Author Archive for Hans Rudolf Herren

Role of women in farming

Category: IAASTD, Landwirtschaft | By: Hans Rudolf Herren

Dear Friends of Biovision

If you read my last blog, you’ll know what the IAASTD report is. Like the world climate report, our world agricultural report summarises what researchers from all over the world learnt about the state of agriculture during the course of a four year study. Furthermore, the IAASTD report uses these facts to try to indicate ways forward. Today I would like to tell you about one important aspect which I only mentioned in passing last time: the role of women in farming.

Anyone who travels in Africa will notice the same thing that I have seen during my countless trips to this big continent in the last thirty years or so. Wherever you are, you will see women working in the fields, looking after animals, pounding grain, milking cows and goats, tending vegetable gardens – i.e. fully involved in farming.

The IAASTD report gives scholarly back-up to this observation. All the authors reach the same conclusion (and not only for Africa, but for the whole world). Women play an incredibly important role in family farms. The proportion of women in agriculture varies from 20% to more than 70%. In other words, in some places women deserve 70% of the credit for the fact that food is produced at all.

When I was young things weren’t so different. I grew up on a farm in the Lower Valais area of Switzerland. It was my mother who was in charge of the chickens and eggs, and who was the boss in the kitchen and in the vegetable garden. But unlike Switzerland at that time, there’s another important factor in developing countries today: women often also have to carry out physically very demanding tasks, like carrying water and wood, as well as doing heavy work in the fields.

All of this leaves its mark on women. Many of them suffer from poor health. Since they work long hours – even girls of school age – they are often poorly educated. And since women are not the ones with power, their income is often very low.

In the IAASTD study we came to the conclusion that things must not go on like this. I remember the moving appeal by the representative from Kyrgyzstan to the final meeting of the IAASTD. On behalf of many others he called for the role of women to be recognised and stressed in the final report. The situation of women should be improved with new laws and suitable mechanisation, the scientists demanded.

So what is to be done?

I think that here again there are many paths which could lead to the same goal. Governments must be persuaded to guarantee equal access to education and property for women. But here it is mainly non-governmental organisations and non-profit making organisations like Biovision which can help to get this process off the ground. Women must be educated, they must have access to information, to the latest scientific knowledge about their areas of activity and to technical aids. And in order to give them the chance to become part of the economy, they must have better opportunities to obtain micro credits. And above all, they should be paid properly.

At the same time, we should be learning from these women. It is often the case that farming knowledge is to be found not among the men who rule, but among the women who do the work. So that is where we must go if we want to understand how agriculture works on small farms, and how it could be improved.

There is nothing new about the fact that women play an important role on farms. It is high time that we should recognise it and offer them the place and the chances that they deserve.

Best wishes,

Hans Rudolf Herren
President, Biovision

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Worldwide food crisis

Category: IAASTD, Landwirtschaft, Nahrungsmittelkrise | By: Hans Rudolf Herren

Dear Friends of Biovision

Exceptionally, you have had to wait two months for the current blog. I was so busy in April that I quite simply didn’t get round to writing to you. I hope you’ll understand and forgive me.

But perhaps through the media you have heard or read something I have said, in which case you will understand why I was so extremely busy. The world agricultural council IAASTD published its final report on April 15th. It was the outcome of four years work by more than 400 experts, including some from Switzerland. Its purpose was to make an assessment of agricultural practices worldwide, to look at the impact that knowledge, science and technology have had up until now, and on the basis of this assessment to draw up proposals to steer agricultural research in a useful direction.

I was one of the co-chairmen overseeing this comprehensive task and once the report had been concluded I had to – or rather, wanted to – put myself at the disposal of the media all over the world in order to explain it and answer questions. The Swiss media showed a lot of interest in the report. Swiss television, Swiss radio and all the major newspapers went into the issue, which I was very pleased about.

But the reason for their great interest was less encouraging: the worldwide food crisis has shocked us all. Suddenly everyone realised that – to quote the IAASTD report – “business as usual is no longer an option”. But of course the crisis was predictable, and people in the know had been warning about it for a long time. Now in the global agricultural report we have attempted to indicate the problems facing agriculture and to put forward suggestions for tackling them.

First, the main problems, which are most obvious in the developing countries. Agriculture there is in urgent need of support through research, training and access to information. And yet the budgets for this have been cut and cut in the past few decades. Another problem is that food is distributed very unevenly between north and south, with undesirable consequences for both sides: obesity and diabetes for us (and lately also in the cities of the newly industrialised countries), and hunger and malnutrition in the developing countries.

These problems are made worse by massive climate change, deteriorating soil fertility, increasing world population and rising energy prices.

These complex problems must be addressed and solved not by dealing with the consequences, but by removing the causes. So here we come to the suggestions for tackling them that we made in the report. What we propose is that we should not seek a single magic solution to deal with the whole range of problems, but should instead take a range of approaches.

