zundel kilcher 2007 food availability

How Organic Agriculture Contributes to Food Availability:  How Organic Agriculture Contributes to Food Availability Lukas Kilcher and Christine Zundel Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security, 3 – 5 May 2007 FAO, Rome Archived at http://orgprints.org/10753/ FiBL International Co-operation:  Production systems Market development Training and extension FiBL International Co-operation Certification, standards and policy Food Availability:  Food Availability Definition Food availability, access, stability and utilization = part of the multi-dimensional nature of food security “Availability” of sufficient quantities of food of appropriate quality, supplied through domestic production or inputs Methods Literature review Case studies Dimensions of Food Availability:  Dimensions of Food Availability Productivity: The ultimate benchmark when comparing the performance of agricultural systems!? Efficiency: Does organic agriculture use resources efficiently? Adapted technologies: Make organic agriculture successful Peri-urban agriculture: Supplying food to millions, while minimizing transportation Markets: How OA makes diverse food available at household, community, national and international levels Productivity: Questions:  Productivity: Questions OA = unique combination of low external input technology, environmental conservation and input/output efficiency Farmers are increasingly adopting OA as a method of improving productivity and sustainability. Are diverse OA systems more productive compared to simplified conventional systems? Can OA meet the world’s growing food needs? Yield development after conversion:  Low input High input Yield Time Conversion 3-5 years after conversion Yield development after conversion Productivity: Temperate & irrigated areas:  Productivity: Temperate & irrigated areas Productivity: Arid and semi-arid areas:  Productivity: Arid and semi-arid areas Productivity: Humid and per-humid areas:  Productivity: Humid and per-humid areas Productivity: Hills and mountains:  Productivity: Hills and mountains Efficiency: Questions:  Efficiency: Questions Productivity is only one aspect Resources are always limited  consider the capability to produce high output per unit of resources used Types of efficiency: natural resource efficiency (input-output relations) economic efficiency (cost-benefit relation) Does organic agriculture use resources efficiently? Does organic agriculture provide the expected benefits for the consumers? Efficiency: input/ouput & cost/benefit:  Efficiency: input/ouput & cost/benefit Markets and trade: Questions:  Markets and trade: Questions Supply: 31 mio ha, 630 000 farms = 0.7 % land plus wild collection and non-certified organic production Demand: organic sales €30 billion in 2006; concentrated in wealthy economies Developing countries: availability for certified organic food is weak, lack of awareness and lack of means to pay extra for organic foods How can producers generate higher incomes? How can OA make diverse food available at house-hold, community, national and international levels? Markets: Household and community level:  Markets: Household and community level Markets: National level:  Markets: National level Markets: International level:  Markets: International level Conclusions:  Conclusions Real beneficiaries of OA: farmers and ecosystem Intelligent management needs fewer inputs Developing countries: OA offers employment opportunities and production costs are lower Market opportunities benefit farmers financially and socially from OA OA contributes to self-reliance of local food systems and thus to food availability OA improves viability of rural economies, increases food self-sufficiency and national food supply Challenges and recommendations:  OA-impact on food availability is still limited Production: build-up of organic matter in the soil Difficult access to information about OA practices for farmers in developing countries Domestic markets develop slowly in developing countries Multiply OA impact on food availability through public and private sector investments on all levels: research & development training & extension markets, certification and & policy Challenges and recommendations Long Term Farming Systems Comparisons in the Tropics:  Long Term Farming Systems Comparisons in the Tropics Thank you for your attention:  Thank you for your attention Lukas Kilcher Head of the International Co-operation Division Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Ackerstrasse CH-5070 Frick 0041 62 865 72 72 [email protected]