Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Partnering with producers in Kerala may also ensure that the state can
readily supply the needed goods for ration shops.31
Currently, Kerala and South India in general need more retail outlets
so that farmers can sell a variety of commodities to a variety of markets of
different scales, and so that consumers can buy the farmers' products. In
2011, Kerala's capital city of
Thiruvananthapuram only had one regular
organic bazaar, hosted by Thanal. Only a handful of other shops in the
city sold a limited amount of organic goods, and currently very few ration
shops (under the PDS) supply organic foods. Since then, several additional
organic shops have opened in Thiruvananthapuram and throughout
Kerala, signaling increasing support for organic farming in the state.
Despite the many challenges it faces, Kerala's organic farming move-
ment remains one example of the growing pockets of alternatives and
resistance to industrial agriculture that merit atention. These initiatives
have taken different shapes and forms and are a mixture of public and
private partnerships. From Cuba to California, farmers are actively en-
gaging in seting organic farming standards and governance. They are
steadfastly commited to farming without chemicals to protect human
health and the environment.
Ultimately, organic food is
still
a good option for dinner for those of us
living far from Kerala, because there, and in places like it, organic farm-
ing has become a sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture. Kerala's
2010 organic farming policy and its certiication-based entities are part
of a strong countermovement against chemical-dependent, debt-ridden
agriculture in India. The next few years are likely to produce even more
transformation in the state's agricultural sector. The looming question
now is, Can its policy completely solve its agrarian crisis by 2020? W hile
early explorers like Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus sought out
this region just for spices, the world today has the opportunity to learn
a lot about organic farming's global and local possibilities by watching
Kerala's latest sustainable development initiative unfold.