Conference, Discussion & Exhibition on organic farming/agro products & environment

V

Veena Annadana

Well-Known Member
Dear Friends,



Here is an golden opportunity to meet organic farmers & retailers from all over India. Yes,You can meet them directly & discuss the issues what you are facing.

Raasi Eco Organic Pvt Ltd,Cordially invities you to the conference,discussion &

exhibition on organic farming/agro products,g.m.foods & environment,the conference will be conducted on 9th July 2011 at 'Youth Hostel Indira Nagar,Adayar'.



9.00-9.30 am – Registration(Entry Free)

9.30-10.15 am – “Refresh through yoga/meditation” By Mrs.Samudeeswari

10.15-10.30 am – Launch of “Farm 2 Home” By Mr.Sujith Kumar, Location Head (HR),Infosys

10.30-11.00 am – Inaugural Address

11.00-11.15am – Tea Break

11.15-12.00pm – Speech on “G.M.Foods”



12.00-1.00pm - Panel discussion on topic “ Go Green”

By Mr.Pamayan , Farmer ,Adisil farmers association

Mrs.Rajareega ,Farmer, Ofai national sterring committee member

Mr.Murali, Retailer, Sunday shandy ,Mylapore

Mr.Ananthu, Retailer, Re-store, Adayar

Mrs.Surya, Architect, Chennai

Mrs.Revathy, Actoress

Mr. AntoVincent, Editor, Vaazhiya Nalam magazine



Chair person Mr.Jeyapandiyan, H.o of Rajbhavan



1.00-2.00pm – Lunch



2.00-2.30 pm - “What to Eat/not to Eat” By Doctor.Sivaraman M.B.B.S, Poovulagin Nanbarkal

2.30-3.00pm - “Save Our Earth – Global Warming” By Mr.Athi Valliyappan ,Author / Journalist

3.00-3.30pm – Launch of “Green Refresh” by Chief guest

3.30-4.00pm – Speech by chief guest.

4.00 pm – Vote Of Thanks By Mr.T.Ruso



We can also have the Exhibition of Various organic/herbal/natural products -All retailers can exhibit their products in this exhibition. They also can find wholesalers/manufactures sources from this exhibition



Farmers & Retailers Meeting : All organic farmers can meet retailers from all over tamilnadu,so that they can have source to sell their products or can get idea about what to produce as per the retailers demand.



Pls note this conference is being conducted in service for cause to encourage the farmers on developing the organic farming & retailers to contact the farmers directly to get the supply without middlemen.It is mutually beneficial Program.



Time : Morning 9am – Evening 5pm . Lunch Break – 1pm-2pm. Entry Free



Organic green tea will be provided. Organic Lunch will be available for reasonable price on the stalls.



Pls note who want to participate in stalls / banners can contact the below numbers.



Stall Fees – Rs.1000/- Sponsorship – Rs.500/- Banner Fees – Rs.200/-



Organized by

THE NATURAL STORE FARM 2HOME



Co-sponsored by

Raasi eco organic pvt ltd, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai.

Raasi organic farms ,Sivagangai

Vibis natural honey bee farm, Madhurai





Co-ordinator Contact person

T.RUSO MISS.G .GAYATHRI DEVI

Managing director Administrative officer

Raasi eco organic pvt ltd Raasi eco organic pvt ltd

Mobile: 9626471727 Mobile: 9445120936

Office # 044-45018540

thairuso@gmail.com Index.html thenaturalstores@gmail.com
 

BioFach Newsletter 251

The latest from the organic sector. no. 251 - 24.6.2011

1. BioFach China 2011: Successful 5th anniversary

BioFach China from 26th to 28th May 2011 in Shanghai celebrated its fifth anniversary with a 27% increase in visitors. 14,613 (2010: 11,526) international organic sector players travelled from 33 countries to what was so far the most successful edition of the only trade fair for certified organic products in China. The organizer, NürnbergMesse China,
was delighted with the birthday present – fully booked exhibition space with increased exhibitor figures: 342 manufacturers (2010: 313), 13% of them international, presented organic products at the INTEX Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Around 300 participants made use of the well-balanced congress programme to update on the very latest themes, fresh trends and significant facts relating to the national and international organic products market.

