Saturday, November 29, 2014

Small is still beautiful

The HinduTribals of Pedabidda in the Visakhapatnam district use Azolla, a type of aquatic fern, to reduce the use of urea in their organic farms CV Subrahmanyam
BUSINESS LINEJoanna Van Gruisen

It may seem counter-intuitive but the key to the world’s food security does not lie with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and industrial farming

Colder nights finally arrived and put paid to our beetle plague. The garden is burgeoning again with rocket and lettuce. Our Sarai guests love these. We mainly grow vegetables and herbs that are unavailable at the local village markets, but have also planted some seasonal vegetables. When successful, our small garden produces enough, not only to feed our guests and staff, but for the latter to take home to their families. It is amazing how much a small plot can produce. Input costs are minimal apart from human labour. We spend little on seeds as most are saved from plants of the previous year. Neem and tobacco do well against most plant-destroying insects and fungi, and our compost provides the nutrients. It is a happy organic cycle.

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), small plots have many benefits, which include reducing child mortality and incidence of eye diseases, and raising the status of women. They should be encouraged everywhere. In developed countries, there is a noticeable shift back to allotments and home gardens. For some, it’s the awareness of the role of transport in climate change; for others, it comes from a desire to know what they are eating in these days of unlabelled, genetically modified and pesticide-permeated foods. Here, an old adage bears repeating, since it is especially relevant to the agricultural scenario: small is beautiful.

It may seem counter-intuitive — and there are many agro-businesses that try to persuade us otherwise — but the key to the world’s food security does not lie with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and industrial farming. Experts warn that such a path, far from providing enough food, will dangerously impoverish the world. It is already the small farmer who feeds more of the world, especially in low-income countries. Many big international institutions such as the UN and World Bank now recognise that small farmers are the key to feeding a growing global population. Unfortunately, more and more of the agricultural land is moving into the hands of the rich and powerful, and government policies still tend to favour large over small — 80 per cent of subsidies and 90 per cent of research funds still go to industrial agriculture. Yet study after study shows that small farms are more efficient and that there is a strong inverse relationship between farm size and productivity. Even with the least share of land, smallholding farmers produce the largest percentage of food — 70-80 per cent with less than 25 per cent of the agricultural land.

Here is another fact that may surprise some of you: organic farms produce as much, and sometimes much more, than conventional farms. Where there is a yield gap in the other direction, it tends to be in wealthy nations. Organic farming is far from being a luxury that low-income countries cannot afford; it is rather the way the world has to go. A University of Essex research study examined over 200 agricultural projects in the developing world (9 million farms on nearly 30 million hectares) and found that yields increased an average of 93 per cent when they converted to organic and ecological ways. A seven-year study from Maikaal District in central India (of 1,000 farmers cultivating 3,200 hectares) found that average yields for cotton, wheat, chilli and soy were as much as 20 per cent higher on the organic farms than conventional ones nearby.

Organic farming brings so many benefits, from cleaner water to rural stability, there is not enough room to list them all. But one such benefit is increased biodiversity. If we changed agriculture on a large scale, we could sustain much higher levels of biodiversity. Imagine how many more birds and bees there would be without the tons of pesticides conventional farming uses on the fields; how much healthier we would be. We do not need to travel far to see examples: 50,000 hectares in Medak district of Andhra Pradesh have been proposed as an ‘Agricultural Biodiversity Heritage Site’ thanks to the work of — mostly women — farmers there. This is the first such site in India, and when you read of the 12-23 varieties of crops the women grow on less than three acres of only rain-fed land, you know accolades are well deserved. Self-sufficient in food and seeds, their methods could be a life-and-death choice for them. Thanks to eschewing conventional ways and market pressures to become “progressive” by planting hybrids, there are no farmer suicides in their district. (As a journalist pertinently asked, why does India celebrate independence every year only to cede it to foreign companies like Mosanto?)

Being in favour of ecological farming doesn’t mean

wanting a return to the past — just wanting technology that’s not from a chemical factory and based on petroleum. Rather, we need to creatively combine old wisdom with modern ecological knowledge and innovation — “Technology with a human face.”

Have I said it before? India has everything required to lead the world on this new path. Her indigenous food knowledge base in the adivasi and small farming communities is unsurpassed. Though dwindling, there is yet ample biodiversity and no shortage of vision and innovation. What we have yet to achieve are the agricultural policies that could allow it to happen. And we need these fast before the knowledge and biodiversity are is lost forever.

