Briefly, the Swedish government (fully endorsed and
supported by the farmers who collectively own their own processing
facilities and I think, marketing cooperatives) has decided within the
last year or two that by the year 2000, they will have 10% organic
farms (up from 1.8% now). To understand this, you should know that
the Swedish people have long had a passion for clean and safe food,
and have long supported various initiatives to reduce dependence on
biocides. At present, biocide a.i. in kg/ha is about 1.5 for
Sweden, compared with 2.4 for Denmark and a whopping 9.5 for Holland
(OECD figures).
To achieve this end, they are commiting mega resources to both
research and extension in organic farming. If I understood
correctly, something like 25 person-years of research effort are now
devoted to organic farming at their only agricultural university.
Each of their agricultural districts (I think it was about 30) is
also supported by an average of 1.5 extension person years dedicated
solely to organic farming. All of this is not counting the commodity-
specific R and D that is also being devoted to organic farming.
Sounds a bit optimistic, so I may have misunderstood something.
Nonetheless, it was clear that a huge, nation-wide, publicly supported
effort is now underway in Sweden.
I was green with envy. In Ontario, we have zero researchers
dedicated to organic farming (and no research funding that can be
pried away from conventional sources to support this kind of work),
and two, part-time organic extension agents for the entire province.
In the several publications that they left behind, the Federation
of Swedish Farmers quite clearly outlined the various initiatives
they are undertaking to achieve further gains in protecting the
environment in such areas as nutrient conservation, non-use of sewage
sludge on agricultural land, reducing N losses by 50%, further
reducing pesticide use, placing more stringent demands on the
chemical industry, including a zero tolerance for biocide residue on
crude products of agriculture. Reference is made to livestock
production practices that are "ethically unassailable".
In a nutshell, Sweden appears to have a somewhat unique mileau
within which to accomplish these laudable objectives, in that they
have a cohesive farming population that largely supports the strict
demands of their populace for safe, environmentally sound, and
ethically defensible crop and livestock production practices. What
this means in practice is less active resistance from various
lobbying groups which have a vested interest in maintaining the
status quo. I might add that contact in New Zealand indicate a
similar initiative is now or soon to be underway there as well,
dedicated specifically to sustainable agriculture.
I for one would like to find out more about what kinds of organic
research/extension they are undertaking in Sweden and New Zealand.
Perhaps someone from these or other enlightened countries can
enlighten us? Ann
ACLARK@crop.uoguelph.ca
Dr. E. Ann Clark
Associate Professor
Crop Science
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
Phone: 519-824-4120 Ext. 2508
FAX: 519 763-8933