BioFach China - Press Releases

2. USA: Organic fruit and vegetables lead the market

The entire organic sector is growing at over 8 percent, organic fruit and vegetables are the fastest-growing category of U.S. organic products, growing by 12 percent in 2010 to reach nearly $10.6 billion. Organic represents nearly 12 percent of all U.S. fruit and vegetables
purchased. The annual Pesticide Data Program (PDP) summary released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Agricultural Marketing Service shows significant differences in pesticide residue levels measured on organic fruit and vegetables compared with their chemically grown counterparts. As to be expected, organic fruit and vegetables, on the whole, have far lower levels of pesticide residues than conventionally grown produce, says the Organic Trade Association.

Organic Trade Association's Organic Newsroom: USDA pesticide data show startling differences in produce residue levels

3. India: Exemptions for organic exports

Aiming to promote organic farming, the government has partially relaxed restrictions on exports of sugar, pulses and edible oils produced without using chemical fertilisers and pesticides, reports the Economic Times. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has allowed exports of up to 10,000 tonnes per annum of each of these products.
India had banned the export of pulses in 2006 to augment the domestic supply and check prices. Organic farming, which is developing increasingly well in India, is practised on around 1.1 m hectares of land. Nine Indian states have so far drafted organic farming policies. The government is giving special thrust to organic farming with the aim of sustaining agricultural productivity in the long run and addressing the soil health issue.

Govt lifts restrictions on organic product exports - Economic Times

4. Goa’s organic farming could boost the state's image

Though organic food is considered healthier and despite the fact that Goan farmers predominantly grow crops using less chemicals, the state government has not implemented an agriculture policy to exploit the advantage, say experts in the field. This could be beneficial at several levels, says Yogita Mehra of Green Essentials. Satish Tendulkar, director, department of agriculture, government of Goa, agrees, "Most of Goa's agricultural produce accounts for very low use of chemical fertilizers. Farmers are encouraged to use organic methods of production of crops as much as possible," he said. The state's position as a tourist destination also offers potential to promote organic farming. "If Goa is declared an organic state like Sikkim, it will increase the value of the state itself," Mehra said. Goa
with 1.3 m inhabitants is one of the smallest federal states on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent and belongs to India.

'Organic farming could boost the state's image' - Times Of India

5. Taiwan’s food scandal brings new customers for organic

Organic food suppliers say that the recent plasticizer scandal has brought more customers into their stores and has boosted sales. Organic stores, including organic vegetable shops and restaurants, say they are now catering for more customers since the outbreak of the food safety crisis in May, reports the daily news media Focus Taiwan. The food scandal started when two local food ingredient suppliers were caught illegally adding plasticizers to a legal food additive commonly used in sports drinks, fruit jelly, jam, yogurt mix powder and dietary supplements. More than 100 food manufacturers have been discovered using the ingredients with plasticizers.

Food scare boosts local organic food sales - CNA ENGLISH NEWS

6. Hope for organic soya farming in South Brazil

Organic soya farming in South Brazil was on the verge of collapse in 2010, but today there are rays of hope. The traces of Endosulfan in the current soya crop are distinctly lower than last year and the pesticide is banned worldwide. Thanks to the open communication of the problem by the Swiss fair trade company Gebana, former customers are showing a
willingness to resume the purchase of organic soya from the small farmers in Capanema, reports the Swiss online service Bionetz. “CHEGA! – Enough’s enough!,” said the organic farmers of Capanema in South Brazil in summer 2010, and demanded an immediate ban on the use of the pesticide Endosulfan. This poison used against bugs found its way via the air and rain from the conventionally cultivated fields into their soya plantations and made their products unsaleable as organic food. An energetic campaign by producers and Gebana means that the farmers can now look to the future optimistically again.

bionetz.ch - die Bio-Plattform der Schweiz - Kontaminierte Biosoja - was weiter geschieht

7. IFOAM is NGO Coordinator of UN Conference in Bonn

The 64th Annual United Nations Conference of the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) will be held in Bonn from 3–5 September 2011. The German government, the City of Bonn, the NGO/DPI Executive Committee and UN Volunteers are organizing the conference. The event is a strategic stepping stone for NGOs preparing for the twenty-year review of the groundbreaking UN Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The outcomes of the DPI/NGO conference are expected to be integrated into future negotiations of the Rio+20 process taking place next year.

