The rain brought by Typhoon Gaemi flooded several farms. Residual pesticides and chemical fertilizers were washed off, eventually being deposited in the soil of nearby organic farms and affecting the production and quality of organic produce.
Taiwan’s farming sector is mostly made up of small farms. Tilled lands are generally narrow and fragmentary small organic farms that are often a stone’s throw away from tracts of land used for conventional farming, which are doused with pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Despite organic farmers doing their best to separate their land and water sources, all farmland exists within an open environment. All it takes is a typhoon to cause flooding and organically cultivated produce is easily polluted.
The Organic Agriculture Promotion Act (有機農業促進法) states that organic farms must comply with the standard values for soil used for growing edible produce and the quality standards for irrigation water. Organic farms must avoid heavy metal contamination of soil and irrigation water, and prevent contamination by “prohibited substances” such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Moreover, organic produce must be inspected and verified. If farmers can obtain certification, then their produce can be sold with an “organic” label.
Consumers are willing to spend more to buy organically grown produce. They want to consume healthy agricultural produce that has undergone safety checks. If organic products fail to meet certification standards, why would consumers pay an arm and a leg for them?
Agricultural agencies should help advise organic farms affected by flooding from Typhoon Gaemi, and conduct comprehensive inspections. If farmers’ fields have been contaminated, agencies should be able to ask farmers to reverify their organic farming status to protect the reputation of organic produce and guarantee consumer rights.
Yeh Yu-cheng is a secretary at the Pingtung Public Health Bureau.
Translated by Tim Smith
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