Organic Agriculture

Image result for Guaraná


Today to topic I will discuss is about organic agriculture
To discuss this topic, first we need to know what is an organic agriculture.
And the definition is:
An ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain, or enhance ecological harmony.
(National Organic Program, NOP)

Most of the guaraná plantations are monocultures and the plants are treated under a conventional agricultural system, with the use of chemicals fertilisers and pesticides.
If a farmer wants to change his agricultural practices and become more environmental friendly, some things needs to change on the system, the first thing is working with biodiversity. Instead only plant guaraná, the farmer should plant more diversity as sweet potato, coffee and nut trees all together at the same area, in this way the biodiversity will increase and that shading created by the other plants help to decrease disease, pests and heat by improving plant performance.
http://g1.globo.com/economia/agronegocios/noticia/2013/11/guarana-organico-e-aposta-de-pequenos-agricultores-de-rondonia.html
The second challenge the farmer will face, is to find new markets for the different food products that he will produce in a organic way, and find people that are able to pay a higher price for those products.
Another challenge is to preserve the food quality while trying to increase productivity and also specific standards and certification for organic agriculture.
http://orgprints.org/14042/13/14042.pdf

Most of the guaraná plantations in Brasil as mentioned before use the conventional agriculture, but this does not mean that it is the best practice. Once the price for organic guarana is R$ 30 per kilo, which is 40% more than the conventional product price so if the farmer choose to grow in an organic way, he will help the environment and the profit for his production could be higher.
http://g1.globo.com/economia/agronegocios/noticia/2013/11/guarana-organico-e-aposta-de-pequenos-agricultores-de-rondonia.html

 The process of organic certification for guaraná in Brasil:
The grain of the guarana in natura and roasted guaraná beans, must undergo inspections to maintain organic certification.

For this certification process, the work is usually done jointly with the farmers, the Municipality, Ascampa and Sebrae in the Amazon. And the certifying company is the Ecocert Brasil.

Sebrae/AM develops support projects for Amazonic guarana producers and organic certification.
Having the organic certification means that the product has proven provenance and that production maintains the quality standards demanded by the market, the organic certification process is done by a company or body specialised in this type of work and the inspection is done based on Normative Instruction 077 / 99, of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply and Law 10,831, known as the "law of organic".
Both establish that the organic production guarantees to the consumer the certainty of being acquired a product free of chemical contamination and whose production ensures environmental, nutritional and biological quality.
http://www.clicrbs.com.br/especial/sc/planetaatlantida/19,0,2592221,Guarana-de-Maues-AM-mantem-certificacao-organica-para-colheita-2009-2010.html

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