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Farm System Crops Baseline ReportA Review of Crops Grown in Rotation or as

Part of the Organic Cotton Farm System

Organic Exchangewww.organicexchange.org

©2009 Organic Exchange

Farm System Crops Baseline Report

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Farm System Crops Program..............................................................................................2 1.1 Overview............................................................................................................................22. Background........................................................................................................................32.1 Organic Exchange and ICCO...............................................................................................32.2 CollaborationwithPANGermany/UK................................................................................43. ProgramApproach.............................................................................................................43.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................43.2 Producer Survey.................................................................................................................53.3 StakeholderConsultation..................................................................................................54. Findings:ProducerSurvey.................................................................................................64.1 AtAGlance........................................................................................................................64.2 Africa................................................................................................................................124.3 LatinAmerica...................................................................................................................154.4 SouthAsia........................................................................................................................194.5 CentralAsia......................................................................................................................234.6 MiddleEast......................................................................................................................254.7 USA..................................................................................................................................274.8 Summaryfindings............................................................................................................285. Findings:StakeholderConsultation................................................................................295.1 Summaryfindings..........................................................................................................306. Thewayforward..............................................................................................................307. Recommendations...........................................................................................................317.1Programmanagementimprovements.............................................................................317.2Recommendationsforaction...........................................................................................338. NextSteps........................................................................................................................34 APPENDIX1:OrganicCottonGrowerssurveyed..............................................................36 APPENDIX2:StakeholderConsultation...........................................................................37

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Farm System Crops Baseline Report A Review of Crops Grown in Rotation or as


1. Farm System Crops Program1.1 Overview

Theeconomicviabilityoforganiccottonfarmersindevelopingcountries depends partly on their ability to sell other crops grownonthefarm.Thesecropsaregrowneitherinrotationwith cotton, intercropped, or as farm border crops, etc.(farmsystemcrops).Inaddition,economicsecurityislikelytoimproveifthefarmercanengageinrelatedvalue-addedbusiness activities such as processing, pressing, drying,pulping and packaging.

Organic cotton farmers in developing countries, with thesupport and assistance of Organic Exchange and ICCO(the Dutch inter-church organization for developmentcooperation)arealreadyimprovingtheirfarmandbusinessactivities in terms of cotton growing. However, for bothenvironmentalandeconomicsustainability,organiccottonfarmersmayneedtoestablishcropandincomediversificationforlongtermsecurity.ThefindingsfromthisstudywillalsofeedintoPesticideActionNetwork’s(PAN)“Fibre,Foodand

BeautyforPovertyReduction”project.

TheoverallgoalsoftheFarmSystemCropsprogramareto:

Support farmer organizations to reduce their•dependency on cotton by facilitating cropdiversification,businessplanning,andmarketingoftheirfarmsystemcrops.

AnalysethemajorUK,EuropeanandUSmarketsto•assess the potential for expanding themarket forproducts using cotton farm system crops. Identifybrands and retailers who might have an interest in developinganorganicfarmsystemcropprogram.

Help facilitate and support linkages to organic•farming projects – focussing on India, Africa andSouthAmerica.

Ensurefoodandnutritionalsecurityiscentraltoall•projectactivities.

A Brief Overview of Organic Exchange’s Activities for the First Year of the Program

SurveyproducergroupsintheOEFarmDevelopmentProgramtocreateaninitialinventoryofcropsgrownaspartofthefarmsystem.

Identifyorganizationsworkingwithfarmersonkeyrotationcropsandexploreopportunitiesforcollaboration.

UndertakemarketanalysisinthemajorEuropeanmarketstoassessthepotentialforexpandingthemarketfororganicrotationcrops.Identifybrandsandretailerswhomighthaveaninterestindevelopinganorganicrotationcropprogram.

Analysethefarmsystemcropinformationtoidentifycorerotationcrops(thoseproducedbymultiplefarminggroups)andhighvaluespecialtycrops.DeterminewhichcropswillbethefocusofOEactivity.

“Sometimes you realize it’s fatiguing, it’s tiring, but when you really move things in Ghana or when you really move things in Mozambique, your containers are moving, and the farmers are satisfied with the premiums they get, then you realize why you’re doing it. It’s like being on the bench in a stadium of 60,000 and then you have to perform on the field - it’s awfully interesting!” -Director,Fairmatch(exICCO)


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2. Background2.1 Organic Exchange & ICCO

Vision: Building Sustainable Businesses

Protectingtheenvironment,reducingpovertyandcreatingsustained economic and community development through thedevelopmentofcommitted,transparentandfairvalue

chainsfromfarmtofinalconsumer.

Organic Exchange was launched in October 2002 to serve asacatalystforcreatingsocialandenvironmentalbenefitsthrough the expansion of organic agriculture. OrganicExchange sought to deliver these benefits by helpingcompanies create transparent, committed, fair andsustainablesupplychainsfordeliveringproductsthatmeetbasic humanneeds for food, clothing and other essentialitems.

Organic Exchange decided to focus its first efforts ontransforming the way that cotton was grown around theworld.Conventionalcottonfarminguseslargeamountsofchemicalsandinmanyinstances,geneticallymodifiedseeds,toproducecottonfibre. Manyof thedetrimentalhealth,economic, social and environmental impacts associatedwith conventional cotton cultivation can be eliminated asfarmersmake the transition to organic farming practices.In addition, because of the transparency and identitypreservation inherent in organic production, brands andretailershavetheabilitytobringtheorganicfarmers’storyto their customers.

During the past five years, Organic Exchange has workedcloselywithinfluentialNorthAmericanandEuropeanbrandsand retailers, their business partners and a network oforganicfarmingprojectstodevelopknowledge,information,new business models and tools needed to start and/orexpand their organic programs. Organic Exchange has built aglobalnetworkofmorethan3500businessorganizationsandmorethan60organiccottonfarmingprojectsinvolving

tensofthousandsoffarmers.Eachyear,OrganicExchangeengages with approximately 500 companies and helps them connect and build relationships directly or throughtheir supply partners to organic cotton farming projectsthroughout the world.

Atthesametime,ICCO(theDutchinter-churchorganizationfor development cooperation) has developed a cottonprogram as a significant component of its InternationalMarkets Program. Major elements of the ICCO cottonprograminclude:

Understanding the real needs of farmers in the•developingworldandfindingmarket-basedsolutionsforaddressingtheseneedsinasustainableway.

Creating a policy framework which identifies•innovativewaystoaddresssocialandenvironmentalissues for farmersand farmworkers (e.g.organic,Fair Trade and Better Cotton) and labourers inthe textile processing chain and to help educateconsumersabouteco-friendlyandethicalproducts(e.g.FairwearFoundation,Made-By label,OrganicExchangeconsumeroutreach).

Supporting organizations including Organic Exchange,•Made-By, Fairwear Foundation and the EuropeanWorkingGroupthatarefocusedonbuildingcommitted,transparent, fair and sustainable value chains thatimprove the lives and livelihoods of farmers in thedevelopingworld,andtheBetterCottonInitiativewhichisfocusedoncreatingchangethroughtheentirecottonsector.

