the world of organic agriculture - Organic Eprints

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The World of Organic Agriculture 2006
The Agroecological Movement of Latin America and the Caribbean MAELA, an international
movement linking around 80 groups in many countries, has done for many years extension work
with the small farmers of all the continent, specially focused on self sufficiency and associative
skills.
The Latin American Center of Sustainable Development CLADES, lead by Miguel Altieri and
Andres Yurcevic, has built a very thorough body of knowledge and experience around agroecology
and biodiversity issues, connecting universities (specially in the United States) with
farmer groups and extension agencies, publishing very complete studies and giving lectures in
all countries. Miguel Altieri is probably the most articulate spokesman of organic farming in the
region, and his books, read worldwide, have been used for courses in the continent for decades.
IFOAM, representing all, has been supporting and aiding all this spreading of organic projects
through the region, and bonding different sides of the movement through big events like the Sao
Pablo Scientific Conference in 1992 and the Mar del Plata Scientific Conference in 1998, both big
international gatherings taking place in the area, and the Latin American IFOAM Local Markets
Conference in Buenos Aires, June 2000.
Latin America, one of the biodiversity reservoirs of the world, is just beginning to take conscience
of the enormous possibilities of organic agriculture. It has the farming traditions, the fertile
lands and the varied climatic zones that allow it to produce almost anything in an ecological way,
helping the much-needed greening of the planet.
16.7 Latin America: Country Reports
Alberto Pipo Lernoud and Marcela Piovano
16.7.1 Argentina
Argentina had 3’192’000 certified hectares in 2000, and has 2.8 million hectares in 2005, a
decrease caused by the de-certification of big livestock certified areas, due to changes in the
organic meat market. A high percentage of the certified land is devoted to livestock production,
especially sheep production in big farms in the slopes of the southern states, in Patagonia. Arable
and permanent crop production uses 255’000 hectares, and the rest is for wild collection. 72
percent of the organic land is in Patagonia, owned by only four percent of the organic farmers
in the country. On the other end, around a third of the farms (606) are located in one area, the
Misiones Province in the north. These are small farmers organized in associations, producing
sugar and mate tea. The total number of farms in Argentina 2005 is 1’824.
90 percent of the organic production in Argentina is for export, mainly to the European Union
and USA. The biggest exports are cereals and oilseeds: corn, wheat, soy, and sunflower. Fruits are
also exported in big quantities: pears, apples, oranges and lemons. Some vegetables, especially
garlic, onions, and beans are also exported. There is also a growing sector of aromatic and
medicinal plants.
On the processed side, olive oil, sugar, concentrated juices; honey and wine are quite successful