Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
spurring the growth of organic exports from developing countries like
India.21
Alongside the rapid global growth in the organic food market and ex-
ports, however, have come cautionary and sometimes farcical tales. Re-
cent editorials have called organic food elitist because of its high prices
and limited availability, headlines have suggested that organic produce
from China is contaminated with chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and
scholarly research has documented labor abuses occurring on large or-
ganic farms in California.22 Some activists have even claimed that the
food miles of organic food can be “catastrophic” and have suggested that
imported organic products be denied organic certification.23 It is no won-
der that, as several popular topics have claimed, consumers are regularly
confused about what to purchase at the grocery store.24 My own research
in England revealed widespread consumer disdain and confusion around
organic products from the developing world.
Yet, as a result of the growing market for organic foodstuffs, as well
as the premium prices that such products can fetch, Kerala's organic
farming initiatives could be considered a wise economic move that may
bring greater income and development benefits to farmers. On the other
hand, the state's new policy could be considered risky and shortsighted.
Current trends in the organic sector lead to the following questions: Are
Kerala's farmers venturing into a fickle international market? Are they
avoiding the pitfalls of organic agriculture—the elitism, the chemical
contamination, and the labor abuses? Are they able to make meaning-
ful connections with consumers who may be located in other countries?
Two issues are intertwined here: organic food and the globalization of
our food system.
Broadly, people have three basic criticisms regarding organic food
systems.
The first critique is that organic food offers limited nutritional benefits,
even though it costs a lot more at the grocery store than conventionally
grown food. The former issue gained traction with the release of a 2012
Stanford University School of Medicine paper entitled “Are Organic
