OFAI Newsletter January 2006 (For Private Circulation) Organic Farming Association elects dryland organic Dr Alexander Daniel No More farmer as new President Dr Alexander Daniel who took a great deal of initiatives to organise and promote organic agriculture in India is no more. Dr. Daniel, President of the Institute for Inte- grated Rural Development (IIRD) died on 21 December in Mumbai of leukemia. At the time of his death, Dr Daniel was working hard on the standards document for organic farming for the Government of India. Dr Daniel received the SARD Prize for exemplary work in the field of sustainable agriculture and rural development. The Prize is instituted by IFOAM. Dr Daniel held a post-doctorate degree in agricultural economics and policy. He was a Former General Secretary of IFOAM-ASIA (the Asia wing of the International Federation for Organic Agriculture Movements). He is survived by his wife, Ms Evelyn Daniel. The Organic Farming Association of India D.D. Bharamagoudra, new President of OFAI, on his organic farm expresses its deepest regrets on his passing. In fresh elections held on 17 November 2005, the In 2005, OFAI concentrated on organizing a Dr. Daniel had 30 years’ experience exploring National Steering Committee of the Organic Farm- large number of training schools from Uttar and applying methods and ideas of how to ing Association of India elected D.D. Pradesh to Kerala. At these farmer training schools bring beneficial change to the oppressed. His Bharamagoudra, a dryland organic farmer hailing invariably between 20-40 farmers who wish to approach was decidedly experimental and from Karnataka to head the organisation. convert from chemical to organic farming are ex- was constantly evolving. Essentially, he Bharamagoudra will lead a Managing Commit- posed to two days of very practical discussions believed that if we want to be fully human, we tee comprising of Claude Alvares (Secretary), with a faculty comprising exclusively of organic must understand and acknowledge the farmers. These workshops, as of date, have Jayant Barve (Treasurer) and nine executive mem- human qualities we all share; help others to benefitted a total number of farmers in the states bers. The OFAI has decided that out of the fully express their dreams, aspirations, and of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil eleven members of the Managing Committee, a ideas; and work together to realize them. minimum of four will always be practising organic Nadu. For Daniel this meant a commitment to what farmers and a minimum of three will always be In the year 2006, OFAI is expected to conduct women. several additional training programmes with a fac- he called people-based sustainable development. Valuing people before D.D. Bharamagoudra brings to his new position ulty of teachers sourced from the organic farming production and profit; preserving the capability both a deep and extensive understanding of the community nationwide. of our resources to provide for future severe restraints imposed by nature on organic OFAI conducted a major farm auditors’ training generations; listening to what the people want farming in dryland areas. Once a chemical farmer, course in Goa on 18-19 November 2006. There rather than telling them what they need; are Bharamagoudra switched to organic farming sev- was a huge demand for participation in the course eral years ago and has remained steadfast to this and many requests had to be turned down as the all elements of what he saw as an alternative method of farming ever since. He speaks out at facilities could not accommodate more than 40 form of development which would be several forums and workshops and is widely re- organic farmers. continued by the people even if development workers moved on. spected and consulted in the region. Earlier he was The NSC of OFAI has taken a well-appreciated elected as convenor of the Karnataka State Steer- decision at the outset to base its entire farm audit His death is a great loss to the ing Committee of OFAI, a post he will soon relin- scheme only on the expertise of long standing or- organic farming movement in quish. ganic farmers. In other words, under OFAI, no per- India. The new Managing Committee of OFAI will son other than an organic farmer will be permit- meet oftener in place of the much larger National ted to audit organic farms for purposes of certifi- Steering Committee which will now meet once a cation. Farm certification under OFAI is based on year. The next meeting of the Managing Commit- a labelling scheme, which will enable Indian or- tee is fixed in Goa for end February 2006. ganic farmers to market their produce domesti- OFAI today is the only organization of grassroots cally. organic farmers. The Association makes special ef- Ashok Kumar, a recognized farm certifier and an forts to concentrate on the problems and needs of organic farmer himself, was commissioned by in English were permitted to attend. OFAI is now small and marginal farmers. OFAI to draw up the labelling scheme. His report negotiating with its associates in the different states to conduct further training programmes for OFAI also collaborates with the FAO