ThecombinedeffortsoforganizationsincludingtheOrganicExchange, ICCO and ICCO’s partners have helped catalysetremendous growth in the production and use of organiccotton.Theglobalmarketfororganiccottonproductshasmore than doubled from an estimated $245million USDin2001to$583millionUSDin2005,andwasprojectedtogrowtonearly$2.6billionUSDbytheendof2008and$6.8billionUSDby2010.Duringthepastfewyears,productionofFairTradecottonstartedinAfrica,IndiaandSouthAmericaandthedemandforFairTradecottonproductscontinuestogrow in the Western marketplace.


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2.2 Collaboration with the Pesticide Action Network

“Fiber,foodandbeautyforpovertyreduction–makeitmove!”

Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Germany and PAN UKreceivedaEuropeAidgrantfromtheEuropeanCommissionto advance cotton farm rotation crops and businessawareness. One of the priorities for PAN is to raise theawarenessofpovertyreductionpotentialofrotationcropsin the European market. OE agreed to work closely with PANonthisandcontributedtotheworkshopheldbyPANGermanyinHamburginSeptember2008.

The joint project targets European businesses donororganizations and NGOs involved in setting-up organiccotton projects or trade, and consumers. In consultationwiththesegroupsandorganiccottonprojects,thepartnerswill develop trade models bearing the potential to helpreducedependencyoncottonforsmall-scalefarmers,andto increase interest among target groups in using these models.

3. Program Approach3.1 Introduction

This report summarizes the research undertaken duringthe first phase of the Farm System Crops program. TheFarm System Crops program has been developed to explore opportunities for organic cotton farmers to improve theirlivelihoodsthroughtheimprovedmarketingofcropsgrownaspartoftheorganicsystem.Thesemaybeinrotationwiththe cotton, intercropped, on the periphery or grown aspestmanagement.Geographically,focushasbeenonIndia,Africa and South America – although Organic Exchange’sreach includes farmers in Turkey, Central Asia, and theUnitedStates.

The first phase of the program has involved two majorstreamsofresearch.First,findingoutwhatisgoingon,on

theground–adetailedpictureofthecropsgrownwithinorganic cotton farm systems. This involved collectinginformation via surveys sent to organic cotton ‘project’contacts, interviewing farmer associations and/or NGO’scoordinating projects, and interviewing Organic ExchangeRegionalDirectorsinAfrica,IndiaandSouthAmerica.

Secondly, exploring market opportunities (plus barriers,challengesandotherissues)bygatheringinformationfromretailers,brands,traders,NGOs,financiers,academicsandother key stakeholder groups. This work was conductedvia interviews, surveys, workshops and multi-stakeholderconferencecalls.


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“At present there are no existing arrangements for marketing of the crops that are grown in the project area. Products other than cotton are sold in the open market at a lower price as the traders don’t treat these products at par with the conventional produce. Lack of awareness among the local consumer about organic and its availability is one of the reasons for this misconception.” -ArvindMills,India

Within the early stages of the programOrganic Exchangediscovered overlap with the Pesticide Action Network’ssuccess insecuringfundingtoundertakesimilaractivities.OE and PAN (UK and Germany) agreed to collaborate –whereappropriate–andthisresultedinatwo-dayworkshophostedbyPANGermany,inHamburg.

Issuesoffood/nutritionalsecurity,foodsovereignty/genderissuesandthecarefulconsiderationofOrganicExchange’srole were central to the task.

3.2 Producer Survey

The‘survey’wastwo-fold;designedtocaptureinformationrelatingtothetypesofcropsgrownonorganiccottonfarms,andviewsonthepotential forexpansionorothermarketdevelopment prospects.

TheCropSurveyrequestedinformationconcerningcroprolesintheorganicsystem,quantities,grades,existingmarkets,andhowmuchiskeptforhouseholduse.Otherquestionswereaskedrelatingtoadditionalprocessing,organicand/orfair-tradecertificationandfarmimprovementprogress.

The Market Development Assessment asked questionsrelatingtoviewsonincreasingcropproduction,introducingnew crops, and value adding potential. Information onbusiness planning, financial management and morecommercialorientatedfeedbackwasrequestedhere.Therewas also an attempt to capture an overview of existingmarkets,householdandcommunitycircumstances.

3.3 Stakeholder Consultation

The other significant stream of research was dedicatedto finding out what key players and other stakeholdersthought. Stakeholder groups identified included buyers(retailers,brands,intermediaries,traders,processors),NGOsworking with producers, international donors and NGOs,consultants, academics, financial services, regulators, andother governmental bodies.

Stakeholder consultation was conducted in a variety ofways:surveys,interviewsandworkshopgroups.

Surveysrequestingcommentsfromorganizationsconcerningmarkets, food security, value adding, financing, businessmanagement and other advisory input were administered.

Interviewsandconferencecallswereconductedacrosstheglobe.Interviewsfocusedon:Isthereamarketopportunityhere?Whereshouldthefocusbe?Whatarethechallenges?And what can OE do to best facilitate the market (ifappropriate)?

The PAN-hosted workshop titled “Using crop diversity toreduce dependency on cotton and combat poverty” washeldinHamburginSeptember2008.Thiswasanopportunityto get almost 30 individuals - with vast knowledge, skillsand experience – together; representing farmer groups,certification bodies, and other NGOs. The informationsharing,prominentviewsandworkshopoutcomesaretakeninto consideration as part of this program’s stakeholder


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consultationprocess.

4. Findings: Producer Survey4.1 At A Glance

Outofthe45surveyssentout27responded(approx60%). ThecoveragecentersaroundthreehubsnamelyAfrica(7responses),LatinAmerica(8)andSouthAsia(9).Afurther3responsescamefromCaliforniaUSA,TurkeyandKyrgyzstaninCentralAsia.Theresponsesrepresentedover50,000farmers,>15,000womenand69differentcropvarieties.

“Now food prices are higher, they get good prices for their crops and then they do not keep enough for their own consumption, so they sell and then they are forced to rely on public distribution.”

-Food/nutritionalsecurity.RegionalManager,India,OE

USA• Terranova Ranch (13)

Nicaragua• Coproexnic (7)

Peru• Bergman Rivera (2)• Oro Blanco (3)• Cedepas (2)• Tusa (2)• PNP (4) Paraguay

• Prorganica (5)

Brazil• Esplar (3)

Senegal• ENDA (9)

Mali• Mobiom (6)

Benin• OBEPAB (6)

Egypt• Sekem (6)

Uganda• LOFP (4)

Tanzania• BioRe (4)• BioSustain (6)

Turkey• Kadioglu (9)

Kyrgyzstan• Bio Service (10)

Pakistan•Kings Group (8)

India• Agrocel (9)• Arvind Mills (9)• Chetna (9)• Mahima (4)• Organic Farms (7)• Vasudha (9)• Zameen (6)

Numbers shown in brackets indicate number of crops reported per project


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At A Glance…

Therewere69typesoffarmsystemcropsidentifiedfromthesurveys,ofthesethetoptencropsweremaize,sesame,wheat,mungbeans,beans,groundnut,soya,sunflower,sorghumandblackgram.

When crops were listed according to the region in which they are grown it becomes obviousthat,whilstsomecropsare common across the globe e.g.maize and soya, some aremore specific to each country- by and large reflecting localdiets.Forexample inAfricawesee a lot of beans, groundnutsandmillet,SouthAsiachickpea,grams, and jower, whilst LatinAmerica has introduced sweetpotatoes, tropical fruit andcassava.

