Organic produce presents challenges for farmers

By Zhang Qian  |   2008-12-30  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

ON a farm in Songjiang District, not a single machine sound can be heard instead you can hear buffalo, goats and chickens.

The chickens hang around among figs and goats chewing vegetable leaves in the sheepfold. It could be a traditional farm, except that the orderly lined vinyl houses tell a different story. This is a modern organic farm in suburban Shanghai.

Organic produce has become widely embraced as an increasing number of people care more about the quality, rather than the quantity, of food they eat. The organic trend has already swept Europe and it is now making inroads in China.

About 52.2 percent of Chinese consumers have accepted the idea of organic food and some have already eaten organic produce, according to the 2008 Biofach China International Organic Trade Fair and Conference. There are now more than 2,500 organic food producers across the country, Biofach says.

Organic food refers to produce grown without conventional pesticides and artificial fertilizers. This keeps it free of contamination by human or industrial waste.

Organic food is also processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. If livestock are involved, they must not be given antibiotics or growth hormones. Most countries also state that organic produce can not be genetically modified.

Chen Conghong, managing director of Beijing Organic Farm Development Co, one of the earliest organic farming companies in China, says organic food has many benefits over produce grown on regular farms.

"Since no pesticides and artificial fertilizers are used in the growing process, organic vegetables are much safer than ordinary ones," Chen say. "Organic may also be more nutritious."

Beijing Organic has set up organic farms in more than 10 cities across China, including Beijing and Shanghai, as well as some in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Yunnan and Shandong.

The 33.3-hectare organic farm in Songjiang District grows leafy green vegetables.

Another benefit of organic produce, says Chen, is better taste.

Many consumers find organic pumpkins, turnips and tomatoes taste sweeter while ordinary ones have a watered-down flavor.

"Consuming organic foods is more important as a green lifestyle and not just about pursuing safe and tasty foods," says Axel Bartkus, managing director of NurnbergMesse (China) Co, the local subsidiary of its Germany-based parent that organizes exhibitions, including organic food fairs, around the world.

Bartkus says the idea of organic food first appeared in Germany - the biggest organic-consuming nation in the world - early last century when a group of people became worried about the environmental pollution caused by modern industry and agriculture.

Organic farming was at first only done at small family-run farms and the foods were only available locally. It was not until the 1970s that organic farming developed at an enormous speed when serious damage to the environment scared most Germans.

"Leaving a sustainable Earth for future generations is the main goal of organic farming," says Chen.

Though artificial fertilizers and pesticides help vegetables grow much faster, they eventually lead to "dead earth." The use of artificial fertilizer makes it difficult for plants to grow as the earth hardens over time. Farmers then use even more artificial fertilizer to produce the same harvest.

The vicious circle eventually leads to knots of clay in the soil, which will no longer support crop growth.

However, setting aside land free of artificial fertilizers is not easy, according to Chen. Land must sit idle for three years before it can be used for organic farming. Once organic crops are planted, it still requires a lot of work to keep them free of chemicals.

"Everything used on the land should be 100 percent natural," says Chen. "Setting up an independent ecological cycle within the farm is crucial."