in main- has been received and is now under circulation farm auditors for those farmers who wish to join taining an authentic record of organic farmers in with the NSC members. the auditing staff of OFAI but seek to conduct India. Data supplied by OFAI is fed into the FAO The farm auditing course in Goa was con- their surveys and farm visits in their own mother- website exclusively devoted to organic farming in ducted in English and therefore only those organic tongue. India. OFAI is also a member of IFOAM. farmers who could fill out an audit questionnaire 2 NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE (OFAI) TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS OFAI NEWS Andhra Pradesh N. Gopalakrishnan, Tamil Nadu P.V. Satheesh, Preeti Joshi, Maharashtra Training School on Organic Farming (TOT) Goa Dr. Tarak Kate, Maharashtra. A training school for trainers of organic farmers Claude Alvares Sultan A. Ismail, Tamil Nadu was conducted by Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers Gujarat Ashok Kumar, Karnataka Trust (TNOFT) in collaboration with OFAI from 7 Kapil Shah to 11 February, 2005 at the Organic Farming Vijay Shah Research Centre, Okkur, Shivagangai dist., Arvind Desai (OFAI) TECHNICAL RESOURCE CENTRES Tamil Nadu. Twenty farmers with organic farming Dr. Induben Patel Chetna Vikas, Wardha back ground participated in the training Kerala Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers’ programme. Rony Joseph Technology Association, Satyamangalam, Ecoscience Madhya Pradesh Research Foundation, Organic farming schools organized by Shalini Titus Chennai Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers’ Technology Maharashtra Association, Satyamangalam with assistance Mona Patrao from OFAI. Jayant Barve OFAI CENTRAL SECRETARIAT The Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers’ Technology Manohar Parchure Association led by S.R. Sunderaraman Claude Alvares, Co-ordinator Karnataka organised a series of small training workshops Reshma Pednekar Julie Cariappa to introduce chemical farmers to organic Gautham Sarang Babu P. methods. These were held at: Sumeeksha Rajasekhar G. Sindhur 1 Ammappettai from 11-12 Dec. ‘04 D.D. Bharamagoudra 2 Sathyamangalam from 22-23 Jan. ‘05 Tamilnadu GUJARAT STATE OFAI COORDINATING OFFICE 3 Vadippattai from 26-27 Feb. ‘05 Madhu Ramakrishnan, 4 Vadippattai from 16-17 April ‘05 Kapil Shah (contact person) Mrs. T. Rajareega, 5 Namakkal from 7-8 May ’05 Jatan, Vinoba Ashram Gotri R. Jayachandran 6 Pollachi from 25-26 May ‘05 Vadodara, Gujarat 390-021 Uttar Pradesh 7 Sathyamangalam from 6-7 Aug. ‘05 Bharatendu Prakash 8 Sathyamangalam from 17-18 Sept.05 West Bengal 9 Vadipatty from 24-25 Sept. 05 KERALA STATE OFAI COORDINATING OFFICE Ardhendu Chatterjee 10 Coimbatore from 12-13 Nov. 05 Rony Joseph (Contact person) One of the unique aspects of these schools was INFACT - Information for Action the sharing of the techniques on producing Kizhathadiyoor P. O. Palai, OFAI MANAGING COMMITTEE organic nutrients and pest and disease Kottayam District - 686574, Kerala D.D. Bharamagoudra, President management developed by Sunderaraman and Claude Alvares, Secretary his team. These techniques are easy to practise Jayant Barwe, Treasurer and could be adopted by farmers who would TAMILNADU STATE OFAI COORDINATING OFFICE like to turn to organic farming. Executive Members Revathi (Contact person) P. Babu, Bangalore 79, Elancheran Nagar Banda Organic Farming School Kapil Shah, Gujarat Nambiar Nagar Road Vigyan Shiksha Kendra (VSK) and Revathi, Tamil Nadu Nagapattinam - 611 001, Tamil Nadu Dr. Bharatendu Prakash represent the best of Niranjana Maru, Maharashtra voluntary action in Uttar Pradesh. Bharatendu Ardhendu Chatterjee, West Bengal Prakash is one of the founding members of the Juli Cariappa, Karnataka ANDHRA PRADESH STATE OFAI COORDINATING OFFICE organic farming movement in India. He is also an NSC member. OFAI and VSK jointly organized P.V. Satheesh (Contact person) a three day organic farming school in Banda ADVISERS Deccan Development Society between 14-16 Feb, 2005 at Kisan Vigyan 101, Kishan Residency, Bernard Declercq, Kendra campus, Banda, U.P. organic farmer, Auroville Road No. 5, Begumpet, Narayan Reddy, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500-016 The participants were drawn from 4 districts in organic farmer, Bangalore UP and two districts in MP. The participants P K Thampan, horticulture expert comprised of farmers, agriculture students, S R Sundararaman, KARNATAKA STATE OFAI COORDINATING OFFICE researchers and scientists. The resource persons included, among others, Shoor Veer organic farmer, Satyamangalam Babu P. (contact person) Singh, and Dr. U.P Singh, a scientist who has G Nammalvar, ICRA, No. 22 ’Samskruthi’ released many pulse varieties with a pro-farmer organic farming leader, Tamilnadu Michael Palya, NTP, commitment. They were ably assisted by Smt. Bhaskar Save, Bangalore 560-075 organic farmer, Gujarat Shobana, Bhauram, Prem Singh and Ramakrishna . Shahdol Organic Farming School Vigyan Shiksha Kendra and Sahjeevan Want to work for the Organic Farming Association? organized an organic farming school at Shahdol.