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

2 nd AFRICAN ORGANIC CONFERENCE 2012
May 2-4, 2012 in Lusaka, Zambia
Current action taken on the weed. Because of the root volume and active growth, it is being used as a test
crop for phytoremediation of polluted land in a Ph.D. project.
Because Chickens peck the leaves it is being tried as chicken feed. It is being composted as organic
fertilizer. The seed which is very hardy is being observed for survival after a season of
incorporation in the soil and survival after composting. It is being tried for generation of biogas through
anaerobic digestion. When incorporated as live mulch it sprouts. Therefore, depth of incorporation in the
soil is being studied for effective control of the weed as live mulch
SURVEY&REPORT&ON&THE&WEED&
A survey was carried out in northern part of Oyo State, Nigeria. The following observations were made:
The Ladoke Akintola University of Technology organic lemon grass, tumeric and ginger farm under
conversion was invaded by this noxious weed defying normal organic cultural weeding techniques. As a
result, a survey team of NOAN members, ELOC Farm in Ghana, Mr James Cole, The NAPEP Director
and Director of LAS Organic Farm visited Oyo north in the Northern Guinea savannah to evaluate the
extent of invasion of the weed. Few pictures were taken.
The following discoveries were made: Once a field was opened up, the weed took over and smouldered the
cultivated crops. In a remote village in shaki local government area, an old woman (farmer) told us that the
weed was first observed about 12 years ago in the dung of nomadic cattle. This zone is transition zone for
pastoral nomads from the Sahel and Sudan savanna during the dry season.
In 2011 when there was a long drawn dry spell, the weeds were wiped away for about four months after
the onset of rain. This depicts the effect of climate change. The weeds have come back. There are
challenges:
• An effective organic weeding strategy is yet to be advanced
• The taxonomic classification is yet to be done.
• African organic farmers should watch out for this weed invation
CONVENTIONALIZATION&OF&THE&ORGANIC&SESAME&NETWORK&FROM&BURKINA:FASO:&
PRIVATE&STANDARD&OR&STATE&FAILURE?&
Corresponding author:
LAURENT C. GLIN, FiBL West Africa and Environmental Policy Group/Wageningnen University, P.O Box
8130, 6700 EW, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Email: Laurent.glin@wur.nl, glinlaurent@gmail.com ;
Co-authors
ARTHUR P.J. MOL, Environmental Policy Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningnen University,
P.O Box 8130, 6700 EW, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Email: arthur.mol@wur.nl;
PETER OOSTEVEER, Environmental Policy Group, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningnen University,
P.O Box 8130, 6700 EW, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Email: peter.oosterveer@wur.nl.
Abstract
This research examines the structure and development of the organic sesame network from Burkina-Faso to
explain the declining trend in organic sesame export. The paper addresses particularly the question whether
the organic sesame network is structurally (re)shaped as a conventional mainstream market or whether it
still presents a real alternative to the organization and governance of mainstream sesame production and
trade. Combining an alternative food economy framework with the concept of ‘conventionalization’, this
paper proves that the organic sesame is unable to offer a viable alternative to conventional trading, but is
instead increasingly incorporated in the mainstream market channels. This case study also raises questions
about the legitimacy and effectiveness of private and voluntary standards in governing alternative agrofood
supply chains. We hypothesize that the organic standard, mainly driven and governed through private and
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