Going organic - a critical analysis of the potential for organic farming in Ethiopia.
Abstract
In this article we analyse and discuss how organic farming can be understood, in general, as a means to contribute to the sustainable development of smallholder farming systems. Drawing on our fieldwork in Ethiopia, we argue that organic farming systems is offering several systemic solutions to address some of the well-known agricultural challenges in tropical and subtropical regions, but also needs further development. Without question, organic smallholder farming requires many fundamental transformations in the agri-food system as a whole and in their institutions and organisations, the extension, research, the market and the policy system. Going organic could be an option, but it would require a fundamental change to include crop rotations, alley farming and biogas plants, pasture and animal husbandry management and other technologies in a collaborative i.e. community approach.