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Organic farming is taking root in South Africa

Organic farming is taking root in South Africa
Busi Mgangxela with the season’s first crop of mealies, free of all pesticides. (Photo: Liz Clarke)
Liz Clarke
By Liz Clarke
20 Oct 2024
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More farmers are opting to grow crops without using pesticides, and a new standards body has mushroomed from this. 

Mention “organic” and the first thing that springs to mind is exclusive; the second is expensive. It shouldn’t be like that, say a new breed of environmental volunteers who are championing an emerging agroecological sector to promote and support farmers who don’t use synthetic pesticides or harmful chemicals.

It might sound like a David-and-Goliath mission. After all, the biochemical industry is a mighty adversary.

So let’s meet Cape Town-based Matthew Purkis, head of operations for the South African Organic Sector Organisation (SAOSO), which succeeded this year in developing the country’s first official set of standards for organic food production and processing.

From small beginnings, the non-profit organisation has brought on board 1,500 farmers with 21 national Participatory Guarantee Systems groups.

Banned pesticides used in SA


In a recent interview in the Cape Overberg, where he was engaging with farmers following the no-chemical route, Purkis got straight to the point.

“It’s not just a nice idea and better for everyone’s health to eat organic, chemical-free food, it’s also part of a worldwide alert from bodies like the United Nations that the planet is in deep trouble because of chemical contamination in the food chain, the poisoning of soil, and commercially sold chemicals getting into the water supply.”

He cites a recent UN report on farming practices in Africa, which points out that pesticides banned in countries where they are produced are freely available in most farming regions, including South Africa, which has the highest concentration of agrochemical use in the soft fruit industry.

Although the wine industry fares better than others because of stringent export criteria, highly hazardous pesticides that are banned in the European Union are still being used in local vineyards, where ae­­r­­ial crop spraying is also not uncommon.

Desire for change


Purkis says, the SAOSO was born out of a desire for change by a small but dedicated group of volunteers, including scientists, academics, health practitioners, IT specialists and like-minded food producers.

They put in place a national blueprint structure giving small-scale emerging farmers a voice and an organisational platform to market their produce in a way that is beneficial to the farmer and the consumer.

An interesting caveat to all this is that a few years ago, in response to the growing worldwide concerns about pesticide use, the government set aside millions of rands to promote the agroecological sector and support organic fruit and vegetable farmers, particularly women farmers in rural areas. This promised funding has so far not materialised.

“We are hoping that the government will come on board at some stage, but meantime our work must carry on,” Purkis says.

“Food system transformation and sustainable development is a massive job, one that calls for radical collaboration. We believe we are getting somewhere.” DM

SAOSO is affiliated with the Knowledge Hub for Organic Agriculture and Agroecology in Southern Africa; the Sustainability Institute, an international organisation engaging in transformative learning; and the Participatory Guarantee Systems network, which certifies organic products according to SAOSO standards.

Tips on growing organic from Malmesbury farmers


Angelo Marman and his business partner, Herman Bai­­ley, have been farming organically for the past four years on their farm, Abitzfarming, in a small community called Riverlands, near Malmesbury, in the Western Cape. They have two hectares under production.

“More and more people are eating properly or want to eat right – that’s why we don’t use pesticides,” he says.

“But it’s not easy farming these days. Input costs, labour costs, electricity, and water availability are a struggle, especially as a small-scale farmer; so we value all the assistance we can get to market our food.”

The farmers plan to convert a huge chicken coop on the farm into a processing plant where small-scale farmers in the surrounding and larger Swartland area can supply fresh vegetables and allow their farming spirit to thrive with new market access points. A community soup kitchen is also on the horizon.

Their advice to farmers wanting to transition to organic?

“Do your research. Pests become a real problem if you do not know what you are doing and react too late. Good planning is a must.

“Weed control is one of the biggest obstacles but with proper mulching it is manageable.

“Communicate with other organic farmers and ask questions. Invest in your own composting projects on the farm and celebrate your organic ­produce.” DM

Organic farming Busi Mgangxela Busi Mgangxela celebrates her chemical-free crop. (Photo: Liz Clarke)


How one farmer turned a wasteland into a dream come true


Busisiwe Mgangxela won’t forget the day she first saw the farmland that had been allocated to her and her husband as part of the government’s land reform programme to support emerging farmers in the Eastern Cape.

“Wow, we were so excited. After so many years of hoping and praying, it was a dream come true for us. It was 30km from East London in an area we had not visited before.”

But their dream was very different from reality. The farm, previously allocated to a non-farming lawyer who had moved away, was now an abandoned wasteland. Much of the infrastructure had been stolen or vandalised, the farm dwelling was derelict and in need of huge repairs to make it habitable, pumps and water tanks were nonexistent, there was no fencing to keep animals out, and there were no crops or pastures to be seen.

“We asked ourselves – can we do this?” 

The answer was yes.

“We’d been offered a chance to create something for ourselves. It was going to be hard work. We would stay strong,” Mga­ngxela says.

Fast-forward two years, and the couple have transformed their forgotten wasteland into a successful small-scale fruit and vegetable enterprise that not only supports their immediate family but has provided work for their neighbours.

Whatever spare time Mga­ngxela had in those early years she spent studying farming practices and soil care and investigating local markets. “From the start, chemicals were a no-no. We were lucky to have been given land where no chemicals had ever been used. We could start from a clean board, first making our compost. That’s how our organic farm grew.

“Of course, there are pests and weeds, plenty of them, but when you learn how to deal with them in a natural way without ­poison, you feel so happy, like being part of the Earth.”

The biggest challenge was to tell people that their spinach, mealies, cabbages, fruit and so much more were pesticide-free.

“When we first started organic farming, we felt quite alone. People didn’t understand why we weren’t spraying.”

But things are changing, she says. “More and more people are wanting food that doesn’t have pesticides. I’m passionate about teaching people these things.” 

Earlier this year, Mga­ngxela was one of four women farmers from Africa to talk about her experiences as a small-scale organic farmer at an international agroecology conference in Germany.

“It was an amazing experience meeting people who think the same.”

Back home, Mga­ngxela’s thoughts are about planning for the next season with new produce such as garlic and aubergines.

“There’s always challenges. We have electric fencing to protect our crops, which is a huge step forward, but of course now wild animals like the buck are grazing on land we need to use for our planting season.”

She laughs: “But they belong here too. We’ll think about that another day!” DM

Organic farming – Busi Mgangxela Busi Mgangxela tends to her soil. (Photo: Liz Clarke)



Organic farming Busi Mgangxela with the season’s first crop of mealies, free of all pesticides. (Photo: Liz Clarke)


Chemical explosion


The Pesticide Research Network, founded in 2021 as a collaborative research hub, states that synthetic chemical input into the environment, of which pesticides – many of them generics – make up the largest volume, has grown faster in the past 50 years than any ­other single driver of global environmental change, including greenhouse gas emissions. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.



 

 

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