Note:Thisproductlistislimitedby the tendency to report cash crops and common rotationcrops. We know that other crops/farm products to befound in the ‘system’ have notbeenconsidered‘significant’bythe growers and have not been itemized inour survey.Wewillbeexploringthisissuefurtherin‘phaseII’oftheprogram.


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SaleoffarmsystemcropsforLatinAmericaappeartohavethemostevenspreadbetweenlocal,international,andexchange(XC)markets.AfricafocusesslightlymoreonlocalmarketswhileSouthAsiasellsthemajorityofitscropstolocalmarketswithminimaltypesofcropschanneled(directly)tointernationalmarkets.

Thegraphbelowreflectstherolesthevariouscropsplayintheorganicfarmsystem.Rotationcropsarethemostcommon.However, intercropping and border cropping is usually also carried out. Latin America, whilst having fewer varietiescomparedtotheotherregions(seetableonpage12),reportedthemost‘complex’farmsystems.


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“We will encourage more farmers to promote this crops/access to better variety of seeds, assistance in research, putting up processing plants where applicable, assistance in packaging material & marketing.” -BioRe,Tanzania

Cottonproducersinallregionssurveyedcarryoutsomekindofprocessing.ThisisratherlimitedinCentralAsiatosortingandcleaning.LatinAmericacarriesoutsomecuttingandpacking.InAfrica,processingisvariedandincludessomeclean-ing,boiling,pulping,cuttinganddrying,whilstinSouthAsiaweseeprimaryandfurtherprocessingfocusedondrying,threshing and packing.


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The top charthighlights thatdespitealmostall cropsgrown in theorganic farmsystembeingorganic, theprocessofcertifyingthesecropsismoreadvancedinsomeregions.Thecharthoweverindicatesthatcertificationisinprocessinallregionsthatarenotcurrentlyfullycertified.Unfortunately,thequestionofwhoownsthecertificationcannotbeansweredbutwouldprovideaninterestinginsight.

Fair-tradecertificationislesscommonalthoughitisinterestingtoseethatthereisalsoprogressbeingmadehereinAfrica,SouthandCentralAsia.Note:Fororganisationsthatholdcertification,responsesincludedbothFLO-certandEco-cert.ItisveryunlikelythatfarmerslocatedintheWest,suchasthoseintheUSA,willhold“fairtrade”certification.Further,intermsofFLO(theFairtradeLabellingOrganization)certificationcriteria,onlyspecificcountries,approvedbytheUnitedNations,areeligible(fromoursurveygroup-thislistdoesnotincludetheUSorTurkey).


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Thisgraphprovidesavisualoverviewofthequantitiesofeachcropharvested.ItisevidentthatCoproexnicinNicaragua(cassavaandbeans)andLOFPinUganda(sesame)areproducingthelargestyields.BioRe’ssorghumandmaizeproductionisalsohigh(over50,000qq)

NotethequantityofsesameharvestedbyLOFPisveryimpressive–over180,000,000kgs(180,000quintals).ThisproductisEcocertiecertificationcoversbothorganicandfairtrade.


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4.2 Africa

Case study - LOFPSesame. LOFP (LangoOrganic FarmingProduction) inUganda ismadeupof 630members (27,000individualfarmers,40%ofthemwomen).Theco-opwassetuptoproduceorganiccottonbytheSwedishdevelopmentagencySIDA.Sesamehasnowbecomeanimportantsourceofincome.Sesameisconsideredawomen’scropinUganda,itismostlywomenfarmerswhoproduceit,andthusitisgivingwomenaccesstomarkets.Asacrop-rotationsideproduct(tocotton),theexportofsesamewaspromoted.Thesesameispassedontoalocalbusiness,Shares!,forcleaning,afterwhichitisexported.ThroughthesesamecleaningattheShares!factorymorevalueisaddedinthecountryoforigin,andahigherquality.Thereforeahigherpricecanbeobtained.Shares!sellstheorganicsesametoanumberofEuropeanfoodprocessingcompanies.Atleast40%ofproduceiskeptforhomeconsumption.

The graph on the next page shows theharvest quantities of farm system crops(wheredatahasbeenprovided).Asevident,LOFPisproducinglargequantitiesofsesameandmuch of this is exported. BioSustain inTanzania isalsoexportingsesame.However,generally, most of these rotation and otherfarm system crops go into the local marketandnotasorganic,orareconsumedathome.Before sale, it is common for some basicprocessingtobecarriedout,suchascleaningand drying. OBEPAB are currently selling70,000kgofcashewbutnotwithanorganicpremium.Organiccashewhasbeenidentifiedas having a high export demand. Mobiom,OBEPAB and LOFP are harvesting shea nut,hot peppers and chilli, respectively. Thesecrops have been identified as having a highvalueinternationallyandexportdemand.


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The graph on the rightgives a tentative pictureof how much productionis kept in the household. Our African data covers>38,000 farmers (>13,000women). A significantportionoffoodcropssuchascowpea,groundnutandbeans-andoilcropssuchas sunflower, soya andsesame-arekeptbackforhomeconsumption.

“In Africa, the food security issue is very important. Organic cotton farmers contribute to food security in two ways: First, they grow safe and healthy food because they do not use any synthetic chemical. Second, many studies have proved that in terms of food availability during the year, organic farmers’ families are more secure than others.”


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“All food crops grown organically beside cotton are sold in the local market. Crops like maize, peanut, cowpea, cassava, millet sorghum, sesames, … are sold in the local market. However, for some of them that are not staple food, there is the potential to increase the production for export, in the case of crops like sesames, peanut, soya.”

-Director,OE,Africa

As the table indicates producers generally sell crops into the local market. Feedback from agency stakeholders (seestakeholderconsultationlaterinthisreport)indicatesthatimprovingthelocalmarketshouldbethefirstroutetoexplore.Exportmarkets(froproducergroups)needtobeconsideredwithinabalancedstrategy.Also,itisimportanttokeepinmindthecostsandrisksassociatedwithinternationalmarketdevelopment.Responsesfromproducersindicatethatthe


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localmarketisindeedimportanttothem.However,theyarealsointerestedinexpansionandincreasingvalueonthefarmbeforesale.

“All food crops are sold in the domestic market. The disadvantage is that they are sold at conventional price. The organic value is hardly recognised in the domestic market.”

-Director,OE,Africa

4.3 Latin America

Case study: Coproexnic is a grower-owned agriculturalexportco-op.Theproducersworktogethertoselldirectlyto clients, no middle man is involved, and the farmerscontrol their own contracts. The government’s role hasbeentointroduceNicaraguanfarmingcooperativestotheideathattheycanmaketheirownchoicesandplans;totheoptionofhavingtheircropscertifiedasorganic(andthusbeabletosellthematahigherprice);andto‘makingalivingwage’. From establishing initial contacts with certifyingorganizations, processing plants, buyers, and shippers,thisprojecthasgrownovertheyears.In2006,Coproexnicexportedsixcontainersoforganicsesame,onecontaineroforganiccoffeeand3,000poundsoforganiccashews.