(Joanna Van Gruisen is a wildlife photographer, conservationist, and hotelier based near Panna, MP.)

(This article was published on November 28, 2014)

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/blink/takeaway/key-to-world-food-security-does-not-lie-with-gmos-and-industrial-farming/article6639967.ece

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Bangladesh farmers turn back the clock to combat climate stresses

BY SYFUL ISLAM

Wed Nov 26, 2014 6:34pm IST

A farmer examines rice in a paddy field near a farm house in Dhaka April 21, 2010.

CREDIT: REUTERS/ANDREW BIRAJ/FILES

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DHAKA, Bangladesh (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Indigenous varieties of rice are making a comeback in Bangladesh as farmers abandon high-yielding hybrid rice in favour of more resilient varieties that can cope with more extreme climate conditions, researchers say.

About 20 percent of the rice fields planted in the low-lying South Asian nation now contain indigenous varieties that can stand up to drought, flooding or other stresses, said Jiban Krishna, director general of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.

At its peak, high yielding varieties of rice are accounted for 90 percent of total rice grown in Bangladesh.

“In places where newly invented varieties fail to cope with stresses, farmers cultivate local varieties,” Krishna told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview.

Bangladesh’s government first introduced high-yielding rice in the 1960s, in an effort to promote food security and meet rising demand, Krishna said. Over time, most farmers adopted the new varieties, which brought in higher incomes.

But in recent years, as climate change has brought more irregular rainfall – including worsening floods and droughts – farmers have had more difficulty producing consistent crops of high-yielding varieties.

That has led to a growing share of farmers returning to more resilient varieties capable of coping with the extreme conditions, or planting both old and new varieties side by side.

The switch back to traditional varieties has happened with the help of non-governmental organisations that have reintroduced the varieties in an effort to protect “heritage” species and help farmers cope with adverse weather conditions , Krishna said.

In C’Nababaganj district, for instance, the Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge has helped farmers return to planting varieties that had almost vanished.

‘Saika’ rice, for instance, ripens in just 60 days – well short of the 90 to 110 days needed by hybrid varieties used in the area – and ‘Sashi Mohon’ needs hugely less water, said Pavel Partha, coordinator of the centre’s food security programme.

CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT POLICY

The government previously never promoted such varieties, considering them too low-yielding, he said. But in the face of growing climate impacts, it is now actively encouraging their cultivation as part of efforts to help farmers adapt to climate change, Partha said.

Farmers say returning to the old varieties has been a big help in ensuring they get a harvest each season.

“Cultivation in this area is facing immense trouble due to low and irregular rainfall. Even cultivation of rain-fed Aman (rice) is now totally dependent on irrigation which raises production costs,” said Hasan Ali, a farmer in Barandra village.

“In this situation we have brought in these indigenous aromatic varieties which are tolerant to many stresses," he said.

Another farmer, Anisur Rahman, said cultivation of the old varieties is expanding in part because they need almost no chemical fertiliser or pesticides – which makes them cheaper and easier to grow – and because their yields are good in tough conditions.

Abdus Sattar Hiru, a farmer in Traltalia village in Tangail district agreed that the ‘Afsara’ traditional rice he is now cultivating has brought in consistently good crops.

“The variety (grows over a) short duration and can be cultivated once the rainy season is over and water starts receding. In that period, modern or high yielding varieties can’t be cultivated but this local variety can,” he said.

Returning to ‘Afsara’ rice has also allowed him to bring back into production land previously left barren because high-yielding rice varieties did not grow there, he said.

(Reporting By Syful Islam; editing by Laurie Goering)

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/11/26/bangladesh-rice-idINKCN0JA15O20141126

Sunday, November 23, 2014

ARTICLE : Want to double world food production? Return the land to small farmers!

GRAIN

22nd November 2014

All over the world, small farmers are being forced off their land to make way for corporate agriculture, writes GRAIN - and it's justified by the need to 'feed the world'. But it's the small farmers that are the most productive, and the more their land is grabbed, the more global hunger increases. We must give them their land back!

The data show that the concentration of farmland in fewer and fewer hands is directly related to the increasing number of people going hungry every day.

The United Nations declared 2014 as theInternational Year of Family Farming. As part of the celebrations, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) released its annual 'State of Food and Agriculture', which this year is dedicated to family farming.

Family farmers, FAO say, manage 70-80% of the world's farmland and produce 80% of the world's food.

