Maravi

(NEWERA) Organic farming body sets out goals

Organic farming body sets out goals
- by Irene !Hoaës
14 June 2010

WINDHOEK – The Namibia Organic Association (NOA) was launched at the just ended 2010 Tourism Expo last week. “We want to provide leadership in organic farming and encourage farmers to incorporate organic practices in their farming methods,” the chairperson of the association, Manjo Smith, said.

The vision of NOA is to contribute to a healthy environment, to attain increased incomes and improve livelihoods through the adoption of organic agriculture in Namibia.

Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, organically approved pesticide application and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and control pests, excluding or strictly limiting the use of synthetic fertilisers and synthetic pesticides or plant growth regulators.

NOA’s mission is to provide leadership in the coordination and promotion of organic agricultural development, networking and marketing.

To accomplish its mission, NOA will promote Namibian organic products, locally and internationally, by specifically connecting small-scale and communal farmers with markets; build capacity in organic training, education, extension, research; promote organic production systems and wild harvesting, increase awareness and attract support for organic agriculture in Namibia and be a contact point for organic matters.

Smith said the association is a membership-based organisation for both producers and consumers.

“Consumers are also members as they can influence other people or even Government,” Smith said.

The Namibia Country Pilot Partnership for Integrated Sustainable Land Management (CPP SLM SAM) financially supports NOA with funds provided by the Global Environment Facility and administered by the United Nations Development Programme.

The CPP SLM SAM is hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, which is also the lead implementing agency of the partnership.

Since 1990, the market for organic products has grown at a rapid pace, to reach N$46 billion in 2007.

The demand has driven a similar increase in organically managed farmland.

Approximately 32.2 million hectares worldwide are now being farmed organically, representing approximately 0.8 percent of total world farmland
In addition, as of 2007, organic wild products are harvested on approximately 30 million hectares.

Labels: AGRICULTURE, NAMIBIA, NAMIBIA ORGANIC ASSOCIATION, ORGANICS

posted by MrK @ 4:35 AM