Organic Agriculture is defined by IFOAM as a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.
This means IFOAM regards any system that uses organic methods and is based on the Principles of Organic Agriculture as ‘organic agriculture’ and any farmer practicing such a system as an ‘organic farmer’.
IFOAM’s Organic Alternative for Africa therefore embraces the adoption of Organic Agriculture in its full diversity, including various forms of non-certified Organic Agriculture. It supports the adoption of Organic Agriculture regardless of whether the products are marketed as organic or not.
Non-certified Organic Agriculture
There are many African organic farmers for whom formal certification does not have any advantages: this is true for farmers who practice subsistence farming and do not engage in the market at all, and for farmers for whom the organic claim has little or no marketing value. These groups engage in Organic Agriculture because of benefits such as increased productivity and resilience, lower production costs, a healthier working environment, and other social, environmental, and economic sustainability considerations.
A good example of a non-market driven organic agriculture is the "Sustainable Development and Ecological Land Management with Farming Communities in Tigray (Tigray Project)" in Ethiopia.
The Tigray Project
It was initiated by the Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD), the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development (BoARD), and Mekelle University in four villages of the Tigray Province in Northen Ethiopia in 1996. Within the Tigray project, farmers have used numbers of innovations and organic practices such as composting, crop diversification and improved water management to reverse the developments in an area formerly severely affected by problems such as overgrazing, soil erosion and depletion of water resources, which exacerbate rural poverty. The Tigray Project is farmer-led and builds on the local technologies and knowledge of the farming communities. The higher yields achieved through organic management practices resulted in:
- farmers having the evidence and confidence to withdraw costly synthetic fertilizers;
- a greater diversity of crops;
- improved farm resilience;
- higher ground water tables;
- better nutrition; and
- new income opportunities.
By 2008 the successes of the project led to its expansion throughout the country including 165 communities in the Tigray region. Moreover, the Tigray Project has become the government model for combating land degradation and eradicating poverty from Ethiopia.
Certified Organic Agriculture
Organic certification is a marketing tool. It is recommended only for markets that require it. It is the process that shows and guarantees that a product has been produced according to organic production principles and practices. These principles and practices are contained in organic standards and regulations such as the East African Organic Product Standards.
They are different ways to ensure that organic standards are met.
Self-claim and second-party certification
Most organic marketing starts at a local level with a producer making a claim in the marketplace that his produce is organic. This is common in many African countries today. When this is done in a systematic and documented way, it is sometimes considered as first-party certification. To communicate about his organic production system and demonstrate that it is organic, a producer can:
- Discuss with consumers or other interested persons and explain to them the principles and the methods that he uses to produce.
- Invite the consumers or other interested persons to visit his farm and/or take part in certain farm activities.
In some cases a buyer, a store or a trader is contracting farmers and is basically the person providing the assurance that the product is organic. This system exists in Africa. When this is done in a systematic and documented way, it is sometimes considered as second-party certification.
Third party certification
Third-party certification is based on another party than the buyer or producer providing assurances that organic standards are followed. Third-party certification is well-established in Africa, with many international bodies and local certification bodies providing services.
A list of certification bodies providing services in Africa is available at:
http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/around_world/aosc_pages/Organic_CBs_operating_in_Africa.html
Third party certification is a service usually provided by a certification body to its clients for a fee (the certification fee). The service consists of an on-site review of farming practices and of the corresponding records and documentation kept by the farmer, to verify compliance with the relevant organic standards. This inspection is done at least once a year, and is performed by an organic inspector hired by the certification body.
There are two scenarios under which organic producers can be third party certified:
- Individual third party certification, whereby the farmer alone signs a contract with the certification body and will obtain his or her own organic certificate.
- Group certification, whereby a group of farmers (either organized in a cooperative way or organized by a buyer) is managing an Internal Control System (ICS) and requests certification as a group.
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS)
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are locally focused organic verification systems. They assess producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge building and exchange.
PGS enable the direct participation of producers, consumers and other stakeholders in:
- the choice and definition of the standards (which can be simpler versions of the national standard, but sometimes also contain additional requirements decided by the group);
- the development and implementation of verification procedures;
- the certification decisions.
PGS are particularly appropriate for local markets and smallholder farmers due to low financial costs and less paperwork involved in the verification process.
To learn more about PGS, visit: http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/standards/pgs.html
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