But on the ground - whether in Kenya, Brazil, China or Spain - rural people are being marginalised and threatened, displaced, beaten and even killed by a variety of powerful actors who want their land.

A recent comprehensive survey by GRAIN, examining data from around the world, finds that while small farmers feed the world, they are doing so with just 24% of the world's farmland - or 17% if you leave out China and India. GRAIN's report also shows that this meagre share is shrinking fast.

How, then, can FAO claim that family farms occupy 70 to 80% of the world's farmland? In the same report, FAO claims that only 1% of all farms in the world are larger than 50 hectares, and that these few farms control 65% of the world's farmland, a figure much more in line with GRAIN's findings.

Just what is a 'family farm'

The confusion stems from the way FAO deal with the concept of family farming, which they roughly define as any farm managed by an individual or a household. (They admit there is no precise definition. Various countries, like Mali, have their own.)

Thus, a huge industrial soya bean farm in rural Argentina, whose family owners live in Buenos Aires, is included in FAO's count of 'family farms'.

What about sprawling Hacienda Luisita, owned by the powerful Cojuanco family in the Philippines and epicentre of the country's battle for agrarian reform since decades. Is that a family farm?

Looking at ownership to determine what is and is not a family farm masks all the inequities, injustices and struggles that peasants and other small scale food producers across the world are mired in.

It allows FAO to paint a rosy picture and conveniently ignore perhaps the most crucial factor affecting the capacity of small farmers to produce food: lack of access to land. Instead, the FAO focuses its message on how family farmers should innovate and be more productive.

Small farmers are ever more squeezed in

Small food producers' access to land is shrinking due a range of forces. One is that because of population pressure, farms are getting divided up amongst family members. Another is the vertiginous expansion of monoculture plantations.

In the last 50 years, a staggering 140 million hectares - the size of almost all the farmland in India - has been taken over by four industrial crops: soya bean, oil palm, rapeseed and sugar cane. And this trend is accelerating.

In the next few decades, experts predict that the global area planted to oil palm willdouble, while the soybean area will grow by a third. These crops don't feed people. They are grown to feed the agro-industrial complex.

Other pressures pushing small food producers off their land include the runaway plague of large-scale land grabs by corporate interests. In the last few years alone, according to the World Bank, some 60 million hectares of fertile farmland have been leased, on a long-term basis, to foreign investors and local elites, mostly in the global South.

While some of this is for energy production, a big part of it is to produce food commodities for the global market, instead of family farming.

Small is beautiful - and productive

The paradox, however, and one of the reasons why despite having so little land, small producers are feeding the planet, is that small farms are often more productive than large ones.

If the yields achieved by Kenya's small farmers were matched by the country's large-scale operations, the country's agricultural output would double. In Central America, the region's food production would triple. If Russia's big farms were as productive as its small ones, output would increase by a factor of six.

Another reason why small farms are the feeding the planet is because they prioritise food production. They tend to focus on local and national markets and their own families. In fact, much of what they produce doesn't enter into trade statistics - but it does reach those who need it most: the rural and urban poor.

If the current processes of land concentration continue, then no matter how hard-working, efficient and productive they are, small farmers will simply not be able to carry on.

The data show that the concentration of farmland in fewer and fewer hands is directly related to the increasing number of people going hungry every day.

According to one UN study, active policies supporting small producers and agro-ecological farming methods could double global food production in a decade and enable small farmers to continue to produce and utilise biodiversity, maintain ecosystems and local economies, while multiplying and strengthening meaningful work opportunities and social cohesion in rural areas.

Agrarian reforms can and should be the springboard to moving in this direction.

To double global food production, we must support the small farmers

Experts and development agencies are constantly saying that we need to double food production in the coming decades. To achieve that, they usually recommend a combination of trade and investment liberalisation plus new technologies.

But this will only empower corporate interests and create more inequality. The real solution is to turn control and resources over to small producers themselves and enact agricultural policies to support them.

The message is clear. We need to urgently put land back in the hands of small farmers and make the struggle for genuine and comprehensive agrarian reform central to the fight for better food systems worldwide.

FAO's lip service to family farming just confuses the matter and avoids putting the real issues on the table.

This opinion piece by GRAIN was first published by Reuters.

