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The
Organic Market is Confusing
Farms
that have just converted from
conventional practices into organic are claiming to be organic and
selling at HIGH prices on par as organic prices.
Farms that do not make an attempt / effort to recycle farm wastes
/ make their own compost or fertilizers, but solely depend on external resources – their
farm intention could only be seen as “Produce to Sell’’… this farming
system is unsustainable and money driven.
Food
for Thought
Are
the organic farms in Malaysia, even worldwide, using farming practices
that are Sustainable?
Some may be yes, more may be no, and some may be to a certain extent. From
the daily operation and farming system adopted, the amount of energy
used (inputs and outputs), the farmer will be able to know
if the farming system is energy efficient and sustainable. Even
any claimed very organic farm that uses a lot or
depends much on natural occurring
mineral compounds, this natural resources will
also one day be depleted…
Labelling
*
The next time you pick up an “Organic” product, make sure
you read the label very carefully. For example, Organic Oat
Milk… and you think all the contents within are organic …
in reality it is ONLY one ingredient that
is organic and the rest are chemically grown! Similarly, how
can sea salt or seaweed be
claimed as an ‘organic’ product?
*
NATURAL unpolished / brown rice. Honestly,
how can the rice be natural when they were
chemically grown? I can understand, if the rice is being processed
into rice bran/meals and without adding any additives etc,
then it can be claimed as natural.
The
way how the organic farming/market developing is a cause of
concern, perhaps it needs proper monitoring from the
Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and the Ministry
of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs.
CETDEM
has moved away from Organic Search thus this
recent exhibition’s theme was Organic Watch
as we are concerned about the direction in which
the organic farming and market are moving. However, CETDEM
cannot pursue it alone… |
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