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"Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pests, excluding or strictly limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, plant growth regulators, livestock feed additives, and genetically modified organisms." Link to source. "There are no apparent constraints to adoption of organic farming (in Indonesia), except psychological barrier or internal factor of actors within the NGOs' community. However, an ethical dilemma exists between ideological choices and acting as traders of organic products, which is often labeled "lubricating the oil of the capitalist machine". Another reason is a lack of confidence in supply management by most NGOs." Link to source. Organic in Indonesia In Indonesia, "modern organic" is ...well, new. Before the Indonesian "Green Revolution" of the 1980's, farming in Indonesia was non-chemical - or traditional organic. The Green Revolution brought chemicals, government education that using chemicals was the right thing to do, and improvements to the economy. Indonesia is now feeling the impact of over 30 years of chemical farming. Government subsidies and reduced work loads made government chemicals attractive. Most farms and farmers have become dependent on chemicals because the soil no longer contains any nutrients at all - a product of the "Green Revolution" and years of chemicals first and condition of the land completely ignored. Since the "Green Revolution", an estimated two generations of farmers have "learned" that chemicals are necessary to farming. Reversing this in Indonesia is difficult on many levels - cultural, financial, educational - but it is happening. In it's infancy, the New Organic Revolution is taking place "organically". In a developing country with the world's fourth largest population, government support is beginning but has not yet been available to all farmers. ORGANIC FARMING DEVELOPMENT IN INDONESIA: LESSONS LEARNED FROM ORGANIC FARMING IN WEST JAVA AND NORTH SUMATRA By increasing rice production significantly, green revolution has been the most remarkable technology in Asian countries. However, it also has negative impact on human health and the environment such as pesticide residues and land degradation. Entering the 21st century, people's awareness regarding the environment and nature has increased and a "back to nature" lifestyle has emerged. Therefore, organic farming, that does not use chemo-synthetic inputs, has become one of the alternatives, and through The objectives of this paper are as follows: (1) to investigate the appropriate approaches for the development and extension of organic farming, (2) to give an overview of the process of organic farming development in case of West Java and North Sumatra, and (3) to investigate the importance of joint marketing of organic produce. A survey was conducted in August 2007 in North Sumatra and from May to June 2008 in West Java. Based on the study, the environmentally friendly organic farming can contribute to higher farmers' income. It must be noted that farmers can easily convert to organic farming as it is profitable to do so. However, it is not only the matter of production, but also the matter of marketing or selling the organic produce. Hence, the joint marketing practice that has been implemented by farmer groups in West Java and North Sumatra can be one of the ways to ensure the viable marketing of organic produce. Read the complete June 2010 report 'Organic' Fertilizers and Pesticides and 2010 Indonesia Organic A plethora of 'organic fertilizers' can be found and any buyer must beware and determine if the claims are true or not. This undoubtedly will be challenging. Without government controls, any product can be called organic if it contains even a small percentage of organic ingredients - or none at all. In fact, at local village shops, 'pupuk organik' is the name given to any soil additive and is in fact chemical fertilizer. We are actively looking for documentation to help clarify 'organic fertilizer'. Many businesses and farmers are transitioning to organic and will call their produce "organically grown". An often quoted standard to transition from chemical soil to non-chemical soil is five years and some certification program require seven years. During this time, Indonesian "real" organic farmers are using cow manure and compost to rebuild and fortify the soil. Their production may be lower during this time and their income as well. This is an important de-motivator for many farmers in their conversion to organic. The cost of organic certification from an international source or an Indonesian certifying body is extremely expensive for nearly all Indonesian farmers, large or small. The record keeping is beyond small farmers capibility. Indonesian certification is not always trusted. This does not mean that you should not pursue organic in Indonesia and support the growing number of committed organic growers, distributors, projects, and processors! Your support and involvement at any level will contribute to the growth of the industry in Indonesia. Source: www.indonesiaorganic.com |
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