SOURCE : http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/2638887/want_to_double_world_food_production_return_the_land_to_small_farmers.html

http://www.trust.org/item/20141106222038-eho49

Saturday, November 22, 2014

New law of the land: Compost or perish

TOMOJIT BASU

Pay dirt: Rashmi Sarkar and Avantika Jalan (second and third from right) oversee a composting drive at a farm in Madhya Pradesh

Two young women’s organic business helps small farmers salvage their soil and livelihood

Kolkata schoolmates Avantika Jalan and Rashmi Sarkar run Mana Organics, a social enterprise that helps small farmers improve soil fertility through chemical-free methods and navigate the country’s complex food supply chain. Organic produce from its two projects in Tinsukia, Assam, and three villages in Madhya Pradesh are sold in New Delhi and Kolkata.

Early days

Registered as an organic trader and producer, Mana began with a seed capital of ₹33.75 lakh in March 2011. Jalan, a major in Biology from Carleton College (USA), says a visit to MP’s Khargone district in September 2010 inspired her to take up the cause of sustainable agriculture. The region was devastated by a failed cotton crop and Jalan wanted to explore organic farming as a means to protect the farmers and fetch them better returns.

Together with Daniel Rath, a friend from Carleton, she spent the next few months learning composting. The two of them got Mana up and running a year later. They began testing the efficacy of a composting system they developed on a two-acre patch, an abandoned tea nursery allotted to them at the Chhota Tingrai Tea Estate (CTTE) in Tinsukia.

“Treatment was a priority since the soil quality was poor. Composting is a meticulous process and we had to get the carbon-nitrogen-mineral ratio right. The soil changed visibly in a few weeks and, using compost heaps, we grew a range of organic vegetables from September through to March,” says Jalan.

It works

In April 2012, an impressed CTTE management asked Mana to test its organic methods for growing tea. This was a larger project, across 30 acres of gardens with poor productivity.

“We dedicated the rest of the year to regenerating the soil; our techniques worked,” says Jalan. Mana’s composting process, unsurprisingly, became the company’s first revenue-generating stream, particularly after two more plantations began using it. “The area under cover has doubled and CTTE, which wanted more organic leaf supply, has become partner,” she adds.

Mana next brought 12 small farmers in the vicinity into the organic fold. They now supply directly to the CTTE factory. A community market will come up for the tea estate’s workers to grow and supply organic vegetables.

Business model

The venture is designed to cover everything from organic training to certification and a buy-back guarantee for its registered producer groups. Compost training is provided free and farmers sell their produce to Mana, which markets it through retail partners such as I-Say Organics in Delhi and Hindustan Petroleum (HP) Speed Marts in Kolkata. Organic tea, its most popular product, is sold through standalone stores.

“The prices are fixed monthly and always exceed market prices in the case of pulses and rice. For tea, we get better quality leaves from small growers and these are processed by registered estates and retailed under the Mana brand,” says Jalan.

The company registered a turnover of ₹2.6 crore last fiscal. Profits are shared with the producers while the retail partners keep the margins. Organic farming consultancy forms a separate revenue stream.

“We’re in a position to scale now. Organic tea, which we’re looking to export, already fetches around 20 per cent more returns for the growers,” says Sarkar, who came onboard as a full-time Director in January 2013 after completing a Diploma in Design from Bangalore’s Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology.

Looking ahead

Last year, Mana began working with adivasi farmers in three MP villages — Sultanpura, Lachhera and Koriyakhal. It has partnered with about 200 small farmers growing pulses and spices. “We are trying mechanisation to package the produce better at our own sealing and packaging unit by August next,” says Sarkar.

With young interns as their driving force, Sarkar and Jalan intend to turn Mana into a holistic development organisation focusing on education and renewable energy. They see collaboration with likeminded establishments as the way forward. “It doesn’t make sense to work in isolation if it’s development we’re after,” Sarkar muses.

(This article was published on November 21, 2014)

SOURCE: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/new-law-of-the-land-compost-or-perish/article6622114.ece

Life-Cycle Analysis of Organic Cotton “Overwhelming Supports” Benefits

by Lori Zimmer , 11/21/14 filed under: Eco-Fashion News, Eco-Textiles

As if eco-fashion enthusiasts didn’t already know, Textile Exchange has just released a new study proving that organic cotton causes less environmental damage than conventional cotton. The extensive study revealed the effects of the organic cotton supply chain on factors like global warming, soil erosion, energy demand and water use. Data collected from the top cotton producing countries have shown that organic cotton is significantly better for the environment across the board.