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The graph below illustrates the large quantities harvestedby Coproexnic. Harvest yields provided by projects in Peru,ParaguayandBrazilaremuchsmaller.Wecannotmaketoomanyassumptionshere sincewedonothavea complete setofdata(Latin American producers tended to report their yields in kg/ha). This highlights one of the issues in the survey concerningconsistencyofinformation.However,wecansaythat,again,themajorityoffarmsystemcropsaregoingintothelocalmarket.

“… sold through cooperatives, weekly markets or community markets. The challenge is to organize these markets to sell organic products and develop the consumers mind to recognize the value of organic products.”

-BusinessDevelopmentManager,OE

Diagram: courtesy of A. Travaglini, OE Latin America

“We are in a project to raise awareness among farmers so that their production is sustainable. We are developing a plan for 2 annual crops (one for sale and another for personal consumption). This project is 7 months, and there is interest among farmers. They are using natural fertilizers, tillage and friendly pest control. There is a lack of market for the low production. To facilitate the regional market is a solution in the short term.”-Prorganica,Paraguay


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Asthetablebelowshows,somecropsarecultivatedmainlyforhomeconsumptione.g.beansandinsomecasesmaize.Otherssuchassoya,coffee,groundnut,honey,sesameandsunfloweraregrownascashcropsonly.ThetotalnumberoffarmersrepresentedbytheLatinAmericanprojectsismuchsmaller(thanAfrica)ataround500.

“Food security is very important in Latin America. It is a priority for many governments (Brazil, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Peru) - due to the structure of agriculture, the large number of small farmers, the problems of education and poor rural economies, and little investment by governments in sustainable farming systems. The organic cotton farmers, who plant other than cotton plants, contribute mainly in the context of the family. There are a few exceptions when food reaches local markets nearby.”-Director,OE,LatinAmerica


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Onceagain,existingmarketstendtobelocal.WithsomenotableexceptionssuchasCoproexnic.Whatisinterestingisthatalmostallprojects–wheredataisavailable–areinterestedinincreasingvolumesandintroducingorupgradingprocessingactivities.Anexampleof innovationisOroBlancoinPeruwhoarewantingtointroduceindigo/sachainchiandbeginnaturaldyeproduction.

“In many cases, farmers depend on a main crop like cotton (central coast and northern Peru), however, the examples of Paraguay are more balanced with other crops like sesame, or in Brazil with other crops of direct consumption. In Nicaragua farmers also have a better balance between cotton and other crops.”-Director,OE,LatinAmerica


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4.4 South Asia

Casestudy:ChetnaOrganicisaco-opinvolving>7000farmers.ProjectChetna’smissiontieswellwithourFSCProgram“…itisasupplychaininitiativewithavisiontoimprovethelivelihoodoptionsofsmallfarmholdinghouseholdsinvolvedincottoncultivationthroughmakingtheirfarmingsystemsmoreprofitableandmoresustainable.

Thiswasenvisagedthroughfacilitatingademocraticparticipationoftheproducersinthesupplychain.Thethrustwasonfederatingfarmers intogroupsandenablingtheprocessofcollectivemarketingcomplementedwithpossiblevalueadditionstotheprimaryproduce.Ononehandwhiletheprojectenhancedtheentrepreneurialcapacitiesofthefarmers,it also raises awareness among theother stakeholders in the supply chain in the context of social accountability andenvironmentalstandards.”

Note:AlthoughSuperSpinningwereinvolvedwedonothavecropdata.Wedoknowtheygrowredgram,Frenchbean,tapioca,andgingelly(sesame)


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ThetableshowshighyieldsformanyfarmsystemcropsgrownonprojectsinIndiaandPakistan.Thevarietyisextensiveandmanycropssuchaschickpea,grams,andspicesaremuchmorecommonherethaninotherregions–probablyreflectingtheSouthAsiandietandlocalmarketdemand.However,withtheexceptionofmungbeans,thebiggestquantitiesareinsoyaproduction.Guar–adrought-resistantlegume(usedforavarietyoffoodandindustrialpurposes)isanimportantintercropfortheKingsGroupinPakistan.


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ThetableforSouthAsiaclearlyshowsamajorityofcropsgoingintothemarket.Themarketisalmostalwayslocal.However,itisnotclearifthisisthefirstpartofalongersupplychainthatresultsincropsbeingexporteddowntheline.Nevertheless,itisevidentthatprojectsinSouthAsiaaremorelikelytobe‘companies’andmorecommerciallyorganized.


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“Studies show that farmers will sell as much of their food crops as they can especially if the market is good… It is reaching the farmer in a personal education campaign or finding ways to incentivize the farmer to keep what the family needs. Buyers need to provide ways of looking after the farmer.

It is a certain degree of education. But because of the fragmented nature of the farm it is not possible because the farmer has no other means of money. The need for money is immediate. If the [organic] buyer doesn’t pick it up on time, they sell it to anyone because that is money in the pocket. They have sold organic [at a non-organic price] with all the trouble it takes, because they need the money.” -Director,OE,India

Thistablewhenviewedalongsidethegraphonpage27reinforcesthechannelingofcropsintothelocalmarket.Thereispotentialtogrow–cropexpansion,value-adding-andthemarketislarge.


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“Potential for value addition is enormous in tapioca. We are trying to establish a local starch converting facility for manufacturing organic starch which may have local & export market potential. Currently the tapioca grown is used for industrial products only. Here there is an opportunity to introduce edible varieties and convert the final produce as organic starch which could fetch a higher income to the farmers. This exercise is a value adding opportunity.”-SuperSpinning

4.5 Central Asia

“With the aim to build up another value chain for rotation crops these crops were identified as potential crops because from one side they are locally grown crops and fit to the local climatic conditions well and they are good to enrich the soil fertility. From another side these crops have good potential for marketing as there is a demand for them in big quantities. So if the market is guaranteed with long-term contracts for these crops, the potential to grow is big.”-BioService

Case-study: Bio Service is one of twoorganizationsinvolvedwithHelvetas’BioCottonProject. This project aims to develop andsupport the production and commodity chainof organic cottonandorganic cottonproductsinboththedomesticandinternationalmarketsandhasapurchaseguaranteefromretailersinSwitzerland thus vertically integrating organiccottonproducersandsellers.

BioServicearealsoproducingalargerangeoffarmsystemcrops (see left). Themajorityof thesearegoingintothelocalmarketorsoldtoTurkishtraders.Fairtrade status is underway for all BioServicecrops.


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WedonothavetotalharvestdataforBioService(thisinformationwasprovidedperha)However,wecanseefromthetableoppositethattheco-operativeissellingthelargestportiontomarketbutkeepingsomebackforfoodandlivestockconsumption.

The table below shows that Bio Service provide to a local (and Turkish)market. Opportunities to explore increasingproduction,valueaddingandnewmarketsareevidentforaround50%ofthecurrentcropvarieties.

