Organic Produce For Less?

Venkat Subramanian is the Founder and Managing Director of Matchbox Solutions, a company which uses technology to solve critical issues in India.  Efarm, one such solution, uses technology to provide supply chain efficiency for procuring and delivering fruits and vegetables grown on rural farms.

There is growing awareness across the globe about the benefits of organically grown food products. Fifty years ago, everything that farmers produced was “organic,” although it had no “fad value.” The simple farmers’ techniques revolved around a holistic view of the village ecosystem – the farm, animals, birds, insects. Everything had a collective role to play in different stages of a plant’s growth.

It was the elite, educated urban folks from colleges and institutions who ridiculed the farmer’s practices and said farming could be done another way. It was they who introduced “scientific” methods, artificial chemicals, and pesticides.

Now, the very same elite juntha (the masses), who have now realized the dangers of these chemicals filtering into the food we eat, are suddenly preaching the advantages of going “organic” and “eco-sensitive.”

But the last 50 years of systematic “brain washing” of the farmers has done deep damage – a whole generation has lost the tradition of these organic farm techniques. And worse still, those practices have not been properly documented.

Though most people are aware of the benefits of organically grown produce and prefer it over chemically grown produce, what shocks people is the cost. Organic produce is often available only in high-end shops, and at such high prices that it is a privilege reserved for the upper class. There are several reasons attributed to this higher, “premium” cost – such as cost of production, less yield, certification, etc. But the reality is quite different.

Organic cultivation is CHEAPER!

Organic cultivation is cheaper than inorganic because typically the cost of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is over 70% of farmer’s expense. Organic manure is typically sourced from within the village itself (cow dung, agri-waste, compost), and thus they are not impacted by rising costs of fertilizers and black marketing of such items.

Yield in Organic is MORE in the long run!

It is also a myth that the yield in organic cultivation is low. The agro-chemical industry’s claims of increased yield usually lasts for only the first 1-2 years. After that, farmers report a significant drop and sometimes complete degradation of the soil by years 4 and 5. Whereas, organic farmers in same area have had sustained harvest at almost the same levels.

The “holy” cow is there no more!

Owing to extensive marketing by fertilizer companies, and even tying in finances/subsidies with usage of such chemicals, farmers have been “converted” out of their normal practices. Ironically, now, villages don’t have enough cows to produce cow dung and even have to buy organic manure from companies!

The “proof” is in the making – not in the paper!

Certification is an expensive proposition, and it is often done only by foreign agencies for export specific needs. Besides, there are over 1500 minerals and nutrients which have to be analyzed, and currently developing countries like India don’t have advanced spectrometry devices available. Most marginal farmers, even if genuinely organic, don’t have the means to “prove’ it through such certifications.

So, organic producers and buyers have been reduced to a minority. Buyers in the city don’t know where to source their organic produce. Farmers in villages don’t know how to reach out to the city stores. But in spite of this, die- hard organic fans have ventured out and either run their own farms or source out of the small, dwindling network of organic farmers to procure and sell (often in informal, weekend stores).

So, can organic produce be cheap? Can it be made mass market? The answer lies in better marketing and the reduction of transportation costs. Since suppliers are scattered across rural areas, buyers are predominantly in cities, and volumes are not known, currently these items are shipped in very rustic conditions like buses and trains further damaging the quality and impacting cost.

By aggregating the demand and supply, we can reduce the cost of transportation. A simple analogy: If you drive to a place by car, you will have to pay the entire fuel expense. If you take a bus, your net expense decreases. If you take a train, the ticket charges may be even smaller as more and more people share the travel costs.

What can YOU do?

• Support your neighborhood organic store. Buy organic, even if it’s a little expensive to start with. As more people start “riding” the train, the costs will come down.
• Spread the word that organic produce CAN be cheap and good.
• Educate farmers in your vicinity about the need to sustain organic production.