From village hen to broiler chicken- Organic farming; the way forward
There has been quite a bit of controversy regarding Genetically Modified (GM) food in the past with unresolved issues, myths about the nutritional value circulating but what is the story behind organically produced food? If it is understood correctly this is food grown with absolutely no added chemicals, no sprayed pesticides and no synthetic fertilizer. Compare this with the vegetables available today appearing fresh, bright with colour except for the knowledge that all these are full of poisons. “The farmers themselves acknowledge that the food they feed their children is full of chemicals,” added Sustainable Agriculture Co-ordinator, M Nimal Kumaratunga of the Green Movement of Sri Lanka.
The fields are constantly sprayed with a variety of pesticides which eventually leak in to the surrounding lakes and streams, “there are many cases of kidney failure and other diseases due to toxins in the water,” said Bandula Senadeera, Sarvodaya in the farming districts as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Unable to pay loans and the price of fertilizer, which has now become an essential component of farming, escalating they are facing a very bleak future. “Our first organic farm was in Saliyapura in Anuradhapura,” began Mr. Senadeera continuing that the ample amounts of hay and cow dung available was going to waste or sent to Vavuniya while the farmers here used synthetic fertilizer on their farms. “The farmers from the northern sectors don’t use synthetic fertilizer,” he said.
The project started on Sarvodaya land fortunately located within the farming community on a very small scale using all natural products. “Hay, Giniseeliya (Sapium rigidus), cow dung fertilize is readily available in these areas and using these we slowly showed the farmers a good yield can be obtained and at a very low cost,” he explained. Of course this is as yet done on a very small scale and the Sarvodaya has introduced organic farming for home gardens. To take maximum use of natural factors as sunlight they have considered the stratification of plant communities and grown thibbatu as a ground layer, banana as a under story layer and coconut, jak or butter fruit as an emergent layer. “This reduces the competition for light, natural fertilizer applied provides all the necessary nutrition,” this form of farming also encourages the growth of symbiotic micro-organisms that are naturally present and help the plants obtain nitrogen, vitamins and minerals from the soil and atmosphere.
“Today’s practice of using chemicals and the latest oils (thel beheth) destroy these organisms, the micro-organisms, worms even the beneficial insects that help the farmer,” said Mr. Kumaratunga expressing that our ancestors with a complete knowledge of this relationship between the animal world and human had farming practices that encouraged their growth. It is the loss of these symbiotic organisms that stand as the primary reason for the infertility of our soil he expressed.
“We don’t have funds to give the farmers to promote this type of farming,” said Mr. Senadeera and so with the help of voluntary workers the practice has been spread among home gardens to grow mango, coconut, various vegetables and such. “We have traveled to such places as Thanamalvila and Matale where this practice has been taken up with interest,” soon awareness programmes will be conducted in schools to promote the advantages of organic farming he informed. Mr. Kumaratunga through the Green Movement is approaching women and children to promote home gardens.
“The techniques used are not the latest farming practices introduced with the advancement of science but the traditional techniques and agricultural knowledge that has pasted down to us,” he said using a forest as an example to explain that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are not required to get a good yield. “No one adds fertilizer to a forest floor but the soil is healthy. Synthetic products kill this natural recycling property of the soil, the texture changes with more and more of the nutrients being washed away,” explained Mr. Senadeera. “Eventually the yield reduces and the quality of the product drops.”
To introduce organic farming in a big scale, large amounts of the natural fertilizer and funds are needed which Sarvodaya is in no position to acquire. Home gardens however are in their capacity. The Green Movement has gone a step further and is promoting storage of the fruits and vegetables so grown. “The yield is packed directly from the field in to the lorry bound for the market,” said Mr. Kumaratunga, and except for some rice the ones at home don’t even see the product. “The farmer has been reduced to depend on the shop-keeper.”
Working closely with the farming community the Sarvodaya utilizes the practical knowledge of the farmer which academics lack. “This knowledge is so vast and by asking them to help we make them part of what we are doing,” said Mr. Senadeera building a connection between the commercial farmer and the person who feeds us all. 90% of the home gardens established by the Green Movement are successful informed Mr. Kumaratunga, but it is slow work. They have so far approached 14 districts in which a small village is chosen based on climatic conditions explained Mr. Kumaratunga. “Our aim is to up lift health and nutrition of a family,” and they focus on women, children, environmentalists and the farmers.