Textile Exchange has long supported the production of organic cotton, but this study shows the actual data to convince the world of its incredible benefit over conventional cotton. The study tracked the lifecycle of cotton and global production from the top five cotton producing countries who produce almost all of the world’s cotton; India, China, Turkey, Tanzania and the United States. The Textile Exchange’s research began with the farmers, and continued through the entire organic supply chain including cotton ginners, spinners, brands, retails and consumers themselves.

Their findings were remarkable. Compared to data collected on conventional cotton, the Textile Exchange found that organic cotton compared to conventional has 46 percent reduced global warming potential, 70 perfect less acidification potential, 26 percent reduced soil erosion, 62 percent reduced primary energy demand, and a whopping 91 percent reduced blue water consumption.

Textile Exchange projects that this data will influence eco-conscious retailers to abolish the purchase of conventional cotton, and to support the clearly superior, sustainable organic cotton supply chain.

SOURCE: http://www.ecouterre.com/first-life-cycle-analysis-of-organic-cotton-overwhelming-supports-its-benefits/

Friday, November 21, 2014

Seven Ideas For Urban Permaculture

When one thinks about food production, it is a natural inclination to imagine a rural scene. Fields, forests, orchards and farms are the most likely pictures that spring to mind. But the majority of people on the planet live in urban settings, so how can permaculture food production be applied to our towns and cities? There are, in fact many techniques that allow urban dwellers to grow food the permaculture way.

Window
Perhaps the archetypal material associated with modern urban architecture is glass. Apartment blocks, especially, tend to make a lot of use of it. However, it can be turned to the permaculturist’s advantage. Glass is very good at letting in sunlight and heat and you can utilize this by creating towers made from recycled plastic bottles that allow the light in and make use of the full length of your window. A more traditional option is to start window boxes. You can grow all kinds of herbs in window boxes, and even smaller fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and lettuce.

Edible Balconies
Tall apartment buildings are a feature of modern urban life, and they don’t often come with much outside space. One place where it can be available however, is on the balcony. Even in the small space of a balcony there is scope for growing food, and the same kind of analysis that you would undertake on any site should be performed before you ‘plant’. Observe wind patterns, strength and direction of sun hitting your balcony, which areas remain permanently in shade and which get a lot of sun, how much rainfall penetrates into the balcony. Of course, you won’t need to do a soil analysis, but you will need to ensure the soil you use in growing pots (the vessels you will use to grow plants on a balcony – which can be recycled containers of almost any kind) is rich in organic material and well drained.

There are many species that can be grown in pots on balconies, given the right conditions. Tomatoes and beans will climb towards sunlight (provide a trellis for them to hold on to), while root vegetables like potatoes and radishes are also feasible. Leafy greens such as kale and broccoli are very adaptable to pot growing, while salad greens and herbs are likely to give you the quickest rewards. You could also consider a small citrus tree if you have sufficient sun and it is protected from strong winds. Make the most of the height of the balcony as well by putting up baskets, in which you can grow low-lying fruits like strawberries. You will need to ensure that you keep the soil well stocked with organic matter, but you can practice composting on a small scale with the scraps for your kitchen, or even start a worm farm if space allows.

Living Roofs

The other place in apartment buildings that can provide growing space is the roof. Often the rooves of apartment buildings are jointly owned by all the residents and, while you would need the agreement of your fellow inhabitants, can be converted in whole or in part to a permaculture system. As long as drainage is ensured and the structure of the building is robust enough to take the extra weight you could build raised garden beds, as well as plant in pots. Species that thrive with a lot of direct sunlight – such as sweet corn, collard greens, eggplant, lettuce and tomatoes – are ideal. Just be aware of potentially high winds and seek to mitigate their destructive impact. Barrels to collect rainwater are also a good idea so you are not using mains water to irrigate.

You might also consider having one or more beehives on the roof. Bees are very adept at finding sources of food and can thrive in urban environments. Obviously, if you institute a hive as part of an overall permaculture roof garden, food is available for the bees in close proximity, and they will be instrumental in pollinating your crops.

Maximize Space
Land prices in urban areas are typically much higher than in rural areas, meaning you get less space for your money. This can mean that yards on urban plots are small. So you need to look at methods of maximizing the productive space in the garden in order to grow as much food as possible. Keyhole garden beds are one method of doing so, but you might also consider vertical planting, such as espaliered trees along fences, as well greenhouses to prolong the growing seasons.

