Description
Book SynopsisOrganic agriculture world-wide allows farmers to produce healthy food with low levels of external inputs, and often shortens the value chains, giving farmers a higher share of the consumer dollar. This book reports on long-term comparative organic farming systems research trials carried out over the last four years in South Africa's Southern Cape, as well as research on the organic sector and the technical tools it requires in South Africa, Zambia, Uganda and Tanzania. The trials show how the yield gap between organic and conventional crops was closed over 3 years. Water use efficiency was also greater in the organic farming system, and pests and diseases were effectively controlled using biological products. Farmer training approaches, soil carbon analysis, participatory guarantee systems, the Zambian organic farming sector (agronomy) and Ugandan organic farmer training support, and a sector plan for southern African organic farming are examined.
Table of ContentsPart I: Conceptual and Global Perspectives CHAPTER 1: The developing organic sector in Southern and Eastern Africa; what have we learned about sustainable development? CHAPTER 2: An overview of global organic and regenerative agriculture CHAPTER 3: Organic research contributes to sector development and good organic policy: the Danish, Swiss, American and African case studies CHAPTER 4: The work of IFOAM/Organics International in training organic farmers and leaders in the developing world CHAPTER 5: Understanding world food systems CHAPTER 6: BERAS - a global network of food systems with examples from Sweden, Haiti, Tanzania and India Part II: Capacity building and climate change CHAPTER 7: The likely impact of the 2015/18 drought in South Africa: Lessons from the 2008 food price crisis and future implications CHAPTER 8: The use of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to support organic food systems in Africa CHAPTER 9: Strengthening participation in the organic value chain for small-scale farmers in southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa CHAPTER 10: Participatory Guarantee Systems as an organic market entry point for small scale farmers in South Africa CHAPTER 11: Development of an inclusive chain for peri-urban micro-farmers CHAPTER 12: Supporting vulnerable communities in the Eastern Cape: Assessing the rainfall evidence CHAPTER 13: Water efficiency, energy efficiency and suburban vegetable production CHAPTER 14: Experiential training of farmers and university diploma students in KwaZulu-Natal and the Southern Cape Part III: Supporting organic farmers CHAPTER 15: The National Organic Agriculture Movement of Uganda CHAPTER 16: Agronomic practices affecting adoption and disadoption of organic agriculture in Zambia CHAPTER 17: The Rapid Incineration Field Test as an accurate, cost-effective and practical tool for estimating soil carbon in Africa CHAPTER 18: The Nelson Mandela Long-term Comparative Organic Farming Systems Research Trials: Baseline study and trial design - CHAPTER 19: Comparative Water Use Efficiency and water retention in the Mandela Trials CHAPTER 20: Biological and chemical soil fumigation and pest and disease management comparisons in the Western Cape CHAPTER 21: Initial assessment of microbiological soil health indicators in the Mandela Trials CHAPTER 22: Soil fertility changes and crop yields from the first four years of the Mandela Trials Part IV: Upscaling the organic sector in Africa CHAPTER 23: Challenges and opportunities for urban and peri-urban areas of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), and the implications of climate change for food security CHAPTER 24: A future strategy for organic development in Southern Africa
