The developing organic sector in Southern and Eastern Africa: what have we learned about sustainable development?

Abstract

Abstract This chapter introduces food systems and organic farming, outlines the development of organic farming in Southern Africa, and grapples with the idea of sustainable development; drawing on earlier work of the author entitled Sustainable Development: Developing What to Sustain Whom? a conceptual farmer development process is outlined. The author's personal journey of 48 years including organic gardening, commercial organic farming, farming systems research and extension and farmer training, and concluding with lecturing, mentoring, and managing research and policy development teams, throws light on some of the useful and not-so-useful approaches to African development. Comparative analysis work shows that returns on investments in organic farming systems are more positive than returns on high external input 'Green Revolution' approaches. Anti-organic bias in research funding and policy development is traced back to a particular approach to health, nutrition and agricultural production, which favours research and policy supporting use of inputs produced by pharmaceutical, food and agrochemical companies, and shows how their powerful lobbying efforts have skewed research outputs towards high external input systems. The book outlines some alternative approaches based on organic food systems.