Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Currently there are a number of certified organic farmers in the
state, those cultivating cash crops such as spices, tea, and coffee,
mainly targeting [the] export market and also noncertified organic
farmers who focus on food crops and biodiversity. All of them,
whether certified or not, focus clearly on soil health improvement.
Kerala also has an accredited organic certifying agency catering to
the needs of the farmers.
.
. . Currently, about 7,000 farmers practice organic farming in the
State as per NPOP standards, covering a total area of 5750 ha. But
non-
certified organic cultivation area, assessments of which have
not been done, is expected to be much more than this.9
These sentences are the only ones that mention certified organic farming
for export in the twenty-one-page organic farming policy. W hat is note-
worthy is the fact that the policy states that certified organic agriculture
for export is focused on cash crops, like spices, coffee, tea, and bananas.
Organic farming that is not certified for export, on the other hand, pro-
tects biodiversity and cultivates food crops—which people within India
can eat for daily sustenance.
W hile the state's organic farming policy claims that both of these
forms of organic farming “focus clearly on soil health improvement,” it
explicitly heralds the superiority of growing for specific markets (domes-
tic over export) and specific types of crops (vegetables, fruits, and staples
such as rice). The funding under the policy even reflects this preference:
the Agriculture Department's Organic Farming Programme only cov-
ered the cultivation of rice, tubers, and vegetables in 2011 and 2012. The
Biodiversity Board's pilot project and model cultivation area in Padayeti
also only included paddy fields and vegetables. The board helped in mar-
keting these goods to local businesses, fostering a local food economy.
Certification, on the other hand, has not been funded under the state's
organic farming policy. Nor has organic farming for export.10
As a major consultant to the state's organic farming policy, Thanal was
able to incorporate its interests in promoting a system of organic farm-
ing for domestic consumption and staple crops into the priorities of the
Organic Farming Programme. Yet, in personal conversations with me,