64th Annual UN Department of Public Information NGO Conference - 64th Annual UN DPI NGO Conference

8. Palestine: Self-reliance with organic agriculture

Gaza goes organic in bid for safer and more reliable supply of vegetables and fruit, reports the British daily newspaper The Guardian. The environmental group Palestinian Environmental Friends (PEF) is producing organic, locally produced fertilisers. Last year, the Hamas government got on board, announcing a 10-year strategy aimed at skirting Israel’s blockade and developing sustainable agriculture. "We try to depend on our own resources. Basically, we're trying to use organic methods," says Dr Mohammed al-Agha, Gaza's minister of agriculture and a professor of environmental science at the Islamic University in Gaza. The ministry of agriculture estimates that, one year after the implementation of its new policy, 2-3% of Gaza's agriculture is organic. Gaza's Safe Agriculture Producers Society (SAPS) aims at spreading organic farming techniques in the embattled territory. Its director, Abd el-Munem, stresses Gazans must continue to pursue local, chemical-free
farming methods.
Palestinian desire for food security drives farming innovation | World news | Guardian Weekly

9. Oxfam: Organic food for nine billion people
People throughout the world are concerned about rising food prices. This is shown by a survey conducted among more than 16,000 people in 17 countries as part of Oxfam’s “GROW” campaign. 66 % of the interviewees in the study find the rising food prices very alarming. 53 % have changed their eating habits in the last two years, 39 % of them mainly due to higher food prices. Oxfam’s worldwide campaign “GROW Food.Life.Planet” calls for a fundamental change towards future-orientated agriculture, a new ecological age and fairer distribution of food.

Campaigns | Oxfam International


10. New study on organic market in Japan
A 170-page study entitled “Japanese Organic Market 2010-2011” has recently been published by corporate consultant ABC Enterprises in cooperation with IFOAM Japan. The organic market in Japan currently achieves sales equivalent to about 1.3 billion US dollars, with a share of some 1 % of the food market. However, experts see great potential in
the East Asian country, which is heavily dependent on imports. The study deals with topics such as the situation in the retail trade, the wholesale trade, the manufacturers, the political efforts and consumer studies. The study can be ordered in book form for 580 EUR from: mail@organic-market.info (mailto://mail@organic-market.info)
 

India: Lesser known mangoes may perish soon

India: Lesser known mangoes may perish soon

The mango fortunes of Uttar Pradesh are dwindling; not in terms of numbers but diversity. Though UP farmers grow several varieties of the King of Fruits, only the prominent ones, like Dusseheri, Chausa, Langda and Lakhnauva Safeda, tickle taste buds of the public. The other mangoes, generally, perish without being savoured. Now, to salvage and conserve the endangered varieties of the fruit, farmers from the state's mango belt, Malihabad, have formed a society. The society includes 125 farmers from four villages of Malihabad - Kasmandi Kalan, Mohammadnagar, Sarsandi and Gopramau. About 30-odd farmers from this society have put up a mango show here where more than 300 endangered varieties are on the display. The show has been organized with the support of the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH).

There's `paan' mango, a heart-shaped variety. Then there is the crimson streak of `husn-e-ara' which comes as a rare mango feature. "A commoner cannot tell the difference in beak, shoulder and slender edge," said Shailendra Rajan, principal scientist and head, division of crop improvement, CISH. "But these varieties are now slowly slipping out of the public memory. City folks may not know of them at all," said A Hasan, secretary, society for conservation of mango diversity. These mangoes have lost out to popular brands. "People know them (Dussehri, Langda, Chausa, etc), buy and savour them," said Anil Kumar, a farmer from Mohammadnagar. The vanishing varieties hardly have a market. "Since they are not easily available, people do not know them," he added.

Thousands mango varieties are grown in Malihabad. These include zard ameen, surkha, chand gola, tuhru, mujjad ameen, ramkela, seb jannat, desi bambai, zardalu, tukami heera, deshi mitthu, etc. But given their poor commercial viability, the farmers may stop growing them. "It all depends on the decision of farmers," said Surendra Kumar Rawat, a mango grower from Kasmandi Kalan. Farmers send some of these varieties to Dubagga mandi. "But they do not fetch more than Rs 8 or 10 per kg," said Babulal, a mango grower from Gopramau. The threatened ones are the suckling varieties. Farmers say it's much easier to grow them. "Some of them may crop up from a discarded seed," said a farmer.

