Organic or inorganic, where are we?

Farmers, as producers of food, are bound to abide by both of the above definitions. This may not be possible sometimes. A half rotten tomato will definitely not be sold in any of the markets. So, how to produce a tomato with no incidence of diseases or insects? There comes the role of pesticides, which were developed to kill or suppress the growth of pests. And yes, it works. The tomatoes are red, neat and attractive nowadays. 

Are these disease-free tomatoes necessarily healthy? This question from consumers again goes to the producers. Several short-term (blur vision, nausea, dizziness, skin irritation etc.) and long-term (asthma, cancer etc.) health effects of pesticides have been observed in pesticide-applying farmers as well as the consumers (GC & Neupane, 2019).  

So, how to produce tomatoes with minimum or no residues of pesticides or any other type of chemicals? There arises the voice for organic farming: the farming system which is environmentally suitable, socially acceptable and economically viable. 

Where are we?

According to a recent report, there are 320 registered importers and 16,120 retailers of pesticides involved in procurement and distribution of 165 registered pesticides in Nepal (PQPMC, 2022). The quantity of pesticides imported to Nepal has shown an increasing trend, though there was a slight decrease in the import in 2019/20 at the time of lockdown due to COVID 19 pandemic (Figure 1). Similarly, the government is trying at its best to fulfill the increasing demand of chemical fertilizers by increasing the import quantity each year (Figure 2). The overwhelming reality of this trend pertains to the fact that the proportion of imported bio-pesticides is less than 1 in 10,000 kg a.i. of total pesticides imported in all the years.

The quantity of active ingredients (a.i.) of pesticide applied per hectare of land is quite high for crops that generate income and are cultivated commercially (Table 1). Cereals, pulses and fruits, being cultivated for family subsistence, receive a lesser quantity of pesticides. Farmers in the mountain region have comparatively less access to inputs due to transportation barriers and hence, pesticide application is less pronounced in this region. 

Source: Pesticide Registration and Management Branch, 2015 as cited in (PQPMC, 2022)

The impact of these trends is clearly visible in the productivity statistics report (Figure 3). The productivity of fruits and vegetables is increasing while that of cereal crops, pulses and oilseeds have remained more or less similar throughout. This leads to an obvious explanation that application of pesticides and fertilizers increases agriculture production. 

Figure 3: Productivity trend of different crops in Nepal

Source: Agriculture and Livestock Diary (AITC, 2023)

On the other hand, organic farming is being promoted for safety and sustainability. Several programs and initiatives are being conducted in recent years, for conversion of biodegradable waste into organic manure through vermicomposting (UNDP, 2021), safer crop production and quality assurance (FAO, 2017). National Adaptation Plan 2021-2050, has set the objective of promoting commercial and integrated livestock programs, and improvement of soil fertility through adaptive agriculture interventions like organic farming to be achieved by different priority programs under the thematic area of Agriculture and Food Security (GON, 2020). 

According to a statistical report published by Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM Organics International, by the year 2018, there were 983 registered organic farmers in Nepal covering an area of 9,361 hectares (including in-conversion area) and 6 processors registered for supplying organic products while exporting only 209 mt of organic products (Willer, Travnicek, Meier, & Schlatter, 2021). This made a contribution of only 0.2% of total organic production areas in the world. 

The number of livestock reared in agricultural farms of Nepal is also increasing in recent years (AITC, 2023). Waste water generated in 42.1% of livestock farms was used as manure in agricultural land and 6,917 tonnes of livestock manure was either sold or given to others in the year 2021 according to Commercial Livestock Integrated Survey, collaboratively carried out by Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, National Planning Commission and Central Bureau of Statistics (GON, 2021). 

Where are we wanting to go?

The two bases of organic farming i.e., crop production and livestock management have to be integrated such that they complement each other. Livestock provide manure as well as botanical pesticides (urine, skimmed milk) for crops, while the organic crop by-products would be fed to them. In this closed system, production is possible without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. 

Does this remind us of something? Few decades back, Nepalese farmers didn’t know about insecticides, nor did they encounter severe attacks of insect pests like now. The soils were fertilized with livestock manure and the lands produced indigenous crops. This means that we started from organic farming, we became fascinated by inorganic farming due to productivity benefits, and again we are wanting to return back to the previous stage for sustainability concerns. 