Community Gardens|Whether you have a small backyard, a balcony, a window box, or, in particular, no space at all at your urban dwelling, getting involved with a community garden is a great way to practice permaculture and connect with other like-minded gardeners. Many towns and cities have initiatives that are turning underused or derelict land into viable plots for growing food. Your local council office will be able to tell you about initiatives in your area, and if there are none, lobby to have one started!

Land Share
Another option in urban areas that involves making connections with other people is land sharing. This initiative puts people who have land available but not the time or inclination to cultivate it in touch with those who are in the inverse situation – they have the drive to start a permaculture garden but lack the space to do so. It could be anything from a backyard to an underused allotment, and the landowner gives the gardener permission to transform the site in exchange for, typically, a small share of the harvest. Everyone wins!

Curbside Planting
Strictly speaking, you would need to get permission from the city council to plant on curbsides and on median strips, but there unlikely to be many objections to planting edible species in areas of dirt on public land. Herbs and even fruit trees have the potential to thrive in places such these, they will add to the greenery of the city and help with air quality, as well as providing local people with food. It would have to be a pretty hard-heading council to object to that!

SOURCE : https://www.openpermaculture.com/magazine/seven-ideas-urban-permaculture?cctidx=omag-popup-seven-ideas-urban-permaculture

Monday, November 17, 2014

WATCH - Urban Agroecoloy: 6,000 lbs of food on 1/10th acre - Urban Homestead - Urban Permaculture

Urban Agroecoloy: 6,000 lbs of food on 1/10th acre - Urban Homestead - Urban Permaculture

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCmTJkZy0rM&feature=youtu.be

Kitchen Gardenmathi nikadi cancer haravani katha

Yese Hara rahi hai Mahilaye Cancer ko

SOURCE: http://epaper.bhaskar.com/panipat/60/16112014/cph/1/

Sunday, November 16, 2014

EVENT: Organic Vegetable Fair

Thursday, November 6, 2014

MRATORIUM TO GE OPERATIONS AT MAUI

And now for some good news...Congratulations to everyone on Maui, and across the state of Hawaii, who worked so hard to pass this moratorium!#wearethemovement http://www.civilbeat.com/2014/11/1000-votes-maui-gmo-farming-ban-squeaks-by

SOURCE: Center for Food Safety

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

1,000 Votes: Maui GMO Farming Ban Squeaks By

Opponents of the measure, including Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences, raised a historic $7.9 million to defeat the bill, more than any campaign in Hawaii's history.

NOVEMBER 4, 2014·By ANITA HOFSCHNEIDER

A Maui County ballot initiative to temporarily ban genetically engineered crops narrowly passed Tuesday following one of the most heavily financed political campaigns in state history.

The controversial measure pulled ahead late Tuesday, passing 50 percent to 48 percent — a difference of just 1,077 votes. It was a stunning turnaround after the measure was initially losing by 19 percent when the first results rolled in.

The county’s first-ever ballot initiative targeting global agriculture companies Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences attracted nearly $8 million from opponents, making it the most expensive campaign in Hawaii’s history.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Monsanto Molokai field worker pollinates corn on July 3, 2014.

A Monsanto Molokai field worker pollinates corn.

Opponents outspent advocates more than 87 to 1, according to the latest campaign spending reports available Tuesday. That amounts to more than $300 for every “no” vote.

But it still wasn’t enough to beat scores of Maui County residents who spent weeks canvassing, sign-waving and calling friends to share their concerns about seed companies’ farming practices.

Ashley Lukens, who directs the Hawaii chapter of the Center for Food Safety, a national nonprofit that has been lobbying for more regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), said Maui County residents deserve all the credit for the turnaround.

“I think that this is a really strong message to the entire agrochemical industry in the state of Hawaii that we are no longer going to sit idly by and watch them expand their operations without the kinds of regulations that ensure the health and safety of people across Hawaii,” Lukens said.

Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez, spokesman for the political action committee Citizens Against the Maui County Ballot Initiative, thanked supporters for their help in an emailed statement.

“We are deeply concerned for the 600-plus workers and their families, local businesses, farmers and taxpayers that will be negatively impacted by the passage of this scientifically unjustified, deeply flawed and irresponsible proposal,” he wrote.

The bill’s success defies what happened to highly controversial GMO labeling ballot initiatives in California and Washington, which failed in 2012 and 2013 respectively. As in Maui, Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences were among the top five contributors to defeat both bills.

