Carlos Klein and organic farming: "In Chile, organic corresponds to 10% of blueberry production"
A key issue in the future food supply will be the use of scarce land and water resources. The advances in science and technology have made this possible in the past and there are many reasons to hope that this will continue to be the case in the future. However, the environmental impact that natural and human systems can tolerate has its limits if agricultural science does not take these factors into account.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, the increase in world population means that the arable land per capita is constantly decreasing.
In the last 20 years there has been a gradual evolution from mainly technological approaches of food production to others that take into consideration the underlying ecological, social and economic factors. One of the central elements in strategies to reduce environmental impact is a better balance between confidence in technology and approaches in which information and management occupy a more central place.
Currently many developing countries have special food markets for consumers who want to buy items grown with environmentally friendly practices. FAO argues that there are also more and more farmers that reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers and direct their production towards consumers willing to pay a small premium for organic products, but this production is limited in relation to the total food production. There is ample evidence that these production strategies, in addition to being more beneficial to the environment, are economically viable for the market sectors they serve. The emergence of organic blueberry cultivation, for example, is no longer a novelty in the global fruit supply. It has expanded and increased its demand in international markets, enhancing this ecological variant of the crop.
"In Chile, the organic corresponds to the 10% of the production of blueberries", Says Carlos Klein, who is a producer and former director of the Association of Organic Producers of Chile.
The subject of organic farming already has enough knowledge, research and literature, so it is good to share this knowledge among producers.
The international consultant Carlos Klein is an agronomist and researcher at the Catholic University of Temuco, and will be one of the rapporteurs of the 9 ° International Seminar to be held at the November 9 in Huelva, Spain. On the occasion he will develop the theme, "Ecological cultivation of cranberry: fundamentals of the production and behavior of the industry".
Following the success of the green revolution begun in the 1960 decade, some groups are calling for a similar effort that would increase food production in the poorest regions and those exposed to hunger. Some people have coined the expressions of "Double Green Revolution" or new green revolution, since the objective would be not only to increase food production but to do so ecologically sound and sustainable.
Several factors would require the initiation of a second green revolution, but this should not be limited to the scientific problem of reducing the performance deficit. It is necessary that science and technology join participatory mechanisms, such as training and reform of institutions and public policies, because current definitions of economic viability consider only productivity and profitability, without taking into account sustainability.
Source: Martín Carrillo O. - Blueberries Consulting
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