Is globalised organic farming sustainable?

Organic farming can improve the standard of living for small farmers in developing countries but it can be difficult for them to find elbowroom on the global market. There should be greater requirements for sustainability and fair trade principles.

Small organic farmers in developing countries do not have the same production and marketing conditions as their colleagues in large, industrialised organic farms. Photo: Janne Hansen

Organic farming is supposed to be good for people and the environment but to what extent, when it comes to small farmers in developing countries and the global environment? These are some of the questions that scientists in an extensive research project led by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at Aarhus University have posed.

The project is based on global food chains and the increased urbanisation that is seen in developing countries as well as middle income and industrial nations.

- The overall aim of the project is to clarify to what extent and under which conditions organic farming can reduce local and global negative environmental effects and concurrently improve the standard of living for small farmers in developing countries, explains the leader of the project, senior scientist John Hermansen from the Department of Agroecology and Environment at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.


The results from the project show that organic farming can reduce local environmental effects connected to food production. For example, omitting pesticides has a positive effect on the health of rural families and on the local environment.

- Improvements in the local environment are not that straightforward, though. The global market’s requirements for quantity and quality pull in the direction of specialised production which in turn decreases the otherwise positive effect on the environment, says John Hermansen.

Improved finances but tough competition

Organic farming provides good opportunities to improve the financial conditions for small farmers. Even non-certified organic farmers can save money and avoid debt by avoiding investments in expensive sprayers and chemicals. In addition, certified organic famers can improve their finances by obtaining a higher price for their goods and by gaining access to a larger market.

There is also the question of how small organic farmers fare in competition with more highly industrialised farming. The results from the project show that this can be a problem.

In big cities in Egypt, Brazil and China there is considerable growth in locally produced organic products via locally organised chains. The supply of organic goods is typically based on a large and specialised production. Farmers weak in resources have a difficult time accessing these markets and have limited benefits from the development.

There are big differences in how organic farming is supported in various countries. A country like Brazil gives wide support to organic farming, including support to research and development, while China has more or less concentrated on getting certifications in order.


- The way that organic farming is supported is important with regard to how organic farming’s ideas are implanted in the producers and how organic farming contributes to the sustainability of the production, says John Hermansen.

Extended requirements for organic farming

Whether organic production is based on certification for the purpose of export, or is more based on local principles for sustainability is important.

- Implementation of organic farming in developing countries can promote food security and living standards for the farmers involved. This seems to be the case especially when implementation is based on locally grounded ideas about alternative farming, says John Hermansen and continues:

- Where organic farming is driven by certification of organic production for export it can sometimes be doubtful if it actually promotes overall sustainability. This underlines the need for global trading with organic products to include elements of fair trade and environmental documentation.

On the whole, organic farming can benefit people and the environment in developing countries – especially when extended requirements are set with regard to sustainability and fair trade principles.

The project is being carried out in collaboration with University of Copenhagen and the Danish Institute for International Studies and is supported by funds from FØJØ III.