“We have not yet submitted a proposal to the government or asked for assistance,” said Mr. Senadeera but the authorities have not yet taken an initiative either. “We have opened the doors for international students who want practical experience and those completing research to come here,” there is an exchange of knowledge and practices between the local and foreign participants through which much is learnt.
“So far it is just the Sarvodaya, the universities and the farmers that are involved in this project,” said Mr. Senadeera eager for government assistance in the future. The Green Movement on the other hand has submitted a few ideas that had room to grow but Mr. Kumaratunga informs that the authorities had changed these to suit the shop keeper and not the farmer before implementing.
“At the beginning the farmers were not at all co-oporative but with time they have come to see the benefits of organic farming,” the first two to three years was a lone struggle for Sarvodaya, but slowly even the farmers managing large farms came home in the evening to tend his organic home garden. “Talking about it is not practically feasible but you have to show them what it is all about,” advised Mr. Senadeera. The society and farmers must be convinced. So far they have been successful in 54 home gardens and have gathered a vast knowledge where synthetic chemicals play no role. “After visiting three farms we found that kohila grows well in places not supplied with ample water,” he gave an example; such facts would not be known if not for the small investigations.
“It is not an easy thing to promote,” agreed Mr. Kumaratunga, who for the past twenty odd years has been working with the farmers. There is no point trying to promote agricultural practices of the western countries in a humid tropical country he said but instead embrace the practices of our ancestors which have for centuries succeeded in producing a large, nutritious yield. He also blames the rise of disease on the present condition of our food, “there is not a house in a village that doesn’t suffer from the ‘Colombo 7 diseases’,” referring to diabetes, pressure and heart disease.
There are several misconceptions about organic farming, “many think that using compost is organic farming, others still spray the food products,” explained Mr. Kumaratunga which just makes the public mistrust the organic food label that is meant to be more nutritious and healthy. “This method has been coming since the 80’s but is yet not a success because each one tries to invent his own system of growing organic food,” he said, in the end they are all stranded for the practice soon fails and the farmer goes back to using chemicals. Comparing today’s man to the broiler chicken and our ancestors to the village hen (gam kukula) Mr. Kumaratunga airs his concern about the future populations that will have to survive with a dead soil, polluted air and toxic waters.
(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/07/14/feat/01.asp)
The fields are constantly sprayed with a variety of pesticides which eventually leak in to the surrounding lakes and streams, “there are many cases of kidney failure and other diseases due to toxins in the water,” said Bandula Senadeera, Sarvodaya in the farming districts as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Unable to pay loans and the price of fertilizer, which has now become an essential component of farming, escalating they are facing a very bleak future. “Our first organic farm was in Saliyapura in Anuradhapura,” began Mr. Senadeera continuing that the ample amounts of hay and cow dung available was going to waste or sent to Vavuniya while the farmers here used synthetic fertilizer on their farms. “The farmers from the northern sectors don’t use synthetic fertilizer,” he said.
The project started on Sarvodaya land fortunately located within the farming community on a very small scale using all natural products. “Hay, Giniseeliya (Sapium rigidus), cow dung fertilize is readily available in these areas and using these we slowly showed the farmers a good yield can be obtained and at a very low cost,” he explained. Of course this is as yet done on a very small scale and the Sarvodaya has introduced organic farming for home gardens. To take maximum use of natural factors as sunlight they have considered the stratification of plant communities and grown thibbatu as a ground layer, banana as a under story layer and coconut, jak or butter fruit as an emergent layer. “This reduces the competition for light, natural fertilizer applied provides all the necessary nutrition,” this form of farming also encourages the growth of symbiotic micro-organisms that are naturally present and help the plants obtain nitrogen, vitamins and minerals from the soil and atmosphere.
“Today’s practice of using chemicals and the latest oils (thel beheth) destroy these organisms, the micro-organisms, worms even the beneficial insects that help the farmer,” said Mr. Kumaratunga expressing that our ancestors with a complete knowledge of this relationship between the animal world and human had farming practices that encouraged their growth. It is the loss of these symbiotic organisms that stand as the primary reason for the infertility of our soil he expressed.
