Summary of the Presentations
Organic Farming Conference
Held on 26 November 2010 in Tartu, Estonia
Organised by Estonian Greens
The visionary conference „Greening the Rural Life“ was successfully accomplished. We have received lots of positive feedback from the participants. Altogether, 127 people from registered 159 came to Tartu.
Summary of the contents
The proposals for necessary actions to make organic farming a mainstream like Hannes Lorenzen from the EP said, are given in bold letters.
The Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of estonia, Mr. Helir-Valdor Seeder said in his introduction, that the subsidies for organic farmers are both hectare based and animal based. And that has significantly increased the number of organic livestock in Estonia.
The chair of the Rural Committee of the Parliament of Estonia, Mr. Kalev Kotkas emphasised, that increased amounts of organically produced products are very important, as the more organic foodstuff is available in the markets, the more consumers will get used to buy those.
The Councillor on Rural Life in the Green Group of the European Parliament, Mr. Hannes Lorenzen talked about several problems in the Common Agricultural Policy . The lack of proteins in the feedstuffs is covered by imported soya from the third world , but this is usually GMO product that causes negative effects yo the environment while produced/grown.
The CAP has so far supported increase ofp production , by that we lose in the number of farmers , cause loss of (bio)diversity in both nature and the producers. Nature protection is part of CAP but in the EU the unsustainable Green Growth is being talked about. We need a balanced and sustainable agriculture. Another bigger problem are the inequal subsidies for farmers from old and new memberstates. In Estonia, the subsidies are among the smallest.
The CAP direct subsidies must be equal foir all memberstates. There should be shift towards sustainable agriculture becoming the mainstream. This must be written in the documents.
If nothing will be undertaken, a similar crisis to the one in banking may arrive in agriculture, so the precautionary actions must be taken today. A strong citizen society is needed, as the changes will happen only with a strong support from the stakeholders.
The slides of the presentation by Mr Hanner Lorenzen can be found at
http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/lorenzen.pdf
Jakub Skorupski talked about the influence of intensive farming to the Baltic Sea environment. His slides can be found at
http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/skorupski-iosa.pdf, http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/skorupski-iiosa.pdf, http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/skorupski-iiiosa.pdf, http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/skorupski-ivosa.pdf
The scientific prorector of the Estonian Agricultural University, professor Anne Luik, spoke about the importance of biodiversity to the production systems.
The soil is enriched with nitrogen by Leguminaceae, green fertilizers, manure and compost. Without the addition of these organic substances, the soils get very poor. The roots of the plants from the plant family Leguminaceae also give out substances that kill the microorganisms causing rottening. The residues of pesticides in the soil are harmfull for the mushroom roots and mykoriza. So these plants and also worms make phosphorus and potassium available for growing crops.
While monitoring the residues of herbicides, insecticides and pesticides, glyfosates are not included, although the latter are widely used in intensive farming and they have a direct harmful effect on humans and farm animals. Residues of glyfosates are to be monitored among other plant protection chemicals.
as well.
Both livestock and plant crops must be produced in a farm in a nutrient balanced amounts.
A Farming consulent with both Estonian and Finnish experience, Mr Mikko Rahtola, compared the status of organic farming in the mentioned two countries. He has a farm in Viljandi county in Estonia producing vegetable seeds and apples. Apples are processed in Finland as organinic production processes are better supported in that society.
There is 120,000 ha of organic farmland in Estonia that makes 13,7% of arable land. The share of organic food in the market is only 0,3%.
In Finland, the area of organic farmland is 171125 ha, that makes 7% of arable land and the share of organic food on the market is 1%.
The situation after the accession is somewhat similar in the two neighbouring countres: The subsidies for organic farming have been introduced, part of the farmland is organic, organic products were mainly imported in the beginning but later the home market also appeared.
Espoo, the big part of Helsinki, has decided to use organic food in kindergartens, The start was made with organic milk and cereals.
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Problems.
There is a case, where 80 different supervisors checked one organic farm in Finland. So big control system is not necessary and this decision must be taken on ministerial level.