Certainly the most important thing is to carry out more research into ways that would enable farmers in developing countries to practise sustainable agriculture, which can only be achieved if the soil is fertile. The allocation and ownership of land needs to be examined and changed in order to ensure that farmers have access to land. This requires political action.

The role of women in agriculture was recognised as being another decisive factor. But women still often lack suitable working conditions and proper training. It is also important that appropriate means of mechanising agriculture in poor countries should be encouraged. This is the only way to increase productivity.

One thing that is certainly not a solution is the use of pesticides or the planting of genetically modified crops over wide areas. Quite the contrary: well-founded research has shown that this has precisely the opposite effect to the one desired. The less species diversity there is, the greater the risk of diseases that are able to spread unchecked. That is why the IAASTD report calls for a more sensible approach to the land and a return to small-scale agriculture where the farmers can use their own seeds. That is the only way to preserve genetic diversity.

Although all of this appears perfectly logical, it is important to stress that by no means everyone has understood just how urgent the problem is. The major agro-chemical companies still have far too much influence on agricultural policy in the northern hemisphere. For of course a lot of money is at stake.

Business leaders and many politicians are therefore still trying to play down the problem. And what is very serious is that some scientists are backing them, claiming that industrialised agriculture with its monocultures, pesticides and genetic technology is the solution. But now in this detailed report 400 top class scientists have demonstrated that this cannot lead to an agriculture that is environmentally and socially just.

It is clear that we have to act. It is not a matter of profits, but of the shared future of all the people of our planet. The food crisis in the third world has more to do with us that we care to think.

Please do me a favour: follow the coverage of this issue and try to keep yourselves informed. We are all food consumers and our behaviour can have an influence on the way in which food is produced.

Best regards,
Hans Rudolf Herren

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Biofuel for a «clean» form of energy

Category: Biotreibstoffe | By: Hans Rudolf Herren

Dear friends of Biovision

In the last few weeks I have been struck by the number of articles about biofuels not only in the Swiss papers, but also in the international press. The information is often contradictory, and it is difficult to get a clear picture of the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of energy. That’s why I want to use this blog to share my thoughts with you about the issue. I shall not argue along political lines, but scientific ones.

Biofuels are alcohols (ethanol), gases (biogas) and oils (biodiesel) obtained from plant matter and which can drive particular types of motors – for example vehicle engines. Since biofuels are not derived from fossil oil or other fossil carbons, they were long regarded as the ecological hope for the future. Advertisements for them even promise that they will contribute to the fight against global warming. But the problems of this «clean» form of energy have been hugely downplayed. It is becoming clearer and clearer that there is no way that biofuels can be the solution to all our transport problems.

Here are some of the reasons:

Biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel are obtained from foodstuffs – for example maize, palm oil and soybean – among other sources. But these are staple foods for many poor people in the world. If the demand for maize and soya suddenly rises because we in the north want to use them to drive our cars, the world market price will rise too. In other words, our mobility will have a direct impact on the availability of food staples of many people in the south. This cannot be a solution.

Large biotech companies boast that they intend to create genetically altered plants which will be more robust and easier to turn into ethanol or biodiesel. These firms claim to be fighting global warming. But they keep quiet about the fact that in so doing they are destroying many people’s means of existence. That is not all, however. It is clearly possible to manipulate certain things by genetic engineering. But the fact remains that micro-organisms and higher plants always need somewhere to grow and require a supply of water. The land they take up is then no longer available for other uses.

But the most important argument against biofuels is this: the latest studies show that biofuels are in fact not even climate neutral. An article in the February 7th edition of the prestigious scientific journal «Science» shows that the medium and long term CO2 balance of biofuels is negative. According to another study, carried out under the direction of chemistry Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen, the use of fertiliser on the fields produces a level of nitrous oxide emissions (a particularly important greenhouse gas) three to five times as great as was once thought.

Conclusion: the only biofuel deserving of the name and which offers a reasonable approach is that made of organic waste. (This is already being used in some countries under the name «compogas» or «biogas».) All other biofuels are the wrong solution for large-scale application.

Mankind always tends to rush headlong into new, apparently promising, technologies. The driving force is always money. We have seen this with nuclear power, and also with fertilisers and pesticides. But the pursuit of short-term profit usually brings only short-term solutions. Sooner or later long-term problems reveal themselves and cannot be ignored. (Radioactive waste, chemically polluted water sources and soils, greenhouse gases spring immediately to mind…)

We are all aware of the fact, but we tend to suppress it: our natural resources are limited. The only source with huge capacities for supplying us with energy for a long, long time is the sun. We must base our energy consumption on the use of sun, wind and water power, and – above all – curb our energy use.

We must not solve the problems we ourselves have created by offloading them onto the backs of the poor and underprivileged as we so often do, nor onto the backs of our children. We must not burn their foodstuffs in our cars, and we must not take their soils and ever diminishing water resources for ourselves. The production of biofuels has already pushed up the price of foodstuffs. Oil prices are higher than anyone would ever have imagined. The polar ice is melting faster than expected. Extreme weather situations are becoming more and more frequent.