To reap better profits, Malihabad mango growers are switching over to popular varieties. Efforts like setting up a conservation society though may go a long way in preserving the genetic diversity of mangoes. CISH has helped farmers to constitute a society. "They are getting support from UNEP in the form of training," said Shailendra Rajan of CISH. The society wants to have a direct link with customers. For more information call (9005551372 or 9936660155)


Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
 

India: Mangoes in every season will soon be a reality

India: Mangoes in every season will soon be a reality

Indians may soon be able to relish fresh mangoes seven months in a year. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is working on a project to produce mangoes in different parts of the country in different seasons. “Climatic conditions vary across India which can help us produce mangoes seven months a year. We get the harvest of mangoes in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu in November, in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra in January-February and in north India in June-July,” said H P Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticulture) of ICAR, while speaking to media before the inaugural of the ‘Global conference on augmenting production and utilisation of mango: Biotic and abiotic stresses’ in Lucknow on Tuesday.

Horticulture can play a vital role in food security because the dietary habits of the people have changed. Now people eat more fruits for various nutrients. A good yield of mangoes and other fruits can help in achieving the food security and alleviating malnutrition, said Mr. Singh. The conference will focus on the techniques and research to increase the production of mangoes. Desapping the ripened mangoes to make them last longer, bagging the mangoes with eco-friendly bags to save them from viruses are some of the techniques which will be elaborated upon in the conference. The four-day conference is organised by the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) Lucknow, Society for Development of Subtropical Horticulture (SDSH) Lucknow, and International Society for Horticulture Sciences, Belgium. Discussions on the issues like climate change affecting horticulture, marketing of hybrid species of mango and efficient cultivation of mango will be held. More than 500 varieties of mango from different regions of the country were displayed in the Mango Show-2011 by farmers and institutions.


Source: indianexpress.com

Publication date: 6/24/2011
 

Govt should dispel farmers’ doubts on organic farming’

PATNA: There is great potential in the field of organic farming in Bihar as food products grown through conventional farming methods are less tasteful and unhealthy, said Dr Carol Shennan, professor of environmental studies, University of California. Shennan was talking to TOI on the sidelines of the first-ever three-day international conference on 'Organic Bihar' here. The seminar was inaugurated by CM Nitish Kumar on Wednesday. "As pesticides are not used in organic farming, the products are healthy. Consumption of organic food will improve human health, thanks to higher levels of nutrients available in it. The growing demand for organic food items will bring a fortune to farmers," Carol said. She emphasized on chalking out strategies for organic farming keeping in view the availability of nutrients in soil and demand for various crops.

An agriculture adviser to the government of Bhutan, Dr. Thimmaiah said that organic agriculture can feed the world and solve food security problems in the developing countries. "Organic farming will do away with farmers' despair, if any, in Bihar. Like Bhutan, low-cost organic agriculture can be developed in Bihar's fertile agricultural land if the government makes conducive plans," Dr Thimmaiah told TOI. The conference, which will submit its detailed recommendations to the government of Bihar, will conclude on Friday. Agriculture scientists from the United States, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Switzerland are discussing ways and opportunities to develop organic farming in Bihar. The conference is also being attended by 100 and odd farmers.

An expert from New Zealand, Dr Michael Adair Nichols, suggested that the government should work to instill confidence among farmers about organic farming. "I think Bihar can overpass New Zealand in this regard as farmers here are getting subsidy from the government. It will work as the biggest stimulus for them," Nichols said. "The government should work to dispel doubts that farmers still harbour on organic farming," he said.

"There are vast challenges in the field of organic farming in Bihar. It includes lack of information, lack of biomass weed control, and pest and disease problems. The Indian government and other agencies like Institute of Horticulture Technology are determinedly working upon them and the situation is bound to improve in a big way," an expert on horticulture from Zimbabwe, Tavagwisa Muziri, said. On day 2 of the meet, approaches and strategies for organic production and certification of mango and litchis were discussed. Experts also presented their views on post-harvest management, supply chain management at farmers' level and buyer-seller interactions.

Source: ?Govt should dispel farmers? doubts on organic farming? - The Times of India
 

Bihar set for Rainbow Revolution: CM

PATNA: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday inaugurated the first-ever three-day international conference on 'Organic Bihar' here on Wednesday. "Bihar is standing at the threshold of Rainbow Revolution which is more holistic than the ill-fated Green Revolution. Bihar's road map for this revolution will well take care of future needs of environment and human life and also resulting in prosperity for farmers," Nitish said. Rainbow Revolution refers to a sustainable agricultural revolution where equal focus is given on minimizing cost of production and increasing produce, environmental impact, and impact of fertilizers on consumers and soil health.

