff members of agriculture ministries and NGOs. The programme led to the establishment of the third-ever worldwide organic standard in 2008. There have already been significant changes at the policy level, as government attitudes towards sustainable farming have changed. This should lead to benefits for local economies, food security and diet.

Farming in the Pacific Islands is predominantly small scale, low in productivity and based mainly on family labour, with limited use of modern technology. Would-be organic producers face a variety of obstacles, including the high cost of certifying, auditing and compliance needed to meet international organic standards.

To overcome these obstacles, IFAD funded two projects, one to help establish organic standards for the region, and another to build the capacity of farmers to meet organic – and subsequently fair-trade – standards. The first project set out to develop regional standards through a locally owned process, and to negotiate acceptance of them with certifying bodies in other regions. The intent was to create a regional strategy and national plans to build a strong foundation for sustainable organic agriculture in the region.

Ten Pacific Island countries – working with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Women in Business Development Inc (WIBDI), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand  – formed a Regional Organic Task Force to create the organic standard. The task force is backed by the recently-created Pacific High Level Organics Group, which draws on work being done by the projects to advocate and raise awareness for organic development at regional and national levels. 

The Organic Group was chaired by the Prime Minister of Samoa, with other members including the Presidents of both Kiribati and Niue and the Prime Minister of Vanuatu.

The task force has evolved into POETCom, reflecting the fair or ethical trade values incorporated in its work. Progress has been swift and the first Pacific Organic Standard was endorsed by Pacific leaders in September 2008.

According to Ron Hartman, IFAD’s country programme manager for the Pacific Islands, organic products can help farmers overcome isolation from international markets.

“Thanks to the growing international demand for organic and fair-trade products, there is an opportunity for small farmers in the Pacific Islands to benefit from this expanding market,” he says. “But there are strict international requirements for organics, so products must first be certified to ensure that they can be exported to overseas markets and farmers can benefit from price premiums.”

Aleki Sisifa, Director of the Land Resources Division at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), says the region is in dire need of this kind of support. “The Pacific is facing the effects of climate change, degradation of ecosystems and the need to generate livelihoods to maintain islands’ populations,” he said.

According to Sisifa, the Pacific Organic Standard “aims to provide a vehicle for organic production, as a sector, to raise its sails and conquer the Pacific.”