There and Back Again: the World Travels of a Watson Fellow: Celebrating National Day & IFOAM Seminar

December 19, 2013

IFOAM Seminar and National Day

After an enjoyable week in the dzongkags (districts) of Tsirang and Sarpang living with four different farming families, attending a Bhutanese wedding, conducting nine farmer interviews, gaining hands on experience in farming, and twisting/spraining my ankle from falling down a treacherous hillside path (the not so enjoyable part), I found myself back in Thimphu. And it was perfect and just in time for a very special guest: Andre Leu, President of IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements headquartered in Bonn, Germany) was visiting Bhutan to do a seminar for Ministry of Agriculture executives, including the Minister himself. It was sort of a running joke all morning that colleagues thought I was a new employee at the National Organic Program and that I’m rude because I wasn’t listening or responding in Dzongka. When people discovered that I was American, we all had a big laugh. Obviously I was not expecting to get to meet Andre (or to be hobbling around on one leg with a wrapped ankle), never mind the fact that he gave almost two hours of his time for an intensive interview after the seminar, so it was a wonderful surprise and awesome way to celebrate the six month mark on the Watson Fellowship. Andre is an exceptionally down to earth person who is quite easy to talk to and has been an organic farmer himself for around 30 years in Australia. Funny story and coincidence, I think I may have walked by his farm gate nearly two years ago when I was studying in Australia. He lives in the Daintree Rainforest, quite far north in Queensland. Some of my study abroad friends and I decided to take a trip up to the Great Barrier Reef at the end of the program and visit the Daintree. Andre noted how you have to cross a river on a ferry and then only a few kilometers down the road is his farm. I recall the ferry ride and am almost certain we must have walked by his gate. It’s a small world sometimes! And even though he’s probably traveled to more than 100 countries representing this international umbrella organization (that has a presence in 120 countries around the world), he is very much approachable, humble, and does not make you feel intimidated at all. He raised a number of excellent points, both in his seminar and in our interview.

Summary of “Achieving Food Security with Science-Based High Yielding Organic Agriculture in Bhutan,” a presentation by Andre Leu, President of IFOAM:

· Modern organic agriculture is not the same as the farming of the past; now the scientific community is paying more attention to organic

· IFOAM is the international umbrella organization for organic agriculture and operates in 120 countries

· Organic is the world’s fastest growing agribusiness market in the world (high growth rate in certified organic sector) - high value premium export markets for coffee, teas, spices, grains, oils, fruits

o Bhutan will always be a high value/premium/niche producer with small markets – it is not possible to compete in the area of commodity marketing because of volume

o “Organic Bhutan” has one of the greatest brand potentials in the world

· Organic agriculture:

o Focuses on ecological processes, biodiversity, and cycles within local conditions

o Combines tradition with innovation and science – not going backwards

o Cuba achieved self-sufficiency with organic

o “Organic” was popularized by Jerome Rodale in the 1940s – emphasis on recycling organic matter

o Organic matter directly assists plants – e.g. spaces allow for nitrogen fixation

o Biological nitrogen - not only from legumes, as free living bacteria can also fix nitrogen (e.g. endophytic nitrogen fixing bacteria in rice)

o In fact, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer stops the natural processes in the soil and limits natural nitrogen fixation

o India is currently developing commercial inoculants

o Organic has higher yields in climate extremes (rain and drought) when compared to conventional

o Most of the world’s agriculture is and will continue to be rainfed (even if water is available, the infrastructure for irrigation is not)

o Organic matter increases water infiltration and soil stability

o Soil organic carbon mitigates climate change and assists with adaptation

o Humus is a sponge and stable polymer (glue) – keeps soil integrity and strength

o Organic uses water more efficiently than conventional

o We can build soil back to pre-farming forest levels – can capture rainfall and use water efficiently if combined with good practices

o Organic is a simple, effective, and low cost production system

· Ecological function intensification (EFI)

o Science of applied agroecology to deliver multiple ecosystem functions

o Example of Push Pull System in Maize for stem borer and striga control

§ Desmodium is an example of a legume that pushes the moth (pest) out through phenolic compounds and napier grass pulls or attracts the moth (napier grass, however, is a false host plan that actually breaks the moth’s breeding cycle because of the sharp hairs that form on its leaves that break eggs)

