Agri09-Day II - Session I - Raymond Auerbach - Rainman

17/02/2011Rainman Landcare Foundation 1

Big business for small farmers: Africa's comparative advantage in

the world organic market

Dr Raymond AuerbachDirector, Rainman Landcare Foundation

17/02/2011Rainman Landcare Foundation2

World: Development of organic agricultural land 1999-2007 (Revised May 2009)

11.0

17.4 19

.9

25.7

29.9

29.2 30

.8 32.2

14.8

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Mil

lio

n h

ecta

res

Source: FiBL, IFOAM & SOEL 2000-2009


World: The ten countries with the largest numbers of organic producers 2007

19,997

20,000

23,769

36,093

43,159

90,222

128,819

165,560

195,741

206,803

0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000

Austria

Zambia

Greece

Peru

Italy

Tanzania

Mexico

Ethiopia

India

Uganda

Source: FiBL & IFOAM Survey 2009


Development of the organic agricultural land in Europe 1985-2007

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.30.5 0.6 0.8 1

1.41.8

2.3

3

3.7

4.3

5.2

5.96.2

6.46.9

7.47.7

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

La

nd

are

a i

n m

illi

on

he

cta

res

Source: FiBL, Aberystwyth University, ZMP


The European Market: The countries with the highest sales 2007

0.49

0.50

0.58

0.60

0.74

0.79

1.87

2.56

5.30

1.90

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Sweden

Netherlands

Denmark

Spain

Austria

Switzerland

Italy

France

UK

Germany

Sales in billion Euros

Source: Aberystwyth University, FiBL & ZMP 2009


World Organic Market: currently over US$ 50 billion

0

10

20

30

40

50

1999 2003 2007

World Market(US$ billions)


Uganda: Development of Organic Agriculture

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

2002

2004

2006

2008

Producers(x 1000)

Land Area(x 1000ha)

East African Organic Standard (2007)

Cotton, coffee, pineapples and bananas for export

Growing local market

US$ 22 million certified organic export (www.organic-world.net)

How do we reduce hunger and poverty?International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge,

Science and Technology for Development

The IAASTD Report for Sub-Saharan Africa states (IAASTD, 2008a, p.19 [www.agassess.org]):

Strategies of rapid agricultural development need to be coordinated more directly with strategies for biodiversity and water conservation such as retaining areas of natural vegetation in production areas, keeping areas where pollinators can thrive, promoting organic agriculture, incorporating trees in agricultural landscapes. WHY?


Both scale and impact of human activities has increased We need to feed 9 billion people by 2050

We have to stop polluting and wasting water

We must use energy efficiently, not burn up our resources making a greenhouse

Poverty and hunger should reduce dramatically in this century (WSSD, 2002, Triple Bottom Line: Environmental protection, Economic viability, Social Equity = sustainable)

The answer is organic farming and locally-centred development projects using renewable resources

This will help Africa use her comparative advantage (less history of pollution, recent organic traditional knowledge)


Economic and environmental benefits: why uphill for organics?

US Board on Agriculture (Nat Res Council) Report on Alternative Agriculture 1989, already concluded:

Organic farmers derive significant sustained economic and environmental benefits.

Federal Policies work against organic farming, and should be changed.

International developmental policies also militate against organic farming, in favour of industrial agriculture, which benefits the sponsoring countries, who sell inputs & technology, yet organic farming is productive, sustainable and appropriate – evidence follows:


Organics and Food Quality(www.qlif.org)

Quality Low Input Food Research Project (Europe, 18 million Euros, 31 Institutions), 2005-2009:

Prof Carlo Leifert & Colleagues found

Anti-oxidants, 60% higher in dairy;

Vitamins, 20% higher in many foods;

Wide range of benefits in organic vs conventional foods (Hohenheim, 2007).


Poison Residues in Food in German Supermarkets -Kwalis

69.5

24.6

5.9

96.5

3.4 0.10

20

40

60

80

100

120

No Poison Traces only Health Risk

Conventional(n=1836)

Organic(n=1041)

Are Organic yields lower?

―In subsistence agriculture, organic farming doubles or trebles yields, and the world average organic yields are about 132% more than current food production levels‖ (FAO, 2007).

Water-use efficiency:

Building active soils with high content of organic matter has positive effects on soil drainage and water-holding capacity (20 to 40 percent more for heavy loess soils in temperate climate), including groundwater recharge and decreased run-offs (FAO, 2007).

The FAO study also shows Organic:

Non-solar energy use: 33 to 56% less;Carbon sequestration efficiency is almost doubled; Agrobiodiversity is significantly higher;when compared with conventional systems (FAO, 2007).

―Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and

their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations. It ensures

that the rights to use and manage lands, territories, waters, seeds, livestock and biodiversity are in the

hands of those of us who produce food.‖

—Declaration of the Forum for Food Sovereignty, Nyeleni, February 2007







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Agri09-Day II - Session I - Raymond Auerbach - Rainman