Organics helping Pacific agriculture

I have often expressed that the world needs more good news. Today while doing some research for my potential thesis, I came across the article below and it made me so pleased, I felt it only right to share it!

 

Organics: the key to helping Pacific agriculture conquer new markets

In the Pacific Islands, farmers 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 fertilizers, 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.
Farmers making a profit
Mano Lami’s coconut farm shows what has been achieved.

Organic certification provides market opportunities for Pacific island farmers and their families

“Before we joined the organics programme we earned nothing,” says Lami. But when her farm became fully certified as organic, the growth in her family’s prosperity and standing in the community was remarkable. “When our farm was fully certified as organic and the prices [we could charge] increased, we noticed a huge difference,” she says. “We used the income to extend our house and can now afford to pay our electricity bills as well as make church donations. We used to rely on remittances from my children and relatives overseas, but now we don’t.”



Overcoming obstacles
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 Organization 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 the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (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.
Raising sails to conquer the Pacific
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.”
Samoan coconut oil for the Body Shop
The Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu all have organically certified land now. Organically certified crops and products currently being exported from the Pacific include beef, coffee, cocoa, coconut (as virgin coconut oil), vanilla and other spices, nonu (local spelling for the noni fruit) and both fresh and dried ‘lady’s finger’ bananas).

Organic and fair-trade products improve income opportunities for local communities

As some Samoan coconut farmers have discovered, there is considerable international demand for organic products from the Pacific. In 1991, WIBDI was established to support income generation in rural communities in Samoa. It has helped Samoan farmers reach organic certification standards and has developed a market link with the Body Shop in the United Kingdom to supply organic virgin coconut oil from smallholder Samoan farmers.

The financial benefits for local families are considerable. More children are attending school and families are able to expand their businesses. But there are other advantages to organic agriculture.
“Organics is more about a way of life than about certification and export,” says Adi Maimalaga Tafuna’I, Director of Samoa’s WIBDI. “It is about health, ecology, fairness and care. We want more than just sound technical regional standards. We want to incorporate a Pacific feel that acknowledges our past as organic farmers and the changes that have happened. We need to acknowledge our smallness in marketing terms and also recognize our culture and develop a brand that acknowledges that – as a holistic organic system.”

Source: IFAD

http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/guest/region/voice/tags/oceania/organics_pacific