“In our project there is definitely a potential to introduce the pulses as new crops as it has a promising market. Local consumption of pulses is not big, therefore the production is not regular. So pulses are considered to be new crops. Pulses have a distinguished market prospect because there is a market for them in Europe (high consumed) and additionally they are easy transportable and storable. For example, currently a lot of conventional pulses are bought by the local Turkish traders and exported to Turkey and further to Europe. .” -BioService

“Introduction of cleaning/ processing, packaging facilities (sorting the grains, cleaning from dirt/hard stones/dust, blowing) and a peeling machine for peanuts could help with value adding. Since the project aims at setting up the value chain for these crops the project is ready to invest in purchase of such equipment in 2008. “

-BioService(onvalue-adding)


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“If the business financing is in place for the above mentioned investment into the cleaning/packaging machines and into the training of farmers on best production techniques, it can be a great benefit for promotion of these crops among the farmers for significant volumes and the establishment of long term value chains.” -BioService(onfinancing)

“Wesee theEuropean/UKmarketaspotential formarketingof these crops. The local/ regionalmarket is abetterfitfor themarketingofvegetables,as it isdifficult tosupply the freshvegetables to theexternalmarketbecauseof lowstorageabilityandalsobecauseofexistinglocaldemandforthesecrops.Although,inKyrgyzstanthepublicawarenessonorganicproductsislowandthelocalconsumersarenotreadytopaypremiumfororganicquality,stilltheplansareheretopromoteorganicproductsamongthelocalconsumers.”-BioService(commentingonbeans,peanutsandchickpeas)

4.6 Middle East

“Most of our organic growers have small lands from which they cannot grow quantities worth investing in for further processing.

Our farmers are contracted by us for organic agricultural production. Some larger farmers do organic agriculture on their own account. They are producing what they can sell to traders or processors. However, for rotation crops they may face lower returns which they are aware of. If this issue can be solved, their returns will be higher.”

-Director,Kadioglu/Egedeniz

Unfortunately,wedonothaveextensivedataforKadioglu.ThesurveywaspilotedhereduringafarmvisitbytheDirectoroftheFarmTeam.Thereareapproximately171contractedgrowerscoveringmorethan1600hectares.Weknowthatalittleofsomecropsiskeptforhouseholdconsumptionandthatwheatandcorn/maizegoestothemill(asuncertifiedorganic).Tomatoesgotoeitherthelocalorexportmarket–bulkpackedorinjars.Okraissoldfreshandpinenutsaredried.

Kadiogluhaveexpressed some interest infurtherprocessingoftomatoes…

“…needs business plan and research into establishing processing”

Lavendercouldalsobeaninterestingherbtoexploreonthemarket.


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“Kadioglu has contracts with farmers for organically grown agricultural products. This company buys all organic products from these farmers which are cotton, cereals (mainly wheat and corn), tomatoes and dried fruits.

In Izmir / Aydin region in Turkey, growers do not have issues on food security. They can grow or buy their needs locally, even luxury food items can be bought if they want. Farmers are aware of their families’ nutritional requirements and provide this with no problem.

Rotation crops are always cash crops which are usually cereals and tomatoes with some other leguminous vegetables. There is not a big organic market for rotation crops. Wheat and tomatoes can be sold as organic when there is demand. Otherwise all other crops are sold as conventional easily as there is always need for these crops.“

-Director,Kadioglu/Egedeniz

4.7 USA

Terranova Ranch, California,isrunbyDonCameron-5,700acresintheCentralSanJoaquinValleyinadditiontotheapproximately1,200acresthathecustomfarmsfor other landowners. Terranova Ranch producesnumerous crops grown with conventional, biotechandorganicpractices.Itincludes628acresoforganicor transitionalgroundcertifiedbyCaliforniaCertifiedOrganicFarmers(CCOF).

Teranova’s organic crops include (as well as cotton)tomatoes, walnuts, oat seed, wheat, alfalfa hay, oathay,spinach,herbssuchassweetbasil,cilantro,onions,garlic;aswellasorganicseedcropsofdill,basil,lemonbasil,gourds,broccoli,andvariouslettuces.

“We are adding drip irrigation to annual crops to reduce water costs and improve weed control thereby reducing labour requirements and costs”-Terranova


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Inacountrywherefoodsecurityis not a concern it is not surprising toseethatallTerranova’scropsare sold – either in the US orinternationally. In terms, ofquantities; tomatoes are byfar the biggest harvest. Note,Terranovaproducealargerangeof products at smaller volumesuchasherbsandseeds.Unlikethefocusonlegumesandgrainsasinotherregionsthisproject’scropchoiceperhapsreflectsthedemand for boutique organicsintheUS.

Terranovaexpresssomeinterestinexpansionoftomatoes,alfafaandsudanchardseed–andaninterestinadditionalgarlic processing.

“We now have better opportunities and leverage in obtaining prices for our products with increased demand. We are always looking for new, profitable crops to grow.”-Terranova


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4.8 Producer Summary Findings

Producersgaveustheirprioritiesforthenextfiveyears–thetop7ambitionsreportedwere:

Increase product into the local market1.

Improvefarmingtechniques;fertilizer,waterandunderstandingoforganicsystems2.

Increasediversification3.

Lookforvalue-addingopportunities(sorting,cleaning,drying,pulping)4.

Increasefarmerbusinessskills5.

Increasefarmer-ownedorganiccertifications6.

Acquirefinancingorlow-interestloans7.

Theinformationgatheredrevealsvaryingdegreesoffarmcomplexityandarangeofcropsproducedonorganiccottonfarms.It’snosurprisethatrotationcropssuchaslegumes,pulses,soya,nuts,sesame,sunflowerandgrainsarethemostprolific.Thereishoweverevidenceoftropicalandexoticfruit(suchas‘bissap’–ahibiscusflowerforjuiceorbrewedforteagrowninSenegal),oils,spices,herbsandcultivationofotherhigh-valuecrops.Asmallnumberofprojectsproduceanextensiverangeofvegetables,vegetableseeds,herbsandspices–egTerraNovaRanchinCaliforniaandSekeminEgypt.

Inallcasestherearesomeestablishedsaleseitherlocally,regionallyorforexport–andsomeproduceexchangewithincommunities.ConcernsfortheneedsoflocalcommunitiesarehighprioritiesforsomesuchasKoussanarinSenegal.Whenasked“Doyouhaveideasofhowyouwouldliketomakefurtherimprovementsoverthenextfiveyears?”Theiranswerwas…

“Reinforcementofdiversification,focusmoreonpeanutandmilletforlocalmarket”.

Most projects can report improvementsin theway they are farming but expressedinterest in further investment - either inexpanding the production of their existingcrops, or introducing new crops (althoughthe latter was less common and often ontheconditionthatmarketopportunities forexistingproductionweresatisfied).

When asked “Is there the potential for introducing a new crop/product to the farm?”MahimaOrganic, Indiareplied“This contains a great risk of failure of the crop, as in that case it becomes extremely difficult to pursue the farmers. We have seen this when we introduce new seed to the farmers which gets failed”.

Many indicatedamovetowards,or furtherinvestment in, fair-trade recognition. Forexample,BioService,Kyrgyzstanareplanningtocertifyalmostalltheirfarmsystemcropsthis year.


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“In the 5 years has prospered in the field in the economy of rural families, achieve better nutrition, education and health, better material conditions in housing and environmental conditions required for compliance organic production, as well as profits in sales of all these items.” -Coproexnic,Nicuagua.

Thereisalsomuchinterestinfindingwaystoaddvalueatthefarmeitherbyimprovingexistinginfrastructuresuchasproductcleaningfacilitiesorvalueaddingsuchasmillingandpackaging.