§ This is an example of selective allelopathy where one plant poisons another but does not damage the crop and can benefit (eg. Legume fixes nitrogen), can suppress weeds by causing suicidal germination through phenolic compounds

§ Push-pull may be the future of farming (can be used in grains, vegetables, fruits, etc.)

o Desmodium (legume): suppresses weeds, adds nitrogen, conserves soil as cover crop, repells pests, and is a high protein stock feed (multiple ecosystem functions through biodiversity)

o System of Rice Intensification

§ We can combine organic SRI with push-pull: legumes can decrease weeding needs, give impressive yield, and improved time management

o Insectaries

§ Ecosystem intensification in which host plants act as refuge, food, etc. for beneficial species

§ Calendar – it is possible to have insectary plants in flower all year

§ Borders of flowers, hedgerows, etc. create refuge for beneficial insects and also keep harmful ones out (yellow color repels)

· Myth-busting about organic:

o With science-based approaches and good management practices, there is no reason for organic to be low yielding

o Green Revolution did not work in Africa – 10% less food per person than in the 1960s

o The African Union has included Ecological Organic as a core part of agriculture and food security programs and policy – recognizing its role

o Good soil health prevents diseases (negating the need for chemicals)

o Organic, low/no till agriculture without herbicides is possible:

§ Use cover crops and then small machines to roll down the grasses – then plant the soybeans or whatever crop in the bed of mulch, then they grow up weed free

o Examples of studies on yield comparisons:

§ Wisconsin Integrated Cropping System

§ Iowa State University Long-term Agroecology

§ Washington State on apples

· Tigray, Ethiopia case study

o Controlled grazing, ponds to decrease gully erosion, edible legumes for soil fertility and food security, rehabilitated biodiverse hillside

o Functional biodiversity – long grasses, composted fields growing tef, wheat, and barley

o Biogas for energy self-sufficiency – biomass from the revegetation was sustainably harvested to create energy

o Not an organic project per se but results showed that compost had highest yields

· Income generation through organic agriculture:

o Higher market prices and premiums and lower production costs for organic famers leads to higher incomes on average, especially in the developing world

o CBA for farmers in Tigray revealed that the net income nearly doubled in organic

o MASIPAG in the Philippines

§ Rice yields were similar between organic and conventional

§ But the average income was 23,599 Pesos in organic versus 15,643 pesos in conventional (~8,000 peso difference)

§ Organic had surplus income as compared to the debt of conventional

· Organic certification: IFOAM advocacy and standardization

o Most systems around the world are based on IFOAM standards

o Third party certification is necessary for export markets (long supply chains, consumers who are paying a premium deserve to be guaranteed)

o Different standards need to be equivalent

§ IFOAM Standard Requirements (ISR) and Family of Standards (both regulatory and private)

§ Allow countries to use their own standards (e.g. Bhutan can develop standards suitable to Bhutan’s unique conditions) – then ISR can be used to establish equivalency

o Participatory Guarentee System (PGS) organic certification

§ To ensure that the smallest farmers have access to markets

§ Third party certification is not suitable for the majority of the farmers in the world because of cost – IFOAM made a mistake and is now trying to correct for that by supporting PGS

§ PGS is cost transparent, efficient, group with internal control system, can just be a check list

§ A peer reviewed system

· Many governments see peer review as a conflict of interest (as opposed to a neutral third party) – but remember that scientists, medicine, and law all use peer reviewed systems – how should agriculture be any different?

· In fact, peer review is more rigorous than simply inspecting

· Rather than treating a non-compliance as an “offense” and just writing it off, members are taught how to improve their system

· Non-compliance in PGS is usually not from farmers deliberately cheating the system but lack of knowledge

· So PGS brings everyone up to the same standard through a group dynamic of continuous improvement – brings market premiums

§ In contrast, third party usually implies the bare minimum to get away with audits

§ PGS is usually focused on local and regional markets – but some nations like Brazil and India are creating national PGS schemes

o Countries need to decide the appropriate choice - what system is most suitable for their unique circumstances

o IFOAM can help Bhutan development an appropriate organic guarantee system

· Conclusion:

o “IFOAM can assist Bhutan with developing science-based organic system to:

o Achieve higher yields – food security

§ Lower inputs costs – most of the inputs can be generated on farm at no or very little cost (no need for expensive imported synthetic pesticides and fertilizers)

