Features
Does organic horticulture have a future?
The Organic Growers of Ireland (OGI) recently drew up an outline plan for the development of the horticultural sector. Cáit Curran investigates the challenges.
Commercial organic horticulture is not for the fainthearted. The level of commitment, expertise and sheer hard work required exceeds that of any other area of agriculture. Longstanding growers have found ways to accommodate their lifestyle to seasonal demands; others enter the sector enthusiastically, burn out within a short few years and depart, weary but wiser.
The OGI Proposal
The Organic Growers of Ireland (OGI) recently presented a submission on the development of the horticultural sector to Minister Ciaran Cuffe. Compiled following consultation with growers, the submission recognises the absence of any targeted investment in horticulture to date and the wide range of issues that must be addressed to generate growth in the sector. It was agreed that the most cost-effective way of tackling development would be the appointment of a Horticultural Development Officer to kick-start the process. The Horticultural Development Officer would have immediate responsibility for the following:
- The provision of training to fast track at least 20 new growers a year
- On-going educational/training support for existing growers
- Development of structures to initiate a mentoring scheme for growers
- Development of an advisory service
- Expansion of the domestic market and marketing structures
Other key areas requiring attention include third level and post graduate education in organic farming, an organic apprenticeship scheme, research, on-going market development and financial supports for growers. The OGI claims that the development officer could be funded cost-effectively from the budget of Foras Orgánach, in particular from the €250,000 allocated to national organic week, the organic awards and attendance at Bio-fach.
The grower’s burden is not eased to any extent by incentives, schemes or supports. The sector has barely come within the radar of official policy. The most recent organic development plan is aimed at increasing the land area under production and horticulture is not viewed as significant in that respect. The reality of horticultural production has never sat easily with official aspirations. The stated aim of previous plans was to encourage the conversion of large scale conventional growers to supply central distribution. Given the absolute dependence of the conventional sector on chemical inputs, this is not likely to happen. A model based on the existing successful aspects of organic growing has much greater chances of success. The bulk of organic growers are small scale, producing high value crops that permit them to make a living on a small acreage, mainly through direct marketing. The handful of growers who have expanded to field scale have done so gradually as their markets developed in a sustainable manner. Ireland is a small country with a small population. The sudden emergence of a number of large field scale growers, without a developed market, could cause havoc within the sector.
Expert Growers
The issues that concern growers are the same now as they were twenty years ago when I began growing. They revolve around the absence of any formal structure to develop horticulture – lack of training, advisory services, market development, research, consumer awareness and financial supports for producers. Over time, a body of expertise has been built within the sector which has helped new growers in the start-up phase. Producers are generous with what little time they have to spare, but it is no substitute for proper established supports.
Horticulture has been ignored mainly because it hasn’t been considered that important and because there is no one within official agencies who is expert in the area. Ironically, it’s through buying fruit and vegetables that most consumers come in contact with organic food and they progress from there to other sectors such as dairy, meat and ambient products. It’s a further irony that growers, who pioneered organic production and blazed a trail for others to follow, are now lagging behind sectors that are receiving incentives to grow.
Not Suited to Needs
One area of major concern is the small number of graduates of educational programmes who enter organic production. Each year, students complete horticultural modules at the Organic College, the Organic Centre, Skillsnet programmes and a variety of other centres, yet few go on to become commercial growers. Jason Horner of the OGI attributes this in part to the scarcity of available land for those without an agricultural background.
“Access to suitable land for some one in a start up situation is not easy,” he says. “We have to look at more options like land or crop sharing.” More importantly, he thinks that educational FETAC modules are not suitably geared towards commercial production. “The mentality is all wrong. The curriculum is too theoretical. You need a commercial grower to impart knowledge – a dose of reality, if you like. Modules should include a session with a real grower at least once a week.” He also thinks that giving financial incentives to students to complete courses is wrong. “If you want to become a commercial grower, then you should be prepared to pay for your training,” he says.
Dirk Flake, who has been a commercial grower for over 25 years, takes the view that many graduates are idealistic until confronted with reality. “During the celtic tiger years young people looked for well paid jobs and wouldn’t consider a career in horticulture. Once they look at the reality they realise there is no big income,” he says.
Lifestyle Choice
The fact is that growing is a lifestyle choice as much as a salaried job. This is the case with farming and food production in general. The regrettable fact that primary food producers are so poorly paid for their product discourages new entrants to agriculture and results in the sad mess that farming has become in general. “Prices have remained stagnant for the past five years but the cost of living and other expenses have gone up,” says Dirk.
He sees the ready access to imported produce as having a major effect on domestic production. “Large scale producers abroad can grow in better climatic conditions on a very efficient scale and pay lower wages. We can’t compete with that kind of production,” he says. “I see a two tier market developing - cheap imports available in discounters like Aldi and Lidl and smaller scale growers supplying directly to consumers who want local produce.” Jason agrees – “We should be supplying high quality, perishable crops and I think there is a lot of potential there.”
The increasing demand for locally grown produce is a distinct positive in Dirk’s opinion. “People need to be aware of where their food comes from. If you want to support local Irish family business, you must make a conscious choice.” The recent growth in home gardening is helping consumer demand for local produce, he feels. “When consumers realise what is involved in growing food they are more inclined to pay for local produce. It also helps them to grasp the seasonality of fruit and vegetables. Sometimes it’s shocking to see how little people know about that. Something has been lost in one generation and now it has to be learned all over again.” Jason shares the view that back gardening has potential. “Are the growers of the future out there, growing their own food? That’s how I and other growers started. You grow you own first and then you see the market potential.”
Mentoring
Once a grower is up and running, an aspect of development viewed as essential is the opportunity to upskill. The first two years in production is the make or break phase, and support in the form of mentoring is considered vital. This has been tried on a small local basis through a number of initiatives, with very positive reaction. Onfarm visits from an expert grower resolve many of the teething problems for new entrants. Availing of advice in a practical production setting proves invaluable. (For an in-depth view of the benefits of mentoring, see Chas Griffin’s feature Organic Matters 91).
As part of a thesis for his Masters in organic farming, Jason has been holding field schools with groups of growers. “There is definitely a deficit in advice and this keeps coming up all the time. This is something a development officer for the sector could address through organising farm walks combined with workshops. The knowledge is there, it just needs to be passed around,” he says.
Growing the Market
Development of the market is crucial to growth in production. Farmers markets were seen as the panacea for small scale growers to sell directly. These outlets have now reached saturation point. This has led, in some cases, to undesirable developments like growers undercutting each others prices and attempts by some producers to keep others out of markets. Clearly, new routes to market must be developed. “Lots of things have not been tried yet such as community supported agriculture schemes, distribution hubs and cooperative marketing,” says Jason.
“When we had the celtic tiger phase, we lost sight of co-operative selling,” Dirk says. “Now that times are harder, we have to look again at growers supplying directly to consumer groups at competitive prices and cutting out the middleman.”
Organic growers occupy the most secure market niche in organic farming. There will always be a demand for high quality, locally produced vegetables and fruit. How far that market can be developed depends on a number of issues – appropriate training and encouragement for new growers, supports for existing producers, orderly market growth and, above all, consumer commitment to home grown produce. All of this is achievable if there is a political will to develop the necessary structures. Otherwise, we may have to wait until global warming and peak oil dictate that we will become a genuine green, self-sufficient food island.
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