Organic crop growing and organing livestock farming must be balanced. If not in one farm then in cooperation with neighbouring farms.
Future trends for organic farming.
Organic flax could have a sufficient market in Central Europe.
Organic cosmetics
Organic aquaculture.
The Strategy for Organic Farming has been planned in Finland aiming at organic farming and clean water on 50% of the Finnish territory by the year 2030.
The slides of the presentation by Mikko Rahtola are available at http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/rahtola-iosa.pdf and
http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/rahtola-iiosa.pdf
A hobby farmer and nature protection activist, Mr. Heikki Luhamaa talked about the problems of environmentally friendly raising of beef cattle.
For the start, a suitable breed of cattle must be chosen. In Estonia the locally kept breeds of cattle cannot stand living outdoors all year round. The suitable breeds include scotish mountain cattle, Mallory, Hereford and Angus. The cattle is kept in natural, moderate size groups including cows, heifers, suckling youngsters and a bull. The feed consists of branches, and does not include silages or concentrated fodders that burden the environment. The initial investment of 250,000.00 EEK is paying back in 6 years. The calculations can be found of the slides http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/luhamaa.pdf
The problems of organic farming through the eyes of a consulent were described by Mr. Targo Pikkmets
He expressed a suspicision, wether all fertilizers alowed in organic farming are really harmless. He also emphasised the importance of the cooperation of plant and animal producers.
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Targo proposed that as the farmers always hacve limited time for spring work the deadline for submitting applications for subsidies could be moved to 15 June (two weeks postponing)
Today the handling of raw milk is regulated in the order of the Minister of Agriculture No 71 from 15 June 2006 „The requirements for handling and selling raw milk“. According to this act, the raw milk can only be sold on the territory of the farm. This act needs chaning so that the farmers could sell raw milk to consumers outside their farm territory too.
The experience of intensive farmers has shown that crops get used to Roundup containing glyfosate and the quantities used for plant protection should be increased. Some intensive farmers spread this poison even directly before collecting the yield and that practice has to be banned.
The importance of small family farms in securing the food reserves was described by the Chief Director of the Central Union of Estonian Farmers, Mr. Kaul Nurm. (He is also a Member of the Economic and Social Committee, ECOSOC)
Food security means the capacity to provide the foodstuffs to the population without importing them from abroad. The global climate change, desertification and lack of fresh water are having an effect on global level, while Estonia with its abundant water resources is in quite a good position.
The family farms are based on Estonian capital. We should produce more than for our own needs and export part of the production, in return, some foodstuffs have to be imported. We can sell potatoes and milk but we must buy bananas and coffee.
We must also follow the events on global level. For example, China has bought a lot of farmland in Africa. The products will not remain to the local people but are taken back to China again.
The rules of cofinancing of the EU agricultural subsidies must be changed, so that the member states should not have to pay 50% but only 25%.
The chairman of the organic farm AS Saidafarm, the president of the Central Union of the Estonian Agricultural Producers, Mr. Juhan Särgava, gave a thorough presentation covering the history of biodynamic and organic farming (Dr. Rudolf Steiner and count Alexander Keyserlink)
Some quotations from the presentation by Mr. Juhan Särgava:
Organic farming needs bigger amounts of production.
Organic food has appeared to the food market in significant quantities.
Organic farming has found many supporters in our country and elsewhere. The number of consumers is growing constantly.
The market volume for organic food is increasing. There are many reasons for that as the conventional farming cannot cope with the risen problems, listed below:
Traces of agrochemicals in food products, A number od agrochemicals is banned annually, after proving their hazardous impact on health.
Consumers are convienced that the products grown organically are healthier and have a smaller environmental load for our surroundings.
Overproduction of agricultural products needs export out of the EU region but for the latter more resources from the common subsidies package are needed (export subsidies, private storages and catering help measures)
The following argument becomes clear: Lets produce more extensively but with higher quality and smaller environmental impact. Let us bring the negleted farmlands into active usage again. Thus we can provide food security even in case of natural disasters.