§ Organic matter to provide biogas energy self-sufficiency and the residues as compost can give over 100% increases in crop (carbon credits)

§ Premium prices for exports

§ Farmers can achieve much higher net returns to improve standard of living

o The combination of higher yields, higher prices, resilient production systems and lower production costs will achieve both food and income security”

Comments/Q+A

· Minister of Agriculture:

o Presentation was an eye opener in terms of yield, income, and husbandry aspects of organic farming

o NOP is already in the process of developing a proposal

o The Royal Government of Bhutan is keen to upscale organic but needs internal technical analysis to see the pros and cons

o Many options for standardization, which is good

o Bhutan is not yet ready to take organic on a national scale but is identifying areas

o IFOAM will certainly be assisting Bhutan with this task

· Andre’s response:

o Next month will start work on developing strategic areas such as rice

o Possibility for organic wild harvest – herbs, honey, mushroom, lemongrass etc. – could get a premium on the world market for those things being grown organically already

o Steady, orderly, and logical fashion is good. Need to build expertise first [before scaling up] and respond to problems with science

· Director General

o Right now they are making the shift in an area and commodity-specific manner – on a trial basis through cautious pursuit

o Initially skeptical of organic because of the need for local food security (concerned with immediate yield decreases)

o Also limitations from new technologies and improved techniques not emerging

o 70-80% of farmers are organic by default but there are limitations of scale – certification is tedious and expensive (regular visits, consulting services) – small scale makes it economically inefficient

o Goal is to certify what is organic by default

· Andre’s response

o Acknowledges the unsuitability of third party certification

o Wants to assist in creating a suitable certification system and market access

o Yield – past it used to be a problem, but now good science reveals that yield decreases are not necessary – in fact, yield has been shown to increase in the first year in some cases

o IFOAM is working to take organic away from dogma to science

§ New international technical body – people on every continent that can network to boost research and trouble shoot

§ Goal is to develop expertise here rather than parachuting in science-based expertise

§ Important to get PhDs and Masters students in Bhutan to stay and solve the local agricultural problems

· Karma, National Soil Services Center

o Advocating integrated nutrient management

o Integrated management under the current system treats high yielding varieties differently than traditional

o Permaculture – how does it relate to organic (e.g. part of the agroecological paradigm and also related to ecofunction intensification and functional biodiversity)

· Andre’s response

o Modern varieties usually have the need for high inputs

o Not against modern hybrids per se but believes that it’s about doing trials

o There is no one rule regarding modern hybrid versus traditional seed, so we should run tests and leave it up to the farmers to decide what works best

o IFOAM helps farmers develop trial methods

o Supports integrated systems as a way to incorporate organic principles

· Kesong, Horticultural Specialist from organic farming center

o Issues of soil fertility maintenance – limited labor regarding high volume of compost

o Decrease in farm labor usually means a decrease in cattle, so limited manure and the cost of FYM goes up

o Plant protection – limited availability of biopesticides and are expensive from India

o Potato – production is still low even with applying compost and seed production is insufficient

· Andre’s response

o #1 is plant nutrition then pest management

o We find that it is usually an incorrect balance of nutrients or under application of certain nutrients

o A firm believer in soil testing (but my question – is expensive soil testing feasible for small farmers?)

o Insectaries should be prioritized over biopesticides

§ Need to set up natural systems to do the work so biopesticides become secondary

§ Can cut down on the amount and frequency of biopesticides spraying (decreasing cost too) and start with ecological systems

§ IFOAM can show how to make biopesticides from locally sourced materials

o Suggesting a whole industry around growing prymethium daisy – most effective and broad range biopesticides – could be used for both local farmers and exported

· Other comments:

o Q: In a natural system with insectaries and trap crops – in the developing world there is usually minimal land availability, so farmers feel like they are sacrificing area for food crops

§ Andre’s A: So we need trap crops that don’t take up space and utilizing the most marginal areas that are now just weeds – we need to redesign to include and transform these areas into functional biodiversity [so farmers do not have to sacrifice quality land]

o Q: Is PGS possible for export? Most countries require third party standards, which farmers find discouraging