“We don’t have funds to give the farmers to promote this type of farming,” said Mr. Senadeera and so with the help of voluntary workers the practice has been spread among home gardens to grow mango, coconut, various vegetables and such. “We have traveled to such places as Thanamalvila and Matale where this practice has been taken up with interest,” soon awareness programmes will be conducted in schools to promote the advantages of organic farming he informed. Mr. Kumaratunga through the Green Movement is approaching women and children to promote home gardens.
“The techniques used are not the latest farming practices introduced with the advancement of science but the traditional techniques and agricultural knowledge that has pasted down to us,” he said using a forest as an example to explain that synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are not required to get a good yield. “No one adds fertilizer to a forest floor but the soil is healthy. Synthetic products kill this natural recycling property of the soil, the texture changes with more and more of the nutrients being washed away,” explained Mr. Senadeera. “Eventually the yield reduces and the quality of the product drops.”
To introduce organic farming in a big scale, large amounts of the natural fertilizer and funds are needed which Sarvodaya is in no position to acquire. Home gardens however are in their capacity. The Green Movement has gone a step further and is promoting storage of the fruits and vegetables so grown. “The yield is packed directly from the field in to the lorry bound for the market,” said Mr. Kumaratunga, and except for some rice the ones at home don’t even see the product. “The farmer has been reduced to depend on the shop-keeper.”
Working closely with the farming community the Sarvodaya utilizes the practical knowledge of the farmer which academics lack. “This knowledge is so vast and by asking them to help we make them part of what we are doing,” said Mr. Senadeera building a connection between the commercial farmer and the person who feeds us all. 90% of the home gardens established by the Green Movement are successful informed Mr. Kumaratunga, but it is slow work. They have so far approached 14 districts in which a small village is chosen based on climatic conditions explained Mr. Kumaratunga. “Our aim is to up lift health and nutrition of a family,” and they focus on women, children, environmentalists and the farmers.
“We have not yet submitted a proposal to the government or asked for assistance,” said Mr. Senadeera but the authorities have not yet taken an initiative either. “We have opened the doors for international students who want practical experience and those completing research to come here,” there is an exchange of knowledge and practices between the local and foreign participants through which much is learnt.
“So far it is just the Sarvodaya, the universities and the farmers that are involved in this project,” said Mr. Senadeera eager for government assistance in the future. The Green Movement on the other hand has submitted a few ideas that had room to grow but Mr. Kumaratunga informs that the authorities had changed these to suit the shop keeper and not the farmer before implementing.
“At the beginning the farmers were not at all co-oporative but with time they have come to see the benefits of organic farming,” the first two to three years was a lone struggle for Sarvodaya, but slowly even the farmers managing large farms came home in the evening to tend his organic home garden. “Talking about it is not practically feasible but you have to show them what it is all about,” advised Mr. Senadeera. The society and farmers must be convinced. So far they have been successful in 54 home gardens and have gathered a vast knowledge where synthetic chemicals play no role. “After visiting three farms we found that kohila grows well in places not supplied with ample water,” he gave an example; such facts would not be known if not for the small investigations.
“It is not an easy thing to promote,” agreed Mr. Kumaratunga, who for the past twenty odd years has been working with the farmers. There is no point trying to promote agricultural practices of the western countries in a humid tropical country he said but instead embrace the practices of our ancestors which have for centuries succeeded in producing a large, nutritious yield. He also blames the rise of disease on the present condition of our food, “there is not a house in a village that doesn’t suffer from the ‘Colombo 7 diseases’,” referring to diabetes, pressure and heart disease.
There are several misconceptions about organic farming, “many think that using compost is organic farming, others still spray the food products,” explained Mr. Kumaratunga which just makes the public mistrust the organic food label that is meant to be more nutritious and healthy. “This method has been coming since the 80’s but is yet not a success because each one tries to invent his own system of growing organic food,” he said, in the end they are all stranded for the practice soon fails and the farmer goes back to using chemicals. Comparing today’s man to the broiler chicken and our ancestors to the village hen (gam kukula) Mr. Kumaratunga airs his concern about the future populations that will have to survive with a dead soil, polluted air and toxic waters.
(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/07/14/feat/01.asp)
Labels: From village hen to broiler chicken- Organic farming; the way forward
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