The losses of fertilizers into the environment cannot be decresed otherwise than producing them in the course of food production. The organic farming measures like using Leguminaceae, speeding up the microbiological processes in soil.
If in the beginning investments into agrochemicals brought along profits, then today the increase of fertility has reached saturation and further investments are not beneficial.
Summarizing the main needs for organic farming.
A deficit of knowhow appeared alongside with the rapid growth of the number of organic farmers. New actors need an efficient knowledge transfer from the more experienced farmers on production without poisons.
They also need time to learn from the mistakes made by themselves and other people. If in the old memberstates the transfer means only change in agricultural methods then in the new memberstates there is also a need for input of sufficient capital (production facilities) and formation of new system that takes years of time.
Raw products from organic farming need to be processed and marketed.
The market development measure for organic farming should be broader than that for conventional farming, beacuse additional structures need to be found that already exist in conventional marketing.
The quantities of organic production are quite small today in Estonia, the distances for transportation are long and accompanying paperwork is slow. This is causing exclusive prices for most of the product articles hindering consumption. Organic farming needs a wider range and bigger amounts of products to be competitive in price.
There is a need to involve all major agricultural enterprices and to assure them to reorganise towards organic production. Nothing comes from nothing, so a strong public expectance from politicians and society is necessary.
Changes in legislation should give enough time for the enterprices to be reoriented. The requirements should be more favourable for the producers.
The subsidies for organic farming must be comparable to that of the neighbouring countries (300 EUR/ha from 100 EUR/ha)
To speed up the development towards organic production, capital support with wide possibilities is needed, as the period of restructuring will be too long if only supported by the profits from the economic activities.
For a speedy change a need for understanding from the public and a positive support from the politicians is needed as well.
The slides by Juhan särgava are available at http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/s2rgava.pdf
The chair of the Food technology of the University of Agriculture, Juhan Lepasalu talked about the mobile slaughtering house as a tool of extensive agriculture.
Usage of a mobile slaughter-house solves a lot of problems (animal welfare and better meat quality due to decrease of stress). A need for co-operative umbrella organisation for meat processing, product development and packaging. The scientists of the University of Agriculture are ready to answer question in this matter.
The slides by Juhan Lepasalu are available at
http://www.erakond.ee/images/stories/jaotvara/lepasalu.pdf
Panel discussion moderated by Jüri Ginter.
Jüri proposed to think about the goal „100% organic farming in Estonia in 2020!“.
Thoughts from the panelists
Aleksei Lotman (AL).
Organic farming should be attractive in the whole EU.
Thus minimum levels for taxes on inorganic fertilizers and pesticides should be established. Otherwise there will be an imbalance created between the counties (e.g. Sweden).
Hannes Lorenzen.
We should change the rules and mainstream sustainable food production.
Ruth Tammeorg.
It is necessary to deal with food security and consumer awareness.
The topic of acises on inorganic fertilizers and pesticides is not popular, but we need to decrease the wish to use those. Food cannot be produced without phosphorus but mining of that mineral is not sustainable. According to the estimations, in 20 years there will be the tip of phosphorus meaning that half of the world resources of phosphorus are exhausted. Better recycling is the solution. Phosphorus rich bone meal is produced in the factories processing dead livestock in Finland and Sweden. The similar enerprice in Estonia, Väike-Maarja does not produce such fertilizer.
Kaul Nurm.
It must be clear, what we can do in Estonia and what could be done on the European Union level. Attention should be paid to the production of products from raw organic materials.
There is a good example from Italy, where an action plan was adopted to subsidise the opening of 4000 small shops.
The decisions made by the consumers put necessary pressure on bigger stores. Valuable work is done by Ms Evelin Ilves in Estonia. If she says that the President prefers raw milk then it is a good model to follow for many people.
Taxes on fertilizers are not advisable as that would bring along a wave of discontent. It is much better to come out with the slogan that our product is better.
The end product of the Estonian Animal waste processing plant is not allowed to the market by the authorities as it is called a waste and not a product.