Organic agriculture is spreading throughout the world and yet some fear that this is putting the food security of African small-holder farmers at risk. This concern was studied carefully by the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) using data generated from a survey of 224 smallholder farmers producing coffee and pineapples. The results indicated that this fear was not well founded. The move to certified organic status increased food security through increased cash incomes & improved production. Yields increased through the application of organic practices and more efficient use of land through techniques such as intercropping.
Food Security and Organic Pineapple Growing
Coffee garden
Pineapple growers were found to have high levels of food security and organic conversion did not reduce food production. Organic production resulted in more income and this was used to expand farms through the use of hired labour. Family effort was not diverted from food crops and organic farmers not only met their own food needs, but were also able to buy “luxury” foods such as meat and fish. Spending on food only ranked 5th in household expenditures due to strong home production.
Food Security and Organic Coffee Growing
Organic coffee farmer households initially experienced a decline in home food production due to more productive land being used for coffee growing, with little chance to buy more land. Farmers adapted to this by starting to intercrop beans with coffee, which also reduced weeding effort, and by using coffee income to rent land for maize and rice production away from the mountain. Higher prices for organic coffee required more effort from farmers – mainly women – to meet quality requirements, resulting in less time for women’s own income generation strategies. Few farmers were food self sufficient, but organic farmers had more income to purchase additional foodstuffs.
INCOME – Organic means more work and this may increase labour costs, but this is covered by the extra organic income. Extra income means more food purchased in the market
GENDER – Hired labour and not female household labour was used to meet increase labour demand in pineapples but not coffee. Organic coffee, especially field area expansion, increase labour for women, but they felt it was acceptable due to higher family income
The Facts of the study
Ø Mt Elgon coffee farmer scheme, formed in 2001 with 3870 certified organic members
Ø Central Uganda pineapple farmer scheme, formed in 2004 with 32 certified organic members
Ø Organic certification was arranged on a contract farming basis with the buyer/exporter holding the organic certificate
Ø Household level interviews with 144 organic farmers and 80 conventional farmers
Ø The research also included 9 focus group discussions, held separately – women and men
For more information please refer to:- www.diis.dk/SAFE