Kirschenmann at IFOAM

Sun, 01 Sep 2002 14:54:02 -0700

I had the opportunity to go to the 2002 International Federation of Organic Movements (IFOAM) Conference and general assembly. It was the 30 year anniversary and was attended by 1,300 people from 93 countries. There was so much to hear and see… I’m remembering more each day, I’m sure much will be lost... however, something that’s still clear is the address given by Fred Kirschenmann. I’ll write the way I interpreted… paraphrased and some direct quotes… (but not exact I’m sure)

Perry

Building Communities from the Ground Up – Fred Kirschenmann

This conference is the first time IFOAM has used the term "Community" as a way in describing itself. The history of organic agriculture began in the 1840’s when Justus von Liebig gave us the ability to ignore the "Rule of Return". Rule of return being, everything that comes from the soil must return to the soil. Ignoring this rule began the industrialization of agriculture. And at this point the organic movement began . Some folks knew instinctively that abandoning this rule was not the way to go.

So, the history of the Organic Movement grew out of a philosophy that we should use Nature as the Mentor, Teacher, and Measurer. More recently came the Organic Industry (last 25 years of the 20th century), which is based in selling product and staying within the confines in a set of rules. Now, we have tension between these two sectors. This is why it is important to move to the next level… the Organic Community.

So, what do we do we want to be? Where should we direct our energy?

Do we protect our Values and beliefs… and stay a movement?

Do we push for bigger sales and making Organic the predominant food source – and stay an industry?

Or do we develop relationships – and become a community?

OR

Do we do all three?

Each of these groups has its differences, but one thing common to each is we are all members of the Biotic Community.

Community is from the Latin word Communis, which means in common. So, what do these groups have in common? We share this  "Biotic Community", we all participate in the same web of life, that makes it possible to survive on the planet. Better yet, we are interested in creating a new Food Culture. We don’t’ want to become just another industry that brings food to the table, with the same food chain and distribution systems. We’re talking about a different way of treating farmers – a different way of bringing food from the soil to the table and back to the soil in a way that not only benefits the human community, but benefits all of the Web of Life of which we are part.

What will need to happen in order for us to build this community? We will need to make (at least) 8 fundamental changes in the way we participate.

  1. Relationship to nature will change.

We will move from Conquer to plain Citizen. We won’t conquer nature, but become a part of it.

  1. Move from control management to adaptive management. Therapeutic intervention does not work. (i.e.) I have a problem pest, how do I get ride of it? This thinking is flawed, we should be asking Why is a pest a pest? And, What am I doing wrong that makes this pest a pest?
  2. We should also realize that we are not preservationists of the environment. Our biotic community is constantly changing, and if it did not change, there would be no environment. SO, from microbes up, we are all changing our environment to meet our specific needs, and in doing so we are destroying a part of the environment. We can not preserve the environment, but we can be fellow modifiers, in a way that respects the Biotic Community.
  1. Take Responsibility for the health of the land.

    Anything we do must contribute to the health of the Biotic Community.

  2. Concept of Science will Change.

We must change from science that creates technological innovations to solve human problems to Science that has a Conversation with Nature. Science needs to be a question put to Nature. Got a problem? What does Nature have to say about your solution? How will it respond? What will happen to the entire Biotic Community when you introduce this technology? And, we must wait to hear the answer, BEFORE we introduce the technology in a widespread manner!!!
  1. Concept of an Organic Farm will Change.

    Change from an "Enclave of Purity" to a "Habitat within an Ecosystem".

    We may think of our organic farms as being pure within our land borders, but nature has no walls. We need the Biotic Community outside our borders as much, if not more, than we need the Biotic Community within our walls.

    Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture – Roling, Wagemakers

    "Ecologically sound agriculture requires change, not only at the farm gate level, but also at the higher Agro-Ecosystem level such as Watershed, biotopes, and landscapes. Not only at the level of farm households, but at the level of institutions in which it is embedded."

    We must think of our organic communities beyond the boundaries of our own farms, and start thinking about our watersheds in which our farms exist. Start thinking about the institutions and political systems in which our farm households exist, because you can’t isolate these entities from the Biotic Community.

  2. Concept of Certification will Change.

    We need to move from certifying individual farms to certifying "Biotic Communities".

    Some certifiers have begun to require farms to demonstrate they are cultivating a healthy habitat. Hopefully in 25 we will not be certifying farms, but certifying watersheds, of which farms are a part.

  3. Markets will Change.

    Broadcast marketing is displaying your product to a wide range of consumers via media such as TV, radio, catalogs... stating "I’ve got this product to sell , and this is why you should buy it". This is one way communication and was/is typical for the 20th century (to present). The 21st century population will be/is growing up on the Internet, and will demand two way communication, or a conversation about what they buy. This is a great opportunity for organic agriculture, because our farms have much to offer. We have a great relationship to share. Our relationship with the "Biotic Community".

    Web sites don’t just sell a product, they can make the whole farming process transparent and can welcome a viewer into the life and community of the farm family. The growing, the processing… the daily life, each farm is different, and each site can be different. This allows consumers to participate in the community of the farm.

  4. Need a New Ethic.

    We need a Land Ethic such as Aldo Leopold suggested 50 years ago. "Ecological Conscience".

    An ecological conscience is giving everything in the Biotic Community equal importance. It demonstrates relationships where we do not think of earthworms as mere laborers in the soil that are there only to perform a task, but as an integral part of the community. I need to care for them (and all others) because they are part of what "IT’S" all about… part of the mix that makes the whole thing work.

    We can have all kinds of rules for all types of agriculture, but we won’t be able to have police on every farm. We must have a conscience that drives us internally. It’s nonsense to think regulations will produce a future that we want. We must create an internal conscience that says "It’s important to ME to do this, I must do this, because my conscience tells me I have to do this."

    "Land Ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow members and also members of the community as such" Aldo Leopold

    So, we do not only respect individual members of the community, but the community as a whole.

    "Land ethic, then, respects the existence of an Ecological Conscience, this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the Health of the Land. Health is the capacity of the Land for self renewal."

    We can’t keep Nature as it is, we can’t "save" the environment – What we can do is contribute to the health of the Biotic Community" so that it can continually renew itself. It will constantly change, always has, always will. Conservation is the effort to understand and preserve this capacity. How do we increase this capacity? This should be the focus of research!!!!

  5. We need to learn about symbiotic species interaction.

Discussion of Takao Furuno's farm. Japanese farmer with rice, duck, fish and a fruit border in one field and zero fossil fuel use. How do we create those systems in communities all over the world?

Challenge: Need to make a fundamental change in agriculture… because:

    1. Agriculture for the last 75 years has been fossil fuel based. Fossil fuel is in a state of depletion, and while we are in no immediate danger of running out, we are using faster than the planet can renew it.
    2. Fossil Fuel systems have degraded the environment to a point that it can no longer endure further degradation.
      • It is estimated that if trends in Nitrogen use continue, N pollution will double in the next 25 years... it is obvious that the planet will not be able to handle that impact... natural recycling systems will shut down.
  • Move from global food systems to regional systems. Allow watershed systems to be primary and long distance systems (luxury items) to be secondary.
  • Change from maintaining separate wild and domesticated spaces to maintaining farms as natural habitats or wilderness wild farms.
  • Closing:

We must become part of the Biotic Community or the whole human experiment will come to an end. We need to learn to respect, cultivate, become part of the biotic community or we will be left behind.

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