Argentinian organic food program coming to Mexico

Bumper crop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexico News Daily | Saturday, August 9, 2014

 

An organic agricultural program designed to provide food security to poor communities is being imported from Argentina. Established 20 years ago, Pro Huerta now includes more than 624,000 home gardens and 130,000 small farms, involving 3.5 million people in the program.

Seeds and even farm animals are provided to participants, along with training in organic agricultural principles. They grow healthy food that promotes a diverse and balanced diet.

“Today we have three and a half million small producers, some of whom have exceeded their own needs and sell the surplus . . . .” says the program’s director, Verónica Piñero.

Thanks to the program, small producers receive two kilos of seeds of all kinds twice a year, from leaf greens to tomatoes and herbs. Sixty per cent of domestic food production in Argentina is provided by family-based agriculture.

Pro Huerta has already been exported to Haiti.

A delegation of technicians traveled to Mexico recently to begin a training program with technicians from the Agriculture Secretariat. Pro Huerta is introduced to communities by identifiying leaders to put it in motion, and set up progressive training.

Information is shared throughout the country with a network of promoters.

Garden plots of 100 square metres are intended to supply fresh food to four or five people throughout the year. It was designed to address food shortages in areas with limited resources, but is also seen as a means of promoting a natural-foods diet.

Source: El Economista (sp)

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Mexico: Organic crops increase by 22% a year

freshplaza.com

During the last decade, organic farming has proven to be a promising alternative for the Mexican countryside, going from 21,265 planted hectares to 512,246 and a production of about 750,000 tons per year. 

According to Juan Jose Linares, director of Standards and Food of the Ministry of Agriculture, even though the production of these products in Mexico is still incipient, they have recorded an average 22% annual growth over the past five years. However, he said, the challenge was to have a 32% increase in production by the end of 2014. 

Currently, Mexico exports 85 percent of its organic production mainly to the European and American markets, generating revenues for more than $600 million dollars. The demand for organic products in the domestic market, which is estimated to generate 1,174 million pesos, increases by 10% every year. 

Source: www.elfinanciero.com.mx

Publication date: 7/15/2014

With New Regulation, Mexico Emerges as a Leader in Organic Agriculture Production

studentreporter.org

By: Kayleigh Burgess

 June 5, 2014

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It’s springtime in Indiana, and the ground is just beginning to thaw. Birds and buds are emerging after the long polar vortex of these past many days. As new life emerges, the refrigerators and fruit bowls of many residents of the Hoosier State are already full of ripe mangoes, oranges, bell peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and basil. Even for the organic consumer, this abundance is now available year-round.

Meanwhile in Chiapas, Mexico’s southernmost state, coffee is grown using traditional methods on over 11,000 hectares certified for organic production. The harvest is coming to a close, the beans packed in containers and ready for shipping to all points north. And in Baja California, Mexico, organic tomatoes are being coaxed from the desert; they too get shipped north to meet the growing demand for organic produce by American consumers.

Over the past decade, Mexico has emerged as a significant contributor to global organic agriculture, experiencing a tenfold increase in organic production. The country’s rankings capture this significance: It is the world’s top producer of organic coffee and tropical fruits and the second largest producer of organic vegetables. There is great potential for profitability in this growing market for export.

However, organics should not be viewed merely as an extractive industry, a one-way street between production and consumption. Within Mexico, demand for organics has been growing as well. This is a boon for farmers, who have seen their market share for traditional crops, like corn, fall since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994. In some places, like Chiapas, this shift can mean agricultural cooperatives that allow farmers to capitalize on economies of scale, ensuring the most direct profit for their product.

But, just as in the United States, organic agriculture can also have a very different meaning. It can mean mono-crops, big business and over-taxed aquifers. Such is the case in much of Baja, California. Just last year, on Oct. 29, 2013, the government of Mexico instituted its own guidelines for organic production, which are very similar to those implemented in the United States. While we continue to debate the merits of big business organics, we can be sure of one thing: Production in Mexico will continue to grow.

 flickr / CIMMYT under Creative Commons

In Toluca, Mexico, farmers practice tractor use in field session.