The conference, being attended by agriculture scientists from United States, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Switzerland, saw a lively discussion on various aspects of organic farming in Bihar. The conference is also being attended by 100 and odd farmers. Referring to the experience of Green Revolution, he said "the states (leading the revolution) exhausted soil fertility. Their soil has got deficient of micro nutrients. Farmers are in the throes of a deep crisis as productivity has gone down heavily due to indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides," the CM said.

He emphatically said, "Through scientific organic farming, we will change the prevalent notion that food security cannot be achieved without chemical fertilizers." On the occasion, he also launched an online portal, www.jaibbihar.com, to offer a platform to promote organic produce of Bihar. The state government will formulate policies on the basis of recommendations made by the delegates at the conference. To provide a stimulus to Bihar peasants, the government is providing 50% and 75% subsidy to set-up different types of biogas plants, 50% subsidy on bio pesticides and 90% on organic fertilizers.

"Large-scale cultivation of certified organic potatoes in Nalanda has gained international recognition. Organic certification of Muzaffarpur litchis is at an advanced state and the government now plans to bring aromatic rice under organic certification," the CM, who has earlier served as Union agriculture minister, said.

Source: Bihar set for Rainbow Revolution: CM - Times Of India
 

World Food Prize Honors Leaders and Explores Future of Food

Hunger and malnutrition kill more people every year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. According to the United Nations, one in seven people in the world suffers from hunger, which is more than the combined populations of the United States, Canada and the European Union. At a ceremony at the State Department, the World Food Prize announced the former presidents of Ghana, John Kufuor, and Brazil, Luiz Lula da Silva, as the winners of this year’s award.They will receive the awards Oct. 13 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Kufuor and Lula da Silva were recognized for reducing hunger in their countries by more than half. Kufuor reduced hunger by two-thirds, from 34 percent of the population to 9 percent in 2004. Lula da Silva beat the UN’s goal of halving the number of people living in extreme poverty and hunger by 2015, reducing hunger from 12 percent of the population in 2003 to less than 5 percent in 2009.


“Up until now, the World Food Prize has never been awarded to a head of government,” said Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation and former U.S. ambassador to Cambodia. “We thought it high time to recognize and draw attention to heads of government who make change happen,” Quinn said. Each year, the World Food Prize recognizes individuals who vastly improve the quantity, quality or availability of food throughout the world. The award was founded in 1986 by Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who developed high-yield crop varieties and introduced them to developing nations.

In a talk at the American Association for the Advancement of Science sponsored by the World Food Prize, one scientist said that keeping up with the demand for food in the coming decades will require the use of genetically modified foods. “We need to employ modern genetic tools and the most effective science-based farming practices to address a critical challenge of our time,” said Pamela Ronald, a professor at University of California, Davis and co-author of “Tomorrow’s Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food.” The challenge, she said, is balancing increasing demand for food while protecting wilderness from farming and preventing the overuse of pesticides and fertilizers.

Ronald said the higher yields and built-in pest resistance of GM food are the only way to provide low-cost food while protecting the environment.

The Organic Trade Association, a Vermont-based trade group representing the organic industry in North America, said organic crops can produce enough food. ‘There is a myth about organic that it’s low yield,” said Barbara Haumann, senior writer and editor for the OTA, “Farmers have to wean the land off the chemicals. … It takes time to build up the soil to be more productive.”

Haumann said it’s impossible to know if GE crops are harmful to human health because no law requires foods to be labeled if they contain GE ingredients, a stance Ronald disagreed with. “The world’s leading experts … have concluded that the genetically engineered crops currently on the market are safe to eat and safe for the environment,” Ronald said. “After 14 years of cultivation and over a billion acres planted, not a single instance of harm to human health or the environment had resulted from commercialization of genetically engineered crops.” Despite their differences, Ronald and Haumann agreed that the future of food will include both organic and GE crops.

“I think what scientists are saying … is there may be a combination, but definitely, organic is a key piece,” Haumann said.

Source: infoZine - World Food Prize Honors Leaders and Explores Future of Food - Kansas City, Missouri News
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top