Colorado voters also rejected a bill to impose GMO labeling on Tuesday and a similar Oregon measure was trailing according to preliminary results. Vermont is the only state that has successfully passed legislation to require labels on food containing GMO ingredients, and the law is currently being litigated.

The Maui County measure is significantly more far-reaching, seeking to impose a temporary moratorium on genetically engineered crops until the county analyzes their impact on the county’s public health and environment.

That would bring to a standstill the majority of the farming being done by Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences, both of which operate in Maui County.

Monsanto owns or leases 3,100 acres on Maui and Molokai, and employs about 540 people, including part-time or seasonal workers. Dow AgroSciences’ affiliate Mycogen Seeds farms about 400 acres on Molokai and employs around 100 people.

Citizens Against the Maui County Farming Ban has paid for more than $1.3 million worth of TV ads statewide warning voters that the measure would cause the loss of hundreds of jobs and devastate the county’s economy.

While billed as a citizens’ group, the organization is funded exclusively by Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences, a national biotech organization and a political action committee affiliated with Hawaii’s biotech trade group.

Maui County ballot measure is part of a growing movement against genetically engineered organisms (GMOs) across Hawaii that’s resulted in more stringent regulations on the biotech industry on Kauai and the Big Island.

Hawaii is a key location for the seed industry because the state’s weather allows for year-long farming. But residents have become increasingly concerned about how GMO farming and its associated pesticide use may be impacting both health and the environment.

As the election results were announced on Tuesday, advocates for Maui County’s ballot initiative gathered in the courtyard in front of Akaku TV Station to watch the election results roll in.

Despite raising only about 1.1 percent of what the bill’s opponents raised, members of the SHAKA Movement, the group behind the ballot initiative, still sought to drum up support over the weekend.

On Saturday, the group hosted a day-long Hawaiian music festival called “Aloha da Vote.” On Sunday, the organization held a party called “Shake It For Shaka” that advertised “tribal ethno global beats to move feets & stir us into ecstatic bliss dance heaven.”

But an email to supporters inviting them to Election-Day festivities suggested some the SHAKA Movement’s leaders may be less than optimistic about their chances: “No matter what happens with the initiative, we have been a success in shedding the light on the GMO issue,” the message said.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, biotech supporters gathered just 2 miles away from the SHAKA Movement at Maui Beach Hotel.

On Monday, Blackburn-Rodriguez said that Citizens Against the Maui County Farming Ban was carrying out “traditional campaign activities” in advance of Election Day but declined to specify what that entails.

“I’m not comfortable describing our campaign activities,” he said. He later sent an email emphasizing that the organization expected to win.

SOURCE: http://www.civilbeat.com/2014/11/1000-votes-maui-gmo-farming-ban-squeaks-by/

Monday, November 3, 2014

WATCH : Rajya Sabha TV Special Report - Organic Farming in India: The ground reality and its future

Published on Nov 3, 2014

एनडीए सरकार जल्दी ही जैविक खेती के लिए एक नयी योजना लेकर सामने आने वाली है जिसके तहत एक लाख गांवों को जैविक खेती के लिए चुना गया है। लेकिन हमारी रिपोर्ट बताती है कि जैविक खेती की जमीनी हकीकत क्या है और इसे बढ़ाने में कौन से संगठन खास योगदान दे रहे हैं।

Anchor: Arvind Kumar Singh

SOURCE : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiftNnFMGAs

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Why You Should Switch To Organic Clothing Today!

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Do U Speak Green?

If you think that being pesticide free and made out of organic certified dyes is the only reason why organic clothing is good for you.. Then today we are gonna add a few more reasons to that list!

We know that your question “What is Organic Clothing!?” is still half answered. The fact is, it is organically cultivated and made according to the guidelines formed by organization such as Global Organic Textiles Standards (GOTS) which guarantees that your T-shirt is not only pesticide free, but also it is not made by any use of genetically modified seeds, or any other chemical yielding aids. GOTS certifies, that what you are wearing is environmentally friendly from the state of raw material through to the finished piece.

Embrace Yourself! Do U Speak Green is GOTS certified.

So, coming to the main part the reasons why you should switch to organic clothing today, IMMEDIATELY! are:

1. It is The Latest Trend!

Trend is to develop or to change in a particular direction. And according to latest studies our planet is on the verge of breaking down. So, if gifting a safer planet to your loved ones is your motto, then you have got to follow the latest trend of Green Fashion!

2. Saves Your Food Lords “The Farmers”