the world of organic agriculture - Organic Eprints

11 The Contribution of Organic Farming to
Sustainable Development
Lukas Kilcher 1
Organic agriculture can, especially in poorer countries, contribute to meaningful socio-economical
and ecologically sustainable development. On the one hand, this is due to the organic practice,
which means management of local resources (e.g. local seed varieties, dung, etc.) and therefore
cost effectiveness. On the other hand, the market for organic products – at local and international
level – has tremendous prospects for growth and offers to creative producers and exporters from
the south some excellent opportunities to improve their incomes and living conditions. As to
whether organic agriculture is a viable alternative for a particular holding, is somethingthat can
only be clarified case by case.
What are the potentials of organic agriculture for the solution of the hunger and poverty
problems? What can organic agriculture contribute to socially and ecologically sustainable
development in poor countries?
Organic agriculture is sustainable and diverse
At the core of organic agriculture are the promotion of soil fertility, biodiversity (e.g. native flora
and fauna), locally adapted production methods and the renouncement of chemical inputs. Such
methods and the cultivation of diverse crops stabilize the delicate eco-systems in the tropics
and reduce drought sensitivity or pest infestations. Organic production lowers the risk of yield
failure, stabilizes returns and therefore enhances food security of small farmer’s families.
Picture 1: Agroforestry is a heartpiece of organic
agriculture in the tropics. The cooperative “El Jobo”
in Cuba applies this system with success: Besides the
cash crops coffee, cocoa and grapefruit, the farmers of
El Jobo plant a large number of shading trees (Inga,
Erythrina, Leucaena etc.) and self-sufficiency crops
(banana, beans, potatoes etc.). Agroforestry systems
reach a higher stability of the agre-ecological system,
improve the soil fertility, add nitrogen to the soil (Nfixation),
protect the soils against erosion and weeds,
add large amounts of organic matter by distributing
leaf litter and keep the soil humid by shadowing the
area and covering it with mulch. Agroforestry creates a diversity of micro-climatic effects and a diversity of
plants; it is therefore a very sustainable production system. Photograph Lukas Kilcher, FiBL
1 Lukas Kilcher, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Head of the International Cooperation Department,
Ackerstrasse, 5070 Frick, Switzerland, Internet http://www.fibl.org
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