“Potential for value addition is enormous in tapioca. We are trying to establish a local starch converting facility for manufacturing organic starch which may have local & export market potential. We may initiate work on this aspect during Kharif-2008”.SuperSpinning,India.

Somefarmersindicatedconcernsintermsofmarketsecurityandbuyerrelations.Supportandassistancearereportedtoberequiredforfarmdevelopmentandbusinessskills-buildingincludingnegotiation,leadership,trainingandwaysoftransferringownershiptofarmers.

“Training the farmers to develop leadership qualities, marketing skills for collective bargaining and educating them to strengthen their farmer organizations to execute their plans and internal control systems so that over a period of time they become independent. And alongside to the training of farmers and strengthening their associations, creating the producer company with tangible assets which can process and trade multiple agro-commodities.”AOFGZameen, India(4,500farmers,organizedindependentfarmerfamiliesformedintoacooperationassociation).

5. Findings: Stakeholder Consultation

Stakeholderconsultationwasconductedinavarietyofways:surveys,interviewsandworkshopgroups.

Surveysrequestedcommentsfromorganizationson:

markets•

foodsecurity•

value adding •

financing•

business management and other advisory input•

Interviewsandconferencecallswereconductedacrosstheglobe.Interviewsfocusedon:

Is there a market opportunity here? •

Whereshouldthefocusbe?•

What are the challenges? •

AndwhatcanOEdotobestfacilitatethemarket(ifappropriate)?•

ThePAN-hostedworkshoptitled“Usingcropdiversitytoreducedependencyoncottonandcombatpoverty”washeldinHamburginSeptember2008.Almost30individualsattendedrepresentingfarmergroups,certificationbodies,andotherNGOs.Theirviewsaretakenintoconsiderationaspartofthisprogram’sstakeholderconsultation.

“Some of the ways that chains can be organized, with fewer intermediaries, with a closer connection between buyer and seller, I think that’s an aspect of modern food systems that can be beneficial, because many of these traditional markets have reproduced poverty, they haven’t been that fantastic despite what some NGOs say”.

-Corporateinvestmentinneweconomies.Head,SustainableMarkets,IIED


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5.1 Stakeholder Summary Findings

Thetop10stakeholderissuesare:

Productquality1.

Quantity(logisticsandeconomiesofscale)2.

Needforconsistencyandreliabilityinsupply3.

Supplychainlogistics(e.g.transport,packaging)4.

Foodsafetyregulations-HACCP(hazardassessmentofcriticalcontrolpoints)5.

Riskmanagementandrisksharing6.

Financial management and business planning7.

Volatilityof(organic)markets8.

Traceabilitycompliance9.

Goodpost-harvesthandling10.

Anumberofethicalissuesandtopicsfordebateemergedincluding:

Food versus cash crops1.

Localversusexportmarkets2.

Foodmilesversusotherissuesofsustainability3.

TheimpactofHIV/AIDSespeciallyinEastandSouthAfrica4.

Thesehavenotbeendiscussedindetailinthisreportbutwillbekeptwithintheprogram’sfieldofviewandmustbetakenintoconsiderationduringanypilotprojectdecision-makingactivities.Thetop3emergingissuesforconsiderationare:

Trust–betweensuppliersandbuyers1.

Sustainability–long-termsuccess,andtheimportanceofprivatesectorinvolvement2.

Partnerships–includingfinancialservices,andotherNGOs.Workingtogether,notinisolation.3.

Stakeholderconsultationalsohighlightedthefollowingpointsforconsideration:

Foodsecurityandnutritionalsecurity•

MarketsSustainability•

6. The Way Forward

ConsultationduringPhase1ofthisProgramhighlightedanumberofrecurringthemes.Thesearesummarizedbelow.

Think-andact-locally

Organicfarmsystemsareinthemainhealthy,safeandnutritional.Farmerandfamilyfoodandnutritionalsecurity•inatimeofa‘foodcrisis’mustbeapriority.Regionalmarketopportunitiesshouldbeexplored–inmanycasesfarmsystemcropsreflectcultural/typicallocaldiets(andaddnutritionalvaluetolocaldiets).


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Linking growers to the market

Localandcommunitywellbeingmayincludecontribution/improvementstoexistingorganicmarkets–weshould•build on what is already there.

Farmers(andotherstakeholders)expressedaneedtoprioritizelocalmarketdevelopment.Weshouldrestrain•theurgetojumpintoexportmarketswhichholdamuchgreaterriskandnotnecessarilyabetterreturn.Exportmarkets must be considered within an integrated market strategy.

Consider emerging economies

• Emergingeconomies(egChina,Thailand,SthAfrica)–interestingoption.Increaseddemandforqualitybutperhapsnotyetasmanyregulationsandrestrictionsaswesternmarkets.

Exportmarketscanworkaspartofanintegratedapproach

• Exportmarketswithorganicandfairtradepremiums…tappingintoconsumerdemandforspecializedfood,healthandbeautyproductssuchasbissap/hibiscus,essentialoils,exoticchillies.

Businessdevelopmentneedstoreflectsocialandenvironmentalpriorities

• Communitydevelopment, improvedhealthandwellbeing locallywhilstcontributingtosophisticated–andfair–valuechainsaspartofanintegratedstrategy.

7. Recommendations

Recommendationshavebeengroupedinto(1)FSCprogrammanagementactivitiesand(2)recommendationsforactionwhichwill result in impact. The recommendations for programmanagement concernmaintaining and improving theframeworkoftheprogram.Thesecondsetofrecommendationsfocusinonprogramactionandofferoptionsforhowwecanbestmakeapositiveimpact.

7.1 – Program management improvements

i:ImproveCropSurveyMethodologyandCollection

OEmust continue tobuildon current informationgathering systemsand improveaccuracy. Post-survey feedbackhasidentifiedsomekey improvements thatcouldeasilybemade to improve interpretation, likelihoodofcompletion,andgeneralvalueofsurveydata.Improvementtothemethodologywouldalsoincludeintegratingthecollectionofdatawithotherinformationcollectionwindows–suchasfiberdatafortheFiberReport.

Aspartofthismanagementarea,asystemforreviewingandupdatingcropdataonaregularbasisshouldbeimplemented.Asmalldatareportcouldbeproducedannuallyor,perhapspreferably,thisinformationcouldbeintegratedintotheFiberReport.

ii:LinkFarmSystemCropstoCottonTraceabilityProgram-HistoricFutures

Feedback suggests that integrating farm system crops into a ‘string traceability’ (trackand trace system) should be a long term goal. Stakeholders believe it is important tobuild relationships first, make the links in a personal way and establish supply chainpartnerships.

However, string traceability is acknowledged as a valuable tool for communicatingevidenceofproductavailability,certifications,farmeridentification,productoriginsandothercharacteristicinformationthatwillfacilitatesupplychainmanagement,addvalueto the product and tell a story to the consumer. So the human links and the technological solutionshouldrunsidebysideforatime.


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ii: Link Farm System Crops to CottonTraceabilityProgram–continued…

One of OE’s primary strategic goals isto have a ‘marketplace’ for farmers,retailersandbrandsto–putverysimply-communicate supply and demand. We are workingwithHistoric-Futures on productTrackandTracesoftware.