Reviving our farming system is not as easy as we state. The challenges of higher productivity and consumer satisfaction come along. Farmers are not just producers of food, they are entrepreneurs. Profit is the first priority for an entrepreneur. Farmers are not able to switch to organic farming, despite being aware of their responsibility to take care of the environment and consumers' health. When cucumbers suddenly start dying due to millions of aphids, a farmer can’t wait for the few ladybirds to eat them all. He will have to take action immediately, or else face severe loss. 

Where can we go?

Karnali province is very much backward in terms of modernization and commercialization, where modern tools and technologies have not reached yet. It has now been established as an organic province. Products from this province are assumed to be organic by default, because of inaccessibility of chemical inputs. Several policy documents like Organic Agriculture Act 2019, Agriculture Enterprise Promotion Act, 2022, Standards for using Mulyawan Logo, 2021 have been prepared to promote organic farming in Karnali province, and others like 15-Year Organic Mission Plan, Provincial Organic Standards, and Guidelines on Internal Control System (ICS) for Organic Certification and Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) are under preparation (Rana, BK, GC, Bhattarai, & Shiwakoti, 2022). 

Organic agriculture has been prioritized in the development plans of Nepal, and still, it is a tough challenge to integrate organic agriculture practices into viable policy and programs (UNDP, 2020). The prospect of organic agriculture in Karnali province is challenged by the ambiguity of roles in federal context, as well as lack of infrastructure, investment and human empowerment (KPPC, 2020). 

By 2030, it was targeted to increase the soil organic matter content from 1.96% to 4%. However, we lack data for assessing the related indicators for many of the targets of Sustainable Development Goals including soil organic matter content, encouragement of adoption of sustainable practices etc. 

Though literature and records lack sufficient information, there are many areas in Nepal where livestock farming is prominent and farmers use farm yard manure only. Some crops like coffee, ginger, turmeric etc. do not require any chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The preference for these organic products is also very high in international markets. However, we cannot claim our products to be organic until the standards are met for production and processing, and the farm has been certified for organic production. We cannot speak without evidence. So, creating evidence through policy interventions, certification and brand marketing has to be given priority.

Where should we go?

The concept of organic farming urges the farmers to go back to their conventionally practiced farming system but maintaining the same productivity and same appearance. The ultimate question of ‘Should organic farming be promoted as the only way forward to achieving sustainable development?’ remains unanswered. We find ourselves in the middle of two extremes: Highly productive revolutionized farming systems and organic farming with prospects of sustainability. Where shall we be inclined further depends upon the level of awareness among farmers and consumers, the need for being in pace with the competitive world and the ability of growers to snap profitability. 

References

AICL. (2023). Fertilizer Procurement. Retrieved from Krishi Samagri Company Limited: http://www.kscl.gov.np/english/home/Purchase_Record.php

AITC. (2023). Agriculture and Livestock Diary. Agriculture Information and Training Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Nepal.

FAO. (2017). Strengthening Pesticide Management in Agriculture in Nepal. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation.

GC, S., & Neupane, J. (2019). Pesticides Use in Nepal and its Effects on Human Health. ACTA   Scientific Agriculture.

GON. (2020). National Adaptation Plan 2021-2050: Summary for Policymakers. United Nations Federation for Climate Change.

GON. (2021). Commercial Livestock Integrated Survey. Government of Nepal.

KPPC. (2020). Sustainable Development Goals: Baseline Report of Karnali Province. Karnali Province Planning Commission, Government of Karnali Province.

PQPMC. (2022). List of Registered Pesticides and Pesticide Consumption Data. Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur: Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Nepal.

PQPMC. (2022). Pesticide Use, Storage and Disposal. Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center, Minsitry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Government of Nepal.

Rana, R. B., BK, P., GC, S., Bhattarai, H. K., & Shiwakoti, T. (2022). Greening of Value Chains in Karnali Province: Understanding Farmers’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Climate Resilient Agriculture and Agro-ecological Farming. Pokhara, Nepal: Li-Bird.

UNDP. (2020). Nepal: Sustainable Development Goals Progress Assessment Report 2016-2019. National Planning Commission, Government of Nepal.

UNDP. (2021). Annual Report. United Nation Development Programme.

Willer, H., Travnicek, J., Meier, C., & Schlatter, B. (2021). The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and IFOAM Organics International.