How long are we going to go on like this? When will we wake up? And will it then be too late? I should like to end with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, to challenge you to make your own choice: «You must be the change you wish to see in the world.» That is also my belief.

Best wishes,

Hans Rudolf Herren
President Biovision

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Hope for Kenya

Category: Politik | By: Hans Rudolf Herren

Dear Friends of Biovision

My greetings and best wishes to you for the New Year have unfortunately been overshadowed by the latest political developments in Kenya. We are sad and worried as we look at the violent events of the last few days and weeks. The political confusion and struggle for power have led to much suffering among countless innocent people, and are a terrible backward step for the whole country.

As far as we can see at the moment, the projects supported by Biovision in Kenya have not been directly affected by the outbreak of violence and the devastation it has brought – and fortunately none of the people working on Biovision projects have been killed or injured. But the situation remains unstable in a number of places, and it is impossible to predict what might happen.

I have received a number of worried emails and questions about our project workers and the projects we are supporting in Kenya. «What has happened to my help? Was it pointless? Are the projects continuing?»

These are understandable and fully justified questions, which we are happy to answer to the best of our ability, by keeping you abreast of the latest news about the political situation, and the situation of our colleagues there.

Please read and take to heart the situation report entitled «Work in Kenya goes on», by Peter Baumgartner, a critical journalist who has a profound knowledge of Africa, a project leader for Biovision and a valued friend.

Our homepage will keep you informed as and when necessary about the latest situation, and if you would like to express your personal concerns to me, please do so. I am as concerned as you are at this difficult time in Kenya, and place my hopes in the strength and determination of these people, in my own strength and determination to hold fast and to continue building on what we have achieved so far, and to change something for the better.

Best wishes,

Hans Rudolf Herren
President of Biovision

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Organic agriculture is the way of the future

Category: Landwirtschaft | By: Hans Rudolf Herren

Dear Friends of Biovision,

November was an extremely positive and busy month for me with many activities that reflected what Biovision is all about. First of all the Biovision symposium was held in Zurich, and once again attracted a record number of visitors. It was a very pleasant surprise to me to see how many people in Switzerland are interested in organic agriculture in Africa and in the work of Biovision. That gives me confidence in the future, both in Switzerland and in Africa too.

Immediately after this symposium Biovision ambassador Simone Niggli-Luder came with me to Kenya. Simone, her husband Matthias, the Swiss ambassador to Kenya Georges Martin, his wife Ursula, I and a number of others all went to visit Biovision’s latest project in Thika, about an hour’s drive from Nairobi.

Behind the project’s somewhat dry name, «Long-term Farming System Comparisons in the Tropics», lies something that is of vital interest to Kenya and to Africa as a whole. The aim of the research is to discover what contribution ecological farming methods can make to food security, poverty reduction and environmental protection in the tropics. The project is due to last for a number of years, and is supported by Biovision, FiBL (the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and the Coop.

This project is to do with fundamental research in the area of organic agriculture. Scientists are planting experimental plots using both conventional and organic methods. The comparison should provide information about whether organic farming methods could offer a real alternative to farmers in Africa.

For there are still critics. They claim that yields are too low with organic farming. But I am convinced that the opposite is the case. It is not that there is too little food in the world. The problem lies in its quality and its distribution. But when fruit and vegetables can be grown and marketed locally, this makes them available, and productivity is not a problem. Furthermore, the use of organic farming methods avoids the enormous problems created by conventional agriculture for the environment, people, animals and plants.

Simone Niggli-Luder was also convinced about this, and she was an extremely well-informed and interesting travel companion. As a qualified biologist she knows all about the issue, and during the trip we had some very stimulating discussions. What was also very interesting for us was the interchange we had with farmers themselves. I believe that not only answering their questions, but also being able to ask our own is always the best way to harmonise research with practice on the ground.

Simone and I were delighted to see how open the African farmers were to organic agriculture. They are only too well aware of the problems of conventional farming. The high price of fertiliser, the over fertilisation of the soil, chemical pesticides that damage their health and difficulty in obtaining seeds are all problems that make life difficult for farmers in Kenya.

And not only there! It is true that Biovision works mainly in Kenya, Ethiopia and the Lake Victoria area. But the approaches we are researching and implementing in East Africa are designed as showcase examples. Switzerland’s ambassador to Kenya, Georges Martin, recognised this when he said: “If we don’t want to die of bad food or too little of it, not only Kenya but the whole of Africa must become more organic.”

I agree with Georges Martin. Organic agriculture is the way of the future – in Africa, but also for us in the north. I am approaching the end of this year filled with this hope, and with the memory of a very interesting trip with Simone Niggli-Luder. But I must also thank all of you for supporting the work of Biovision in Africa: without you these projects would not be possible at all. But some projects still await financing. If you would like to make a donation, I would be very happy to give you more information.

I wish you all a blessed Advent, and a very Happy Christmas.

Best wishes,

Hans Rudolf Herren
President, Biovision

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