| |
Organics
Although
much of the farmland in the Falkland Islands is extensively grazed and free from
chemicals, to obtain a market premium for wool or meat produce, farms need to be
organically accredited.
The Falkland Islands Development Scheme (FIDC) set up a locally accredited
organics scheme in March 2001, which a number of farms joined up to. However, in
order to be internationally recognised as organic, farms would need to sign up
to an international accreditation scheme.
Following investigation, it was found that the Biological Farmers of Australia
(BFA) provided a scheme that would adapt easily to the Falkland Islands, as it
was designed to cater for a similar extensive or rangeland grazing management
system.
In order to establish links between the BFA and DoA and for staff to be properly
trained to run the scheme in the Islands, two new advisors for the DoA were
trained by the BFA before they arrived in the Falklands. Later on, Andrew Monk,
representing the BFA, visited the Falkland Islands and negotiated the details of
the agreement.
Following this, the first Falkland Islands farm joined up to the BFA scheme in
August 2008. There are now 10 out of the 88 farms signed up to the scheme, who
will become organic in conversion after twelve months and fully organic after
three years.
Farms who were previously in the FIDC scheme will be able to sell produce as
fully organic in the 2009/2010 season.
For some farmers, there has been very little need to change much of their farm
management. The areas that require the most change is mainly relating to
fertiliser use and worm drenches.
Farms are required to produce an Organic Farm Plan and the BFA costs involved
are covered by the farm business. Once established, there is a 1% levy on all
organic produce sold and an annual fee.
The role of the Department of Agriculture is to manage the development of the
scheme, including research, promotion, advising and auditing the scheme and
farms involved.
It is hoped more farms will join the BFA scheme, but the next step is to help
sort out the most efficient organic management systems for the current farms
involved and to audit the scheme in the annual audit process.
|