Basic information such as productavailability, quality andquantitiesetcwillbesharedonline.Communicationswillalsoinclude the opportunity to personalise data with farmerprofiles, storiesandpictures.This will be consistent with the organiccottonStringTraceabilityonlineactivities.

Tobeginwith,weplantoinputcropsandotherproductscultivatedonorganiccottonfarms and generally raise awareness ofthis budding market. It is hoped that this information will integrate well with thecotton data and other information to beheld and communicated in the system such askeyperformanceindicators.

iii: Integration with other OE FarmDevelopmentprograminitiatives

TheOE Farm Team believes the overlapsbetween the various Farm Developmentprograms (and the progress made within them) should be beneficial. Building oneach program’s progress and establishingpermanency through integration are keyareas of leverage across the organizatione.g. the advances made on KeyPerformance Indicators for theeconomic,environmentalandsocialimpactoforganiccottongrowing,understandingfairreturnsvia a membership Code of Conduct, andorchestratingafinancial servicesadvisoryhubwillbenefittheFSCprogramandtheFSCresearchwillfeedintotheseinitiativesinreturn.

“I think one of the biggest weaknesses of organic businesses has been to focus on a crop. It’s a farming system and I think diversification is what it’s all about, so you are looking at the whole basket of the farming system and not just one crop. I find organic is quite high risk for farmers, there’s a volatility there, If farmers can’t get a reasonable income across a range of products, or share the risk, I think it’s quite a difficult area.” -Abuyer’sperspectiveonorganic.EuropeanDirector,OlamInternational


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iv:StakeholderConsultation

OEshouldcontinuetobuildandnurtureitsrelationshipswithkeystakeholdergroups.Atthisstage,stakeholderconsultationshouldbekeptwideandinclusive;ensuringabroadrangeofexpertiseiscaptured.Consultationcanbecarriedoutonanas-needsbasisandinformationshouldflowbothwaysieFSCprograminformationmustbefedbacktokeystakeholders(aswellasaskingfortheircontributiontotheprogram).FeedbacksuggeststhatformalizinganAdvisoryGroupatthisearlystageisnotrecommended.AStakeholderForumshouldbeestablished,awiderandloosercollectionthantheAdvisoryGroup.ThiscanbeusedtorecruitfortheAdvisoryGroupandgivestheadvantageofthestakeholdersfeelingconnectedtotheFSCprogramwithouttoomucheffortoneitherside.

7.2–Recommendationsforaction

Ifweusealltheinformationcollectedsofarhowcanwebestmakeapositiveimpactonthelivelihoodsoforganiccottonproducers in developing countries?

Belowareanumberofpilotprojectideasunderconsideration.Feasibilitystudiesmustcovertheabilitytoroll-out,scaleuporreplicatepilotprojects.Thesepilotsuggestionsarenotpresentedinanyparticularorderofpriority.

Pilot 1: Facilitating the link of high-value crops to the (export) market

Forexample,organicsesame,cashewandothernut-oilsareexperiencingdemandinthemarketplace.Itispossiblethatsomeofthesecropsarereachinguptothreetimesthepriceoforganiccotton(OrganicExchangeresearch).FSC,OERegionalDirectorsandtheBusinessDevelopmentManagershouldfollowup,identifyingsourcesandproducingproposals.

Pilot 2: Linking farmer group(s) to a Corporate

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming a powerful tool for some global companies ‘behaving differently’;acknowledgingtheimpacttheyhaveonsociety,andmitigatingtheirreputationalrisk.

Staffandconsumerinterestinacompany’svaluesisprovingapowerfulmotivatorfor‘CSR’.Plustheincreasingconsumerinterestinorganicandfair-tradeproducts,sourcingoriginsandproducttraceabilityisallcontributingtoclosertieswithinthesupplychain.TheOEFSCteamshouldexplorecorporatewillingnesstobe“twinned”withaproducergroup.

“The story has to be very clear and passionate around everything from how workers are treated - the social justice element - through to the organic side of things - how it’s grown and the environmental impact - and if that story is so strong and it’s global then people will demand the cotton from Uganda or wherever. But until you’ve got the story articulated, I wouldn’t suggest that farmers add the next peg under this, because there’s a bigger risk of failure. You can’t add the value-added until you’ve made your resource story the best on the planet.”

-Storyof‘origins’.CEO,SuzukiFoundation(exCEOMountainEquipmentCo-op)

Pilot 3: Organic Brokering

Buildingadatabaseandnetworkingoperation/hubwithineachOEfocusregiontostartlinkinggrowersoforganicproductswithbuyersoforganicproducts(pilotinonecountryinitially).Thiswouldfocusonensuringtheorganicpremiumispaid,identifyingtheobstaclesandgenerallyfacilitatingmarketdevelopment.Lessonsonorganicbrokeringcanbelearnedfromotherorganizationsattemptingtolinkproducerswiththebuyers,forexample,HelvatasandFairMatch.OEFSCshouldstartbyidentifyingaprogrampartnerandscopingtheITrequirementsofsuchadatabase.


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Pilot 4: Collaboration with ‘doubly-specialized intermediaries’

Collaboratingwithintermediariesthatarebothbusiness-orientedanddevelopment-motivated.

Anumberoforganizationswithexpertiseinbothbusinessanddevelopmenthaveexpressedaninterest inworkingonanorganictransitionprogramtobuildsupplytomeettheincreasingdemandshownfororganicproducts.OEFSCshouldfollowupthisinterestandworkalongsidetherelevantOERegionalDirector.

Pilot 5: Value adding for (domestic) markets

Weneedtoaskfarmergroupsiftheyhavelookedatwhatvaluetheycanaddtotheircropsratherthanjustlookingforamarketforthecropitself.Thiswouldinvolveworkingwithbothfarmersandbuyerstoidentifyopportunitiestoboostlocaleconomies.

This project could be carried out in collaboration with a financial service provider and/or specialist in low-techimplementation.

Pilot 6: Knowledge transfer/sharing exchange program to boost business planning

Learningfromother,successful,organizationsthateitherstartedsmallorrelyongoodrelationshipswiththeirproducers/supplierscouldonlybenefittheorganiccottonfarmerswepartner.An‘exchangeprogram’wouldinvolveidentifyinganorganization/businessthathasbeensuccessfulinpromoting,marketing,negotiatingandgenerallycommerciallyoperating-andcreatingtheopportunityfora‘sabbatical’eitherbyproducerrepresentativegoingintothesuccessfulorganizationtolearnfromthemorarepresentativeoftheorganizationgoingtoworkforawhilewithafarmerbasedorganizationinneedofbusinessskills.

AnOEeducation/exchangeprogramwouldbeaveryeffectiveproject,transferablefromregiontoregion.OEFSCshouldstartwithorganizationsitalreadyhascloserelationshipswith,andthenbranchout.

“External challenges are the willingness of their current intermediaries to see [farmers] engage in marketing activities directly, and then there’s the willingness of buyers to take a risk on trading with farmers.”

-Farmerautonomy.DirectorFarmTeam,OE

“Training the farmers to develop leadership qualities, marketing skills for collective bargaining and educating them to strengthen their farmer organizations to execute their plans and internal control systems so that over a period of time they become independent. Along side the training of farmers and strengthening their associations, creating the producer company with tangible assets which can process and trade multiple agro-commodities.”

