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| Volume No. 1 Issue No. 46 - Friday August 15, 2003 |
Not Convinced on Organic Farming
 by Dr Clayton Shillingford
It seems I must clarify my position one more time. I have proposed the rational scientific application of integrated pest management, which includes all known technologies for pest, disease and weed control plus alternative forms of providing nutrition to plants.
IPM is an all inclusive and balanced approach including biological control, rotation, resistant varieties, field sanitation, proper drainage, soil and water management, plus mulching, compost etc. Chemicals are included in the mix where they provide significant benefit and the risks can be managed or mitigated. If we are looking for zero risk I'm afraid we won't find that.
Science has always been challenged by skepticism (think Galileo, Pasteur, Newton, Kepler, Lavoiseur, Lamarck, Darwin, Mendel, Einstein and all the others who helped get us out of the DARK AGES). It is fine to put scientists on "their best behavior" yet modern living standards would not be possible in any field without the judicious application of scientific principles for the benefit of man. Think penicillin, plastics, man made fibers, fertilizer, plant breeding, animal breeding, X-ray, IT, TV, and on.
It is my belief that the Almighty put things there and gave us the power of the intellect and the curiosity to go find. If we abuse it then that is our problem. We made no atom, it was there to be discovered and we made an atom bomb. If agriculture is not progressive people starve or economies collapse (think Dominica).
Certainly, many chemicals are hazardous and users should be educated to use them properly. Some of that has been done in Dominica, perhaps not enough. Toxic products should not be applied near to sources of water, nor to crops close to harvest and then only when they are required to save the crop.
We should try to avoid abuse for instance by people using chemicals for suicide, deliberate dumping to kill fish, and using pesticide containers to carry drinking water. It has always been difficult for good science to control abuse. Discover the atom and some nut cases build an atom bomb. Discover aspirin and someone takes an overdose.
If we were to identify areas of greatest risk to Dominican society, I wonder where it would be located and I would not exclude the pernicious and toxic effects of politics. Are more and more citizens anxious to leave Dominica? I don't think it is because of toxic substances but more likely toxicity from other more human sources.
It is true that there may be a narrow niche in markets for our organic produce if we can meet the organic standards in the production fields. I was perturbed about recommendations being made to convert Dominica into a vast organic farm. The state of tropical agricultural knowledge and experience does not support that position NOW especially in our poor economic state. Better to promote integrated pest management and reduce not eliminate chemical use.
I am open to any new research findings that would suggest that we can go entirely organic whatever definition we apply. I would proceed with extreme caution with the promotion of the new organic farming religion.
I fully support integrated pest management. I have not for example seen the research that would give me confidence that we can control nematodes and borers in bananas through organic practices. Without judicious pest control practices, the cultivations decline and then we want to replant and the cycle repeats itself with low production and poor yields.
Other professionals in agriculture have also expressed uncertainty with the organic farming philosophy. It may be okay for backyard gardens or small plots but will not reverse low yield and poor quality of our produce in the short term.
We need to do the necessary research and build strong recommendations on what will work. We are growing crops in a tropical environment. How are we to control insects, nematodes, and viral, fungal and bacterial diseases, control rapidly growing weeds that abound in tropical environments?
These are questions that need to be answered before we launch off in a direction that may be fatal for our agriculture. No practice is without some level of risk. We want to minimize risk and increase benefit through education, best agricultural practices, and market intelligence.
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