§ Andre’s A: IFOAM is working on bringing equivalency so PGS is possible. Can work with BAFRA (Bhutan’s regulatory body) instead of an international certifying body. This equivalency will make it so that Bhutan’s certification system is viewed as equal

§ Another option in the mean time is to start with PGS and then group certify what is already organic

o According to Andre, Bhutan is in the middle of the fastest growing organic market in the world (India and China)

o Importance of human resource development (PhDs and Master students) using Bhutan as a research site

Ministry executives

I think I can add my meeting with Andre, another awesome food/ag celebrity chance encounter, which I would put on par with meeting India's Dr. MS Swaminathan, to the list of reasons why Bhutan is still the land of the unexpected. Instead of Christmas this year, I’m celebrating National Day in Bhutan: Tuesday December 17. It is a public holiday in honor of the King with all of the government offices shutting down, supposedly free taxi rides around the city (though my driver charged me…hmmf), and the highlight as a large celebration in Thimphu’s stadium. Thousands of Bhutanese people gather here to see the King give a big speech (apparently his only large public speech each year, so I would equate it to the State of Union address in the United States), a cultural program that consists of various traditional song and dance, prayers and offerings, and a generally festive atmosphere.

“Whenever a celebration is imminent in Bhutan, up go the tents. Painted on each of these were the Eight Auspicious Symbols, or luck signs, images one sees throughout India and the Himalayas. The signs, originally Hindu symbols, have evolved over the centuries to present parts of the Buddha’s body as well as elements of the dharma, or Buddha’s teachings. The lotus flower represents purity of body, speech, and mind and is a symbol of compassion; the endless knot symbolizes wisdom and love; the parasol protects against illness and other harmful forces; the golden fish represents freedom and emancipation from suffering, the reassure vase symbolizes long life and prosperity; the right-turning conch shell, whose sound when blown spreads the dharma, means “Wake up!”; the victory banner symbolizes the triumph of body, speech, and mind over death, ignorance, and suffering; and the dharma wheel represents the law of karma and Buddha’s teachings.” (Leaming, p. 83)

“Traditionally a Buddhist monarchy, Bhutan is ruled by the fifth Druk Gyalpo, the hereditary King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. He succeeded his father, who abdicated in December 2006. The country has recently evolved to become a parliamentary democracy, with a constitution and voting. True to form, the Bhutanese aren’t taking the road most traveled to democracy. They held elections, ran for office, and moved the country to one person, one vote, but not because they wanted to – because their beloved king asked them to. They have a lot to lose if things go south: it’s one of the few countries in the world that gives its people free health care and free education. We should never underestimate the Bhutanese resolve. They have dodged major bullets, both literal and geopolitical, in their unique and varied history. Bhutan has survived by enlightened governance, by grace, by work, by luck, and by sheer will. The country doesn’t particularly need the rest of the world. But the world needs Bhutan.” (p. 235)

Excited to have another excuse to wear my kira, I was able to snag a special invitation to sit on the lawn during the National Day Ceremony, which allowed me to enjoy the show from a sort of VIP section. However, I quickly realized that security wasn’t as tight as it seemed because there was practically a homeless man sitting next to me and fortunately they didn’t verify ID with my invitation. The one precaution they took seriously was shutting down mobile service in the whole city for fear of cell phone activated bombs. I also discovered the hard way that it would have been much better to watch from the stadium seats where you could actually see something from above (or from the television as most Bhutanese prefer), rather than constantly craning your neck and standing on tip toes as I was. I’ve also been thinking how it’s been quite nice to blend for a change (i.e. people thinking I am Bhutanese), however, during the ceremony, I wish that I had been blond haired and blue eyed or had sign on my forehead that said something to the effect of “tourist,” “chulep” (“foreigner” in Dzongka), or “American,” because when the king sees chuleps during his rounds through the crowd, he usually stops and makes quick small talk. But alas, I missed the chance since I intermingled effortlessly with the Bhutanese crowd. I also may have been only one out of several thousand people able to snap some photos of the event before the "friends of the police" (voluntary officers?) asked me to put my camera away. Score!