-Zameen,India

8. Next Steps

ThenextphaseoftheFarmSystemsCropprogram(year2)willfocuson:

Continuingandimprovingthefarmdatacollection,andthusthedatabaseofrotationandothercropsgrown•inconjunctionwithcotton.ThiswillformthefoundationofthenextannualFSCreportandthebeginningsofacomprehensivecropdatabaseincollaborationwithHistoricFutures.


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Takingforwardanumberoftherecommendationsforpilotprojects(asoutlinedearlier).Initiallyfeasibilitystudies•–includingstakeholderconsultation–willhelpprioritizetheprojectsandpartnerstoworkwithtogetthebestresults.Asaresultofthefeasibilitygroundworkit is likelythatOEwilltakeforwardthreeofthesixproposalspresented in this report.

The fundamental strength of the project partnerships, ease of replication and project roll-out, and long-termprojectself-sufficiencywillbeessentialsuccessfactorsinthepilotinitiatives.

Intoday’seconomicclimate,communitybenefitsintermsofalleviatingpovertywillbeevenmorecentraltotheambitionsofthisOE/ICCOprogram.

Asmembers and stakeholders of Organic Exchangewe openly welcome your feedback on this report andwould bedelightedtoconsideranypropositionsyoumightliketomakeinrelationtopartneringusonanyofthepilotprojectswehaveputforward.

[email protected]

OEwishtoacknowledgeandthankthefollowingorganizationsforallowingustousetheirphotosinthisreport:

Helvatas: pgs 8, 9, 44

Coproexnic: pg 21

Chetna Organic: pg 25

TheremainingphotoswereprovidedbySimonFerrignoofOE,theOEpicturebankorsourcedonline.


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Appendix 1: Organic Cotton Growers Surveyed

Project Survey respondent Web address Logos

Coproexnic Raul Martin Machin (Gerente General) http://www.jhc-cdca.org/agriculture.html

Bergman Rivera Orlando Rivera (Manager) http://www.bergmanrivera.com/

Oro Blanco Hugo Cárdenas and Víctor Perez http://www.oroblanco.com.pe

Cedepas Jorge Cespedes (Manager) http://www.cedepas.org.pe

Tusa Raul Gerbolini

PNP James Vreeland and Miguel Cervantes http://www.perunaturtexpartners.com

ProorganicaAlejandro Pozzi and Ing Felipe Lopez (technical/ agronomist) http://www.proorganica.com

EsplarPedro Jorge B. F. Lima and Manuel Siqueira de Melo (President of ADEC) http://www.esplar.org.br/

ENDAMariam Sow and John Joerg and Malick NDIAYE http://www.enda.sn/

MobiomSiaka Doumbia and Sidi N'Guiro (Director)

OBEPABSimplice Davo VODOUHE and Delphine BODJRENOU http://www.obepab.bj/

SekemChristina Boecker and Ahmed Rashad (Production Manager) http://www.sekem.com

Kadioglu Aydin UNSAL (Director) http://www.egedeniztextile.com/

LOFP LAVAN

BioReNiranjan Pattni and Remen Nyange (Production Manager)

BioSustainDr. Riyaz Haider and Mr. Duncan Omari (Production Manager) http://www.biosustain.de

BioService

Nasipgul Sharapova and Jyldyz Abdyllaeva (Executive Director and Marketing Specialist)

Kings GroupM.Usman.Khan and Shahid Iqbal (Project Manager) http://www.kingsapparel.com/organic.htm

AgrocelMr. Himanshu Baghel and Mr. Gordhanbhai & Mr. Chaman Patel http://www.agrocel-cotton.com/

Arvind MillsMahesh Ramakrishanan and Pramod Awatade (Project Manager) http://www.arvindmills.com/

ChetnaArun Chandra A and Suleman Khan (M&E Officer) http://www.chetnaorganic.org.in/

MahimaRohit Doshi and Pawan Kushwah (co-ordinator) http://www.mahimaorganic.com

Organic FarmsAshish Shinde and Ashish Shinde (Project Manager)

Vashudha Mr.Om Anand Sharma

ZameenMr. Gijs Spoor and Mr. Dileep Kumar (Mgr Certification and QA) http://www.zameen.org/


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Appendix 1: Organic Cotton Growers SurveyedCompany/ Organisation Interviewee / survey respondent Web address

AK Organic Head, Organic Production

Bart Spices Chairman http://www.bartspices.com/

Community FoodsSales and Supplier Communications Mgr http://www.communityfoods.co.uk/

Fairmatch Director http://www.fairmatchsupport.nl/

Innocent DrinksProcurement, Trade Communications Mgr http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk

Kadioglu/Egedeniz Director http://www.egedeniztextile.com/

Marks & Spencers CSR Manager http://www.marksandspencer.com

Neal's Yard Remedies Head of Sustainability http://www.nealsyardremedies.com

Olam International CSR Manager http://www.olamonline.com

Root Capital Director of Strategy & Innovation http://www.rootcapital.org/

Sainsbury's Company Agronomist, Policy http://www.sainsburys.co.uk

Soma Organics Supply Chain Advisor http://www.somaorganic.co.uk/

Spiezia Organics Director http://www.spieziaorganics.com/

The Body Shop Head of Sustainable Development http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk

Tropical Wholefoods UK (fairtrade)Marketing Director http://www.tropicalwholefoods.co.uk/

Whole Earth / Kallo Foods Supply Chain Managerhttp://kallofoods.com/our-brands/whole-earth-brand/

Yes! Sales & Marketing http://www.livingnaturally.com

FLO Standards Unit Manager http://www.fairtrade.net/

Grolink Project Manager http://www.grolink.se/

IFOAM Africa Office Coordinator http://www.ifoam.org/

PAN Germany Project Coordinatorhttp://www.pan-germany.org/deu/home.html

PAN UK International Project Officer http://www.pan-uk.org/index.htmCotton Project CoordinatorInternational Programmes, Food & Farming

Pesticides Initiative Programme Policy and Capacity Buildinghttp://www.coleacp.eu/en/pip/11784-homepage

Soil Association Standards Researcher http://www.soilassociation.org/

Solidaridad Fashion Programme http://www.solidaridad.nlEconomic Development and Fairtrade Advisor

(EPOPA) Agro Eco Country Manager http://www.agroeco.nl

Fairtrade Foundation Policy Advisor, Commercial Team http://www.fairtrade.org.uk

Helvetas Organic & Fairtrade Competence http://www.helvetas.ch

Historic Futures Director http://www.historicfutures.co.ukTrack and Trace Manager

ICCO Programme Coordinator, Asia http://www.icco.nlProgramme Coordinator, Africa

IIED Head, Sustainable Markets Group http://www.iied.org

OE Programme Co-ordinator www.organicexchange.orgDirector, Farm Development ProgrammeRegional Director, AfricaRegional Director, IndiaAgronomist, Sth & Central AsiaRegional Business Developer, Sth America

Practical Action Senior Policy Advisor http://www.practicalaction.org

Regoverning Markets Consultant and Professor http://www.regoverningmarkets.org

Suzuki Foundation CEO/Ex CEO of MEC Canada http://www.davidsuzuki.org

TechnoserveSenior Director of Marketing and Corporate Partnerships http://www.technoserve.org

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