July, 2007

Does it ever seem perverse to you that much of the food we eat has been liberally doused with a mélange of toxic substances? For the members of the Institute for a Sustainable Agriculture Community (ISAC), chemical farming makes just about as much sense as adding cyanide to your 100 Pipers and soda…

ISAC, a non-governmental organisation, was formed in 1993 in response to growing concerns about the health and environmental repercussions of using herbicides and pesticides. Since then, ISAC, in association with Chiang Mai Alternative Agricultural Network, has trained over 1000 farmers in Northern Thailand in the production of organic fruit and vegetables. The project has led to the formation of nine organic farmers' markets at various locations across Chiang Mai province. The largest of these is held in the area known as JJ Hobby Market and is supplemented by an Organics Warehouse selling fruit, dried goods, honey, nuts and eco-friendly cleaning products.

"Most of the farmers that we train have already turned back to organic farming, or are intending to, because they suffer from chronic health problems caused by agricultural chemicals, but once they start to farm naturally and see how the soil quality improves, they also become aware of the environmental advantages of sustainable agriculture," explained Saengthip Khemarat, ISAC Organics Warehouse Manager.

A health survey conducted in 2004 by farmers in Mae Wang, Chiang Mai, in co-operation with IPM (Integrated Pest Management), found that as many as 80% of 124 farmers surveyed showed moderate signs of pesticide poisoning. An average annual total of 1541 litres of toxic chemicals was used by this group of farmers, comprising 42 different pesticides, including 8 extremely toxic chemicals (3 banned chemicals and 5 watch-list chemicals). Children are even more vulnerable to the negative health effects of chemicals than adults and are often employed to work in crop fields which have recently been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides, resulting in skin rashes, respiratory problems and worse, said Khemarat.

Buasai Kanthada, a farmer who trained with ISAC five years ago, said that her costs had been reduced and her health had improved dramatically since she stopped using chemicals. "Before, I only grew one crop so I had to buy my own food and pay a lot of money for chemicals. I often had body pains and headaches, and sometimes my hands were numb, but now I hardly ever have to use the 30 baht medical care project, and I grow many different crops so I don't have to spend money on food. I used chemicals for 18 years and I always had debt, but now I don't owe any money," she said.

The markets provide a point of sale where consumers can buy organic produce directly from farmers at pre-established prices. "The prices are set by the consumers and producers together in advance, to be certain that they reflect a true, fair market value," said Mike Meallem, Volunteer Technical Advisor. The ISAC Organics Warehouse in JJ Hobby Market is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesdays and Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. The farmers' market is held twice weekly, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.