By Marcela Valente
BUENOS AIRES, Sep 19 1998 (IPS)

Organic farming is a fast-growing business in Argentina, where the acreage devoted to pesticide- free, non-fertilised farm products has increased from 5,000 to 300,000 ha in the past five years.

In fact, in recognition of the way the sector’s importance has grown in Argentina, the South American country has been chosen by the Organic Agriculture Movement Federation to hst this year’s international conference on organic agriculture.

The conference – a congress and exhibition of organic farmers, scientists, marketers and agriculture officials from Latin America, Africa, Asia and the European Union (EU) – will take place on Nov. 16-21 in Mar del Plata, 400 kms south of Buenos Aires.

Organic agriculture is about applying the principles of sustainable development of the soil – including farming without pesticides and artificial fertilisers and respecting the natural cycles and processes of crops and livestock – thus contributing to a healthier diet.

The global market for crops grown in this way is estimated at 12 billion dollars and is projected to grow by 10 to 30 percent a year, especially in the industrialised North. The growing popularity of organic products is linked toincreasing awareness of the dangers pesticides and artificial fertilisers pose to human health.

One example of the effects of the sustained consumption of foods cultivated with large amounts of chemical fertilizers is the deterioration in the quality of human semen in the past few decades, and the subsequent increase in male sterility, according to Argentine urologist Jorge Blaquier.

Argentina is one of the countries in Latin America where the amount of land devoted to producing organic crops, for both export and local consumption, is increasing fastest and, according to Ricardo Garcia Vior, one of the conference organizers, “if Argentina produced more, it would sell more”.

The some 400 agricultural enterprises that produce organic crops in Argentina gross about 15 million U.S. dollars a year, which is far less than the corresponding figures for the United States (4.0 billion dollars), the EU (4.5 billion dollars) and Japan (2.0 billion).

Some 75 percent of Argentina’s organic produce is exported to the EU, according to Garcia Vior, a member of the Argentine Movement for Organic Agriculture (MAPO), which links producers, environmentalists and experts in sustainable development. For now, only 15 percent goes to the United States and Japan, but they are projected to become the largest consumers of organic products in the future, said Garcia.

The demand for organic produce, which still represents a small fraction of Argentine farm production, is increasing mainly among consumers in industrialized countries, who prefer to pay 10 to 50 percent more for a healthier, more natural diet. Argentina exports cereals, oils, aromatic herbs, meat, yerba mate (a local herb from which an infusion is made), sugar, honey, juices and wns produced according to the strict qualiy standards that govern organic production.

“Traditional exporters do not have any more land, and so they exploit the available land by abusing pesticides and fertilizers,” said Enrique Croto, president of the Rural Society, which represents large landowners. “But consumers are increasingly demanding a product that is more natural.”

In the province of Misiones, for example, some 800 smallholders have been producing organic sugar, for which demand has been growing in industries that make yoghurt, sweets and ice-cream. This month, the producers in Misiones signed a contract selling their entire production for the next three years – a total of 12,500 tonnes – to the United States at a price 35 percent higher than that of sugar grown on non-organic farms.

Agricultural engineer Diego Fontenla, also a member of MAPO, explained that although up until now the demand for organic products has focused mainly on products for direct consumption, such as fruits and vegetables, there is an increasing interest in organic raw materials. The demand for cereals, oils, beef and milk is also growing.

Some producers believe that in order to increase consumption, it is important for farmers to join together and thus produce enough to meet demand, and for them to reach the supermarkets, where the mass consumption of food is now concentrated.

For that reason, in addition to seminars and workshops, the Mar del Plata conference will feature an exhibition of products which will give viewers an idea of packaging, labelling and how to get to clients in the various countries.

There will also be a special seminar on gaining access for one’s products to supermarkets: participants will include representatives of supermarket chains interested in finding out more about organic products.

Excerpt: