THE MINISTRY of Agriculture has given its support to the development of the local organic agriculture sector through an investment of $20 million in the National Organic Agriculture Enhancement Project (NOAEP).
The funds will assist with the development of a national policy on organic agriculture, international and local organic certification, as well as research and development.
Dr. Joseph Lindsay, principal research director at Bodles, said last week that the agriculture ministry was drafting a policy document and supporting legislation for the organic agriculture sector. He said the ministry has taken on the responsibility to promote, supervise and monitor the development of organic agriculture as an alternative to conventional agricultural methods.
Explaining the difference between conventional and organic methods of farming, Dr. Lindsay said that natural farming and organic farming were not the same.
CERTIFIED
"Organic farming is certified, and certified that it has been done in a certain way," the Bodles research director said. He added that certified organic inspectors state that a product is organic when it is produced against a certain standard and follows certain steps, including record keeping, to facilitate auditing.
"Conventional agriculture uses traditional fertilisers and pesticides," Dr. Lindsay said. "Traditional farming is not concerned with long-term ill-effects or long-term sustainable benefits."
Outlining the advantages of organic farming, he said the process facilitates environmental protection and biodiversity.
"It is good for the environment because organic farming does not use traditional pesticides, which are synthetic, man-made chemicals," he said. "Traditional pesticides are highly soluble, which is bad for underground water reserves, and the soil."
- Jamaica Information Service (JIS)
