The 2nd African Organic Conference – Mainstreaming ... - ICROFS

2 nd AFRICAN ORGANIC CONFERENCE 2012
May 2-4, 2012 in Lusaka, Zambia
plants used for ruminant treatment include Afzelia bella, Dioscorea cayensis and Spondia mombin for
parasitic infections; Azadiracta indica for fever and anorexia; Capsicum tabacum for cold; Ocimum
gatissimum and Carica papaya for diarrhea and worms, respectively. It was therefore concluded that the
need for the government to encourage research programs through grants, loans and subsidy to study clinical
actions of the plant extracts, isolate and characterize the active principles will improve the existing
indigenous knowledge systems.
PRESENTATION&OF&THE&BASIC&ELEMENTS&OF&SRI&
Introduction to SRI
• Background on the discovery of SRI in 1984 by Henri de Laulanié, agricultural engineer: chance and
scientific work.
• Basic principles concerning the plant: capacity of rice tillers (Katayama model), development of root
system, etc.
• Basic principles concerning soil (organic fertilizer) and water control.
• Constraints for the adoption of SRI (pedagogical, climatic, economic, sociological) and a review of
best practices.
Advantages of SRI with regards to climate change and the fight against tropical diseases
• Opportunities for adaptation to the consequences of climate change:
• Reduced consumption of seeds, rapid growth of plants ! flexibility;
• Shortening of the rice cycle, regardless of seed variety !adaptation to new constraints during the rainy
season.
• Reduction in methane gas emissions with the practice of SRI, as compared to traditional rice
cultivation methods.
• Control and prevention of schistosomiasis through the periodic drying of rice fields and canals
(eliminating the vector’s habitat).
Integration of SRI in development strategies for national and global agriculture
• SRI and the size of rice fields: traditional rural areas and large farms.
• The need for exchanges between technical engineers and practicing farmers.
• Reconsidering and adapting the skills needed for support of SRI.
• Trade policy and food security strategies supported by international institutions and donors.
DEVELOPING&A&NATIONAL&ORGANIC&CERTIFICATION&PROGRAMME:&UGANDA’S&
EXPERIENCES&
CHARLES WALAGA
Uganda Organic Certification Ltd., P.O. Box, Kampala, Uganda, ccwalaga@yahoo.com
Abstract
The absence of a national organic certification programme is generally considered a major constraint to
accessing international organic markets for organic producers in developing countries, more so in sub-
Saharan Africa. Stakeholders in Uganda embarked on the development of a private sector national organic
certification programme in the early 1990s culminating in the formation of a stakeholder owned third party
certification body (UgoCert) and the development an organic standard (the Uganda Organic Standards).
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BOOK OF ABSTRACTS