Down on the organic farm

Without doubt, the size and structure of the agricultural sector is one of the most important issues facing the country as it approaches European Union membership. It dominated public debate at the time of the accession treaty negotiations, almost to the exclusion of all other subjects, and it remains high on the political agenda following the breakup of the government coalition last month.

But rest assured, the picture is not uniformly bleak. In the midst of all the huge problems facing the countryside following accession, a few positives can be identified. While the average size of the country's farms, currently little more than eight hectares each, leaves them vulnerable to pan-European competition, it also presents an opportunity for many, if not all, of the country's farmers, particularly with environmentally-friendly farming.

"For an intensive, maximum produce-orientated farm, it is often difficult to remain environmentally friendly," said Dorota Metera, deputy chairperson of the Organic Agriculture Council at the ministry of agriculture. "With our small farms, on the other hand, it is frequently a matter of minor adjustments to re-orientate production. A lot of farmers have a few animals, a few hectares of cultivated land, maybe some grassland. Take away the chemical fertilisers, make sure all the fodder comes from within the farm, and you have a perfect example of organic agriculture. It is a natural direction for the country to develop. It is labour, rather than capital, intensive, and helps to preserve our unique countryside. There is no point in using the funds that will soon be at our disposal through the EU's Common Agricultural Policy to plant our wetlands with corn. We should use them to promote environmentally-friendly techniques."

Metera is not the only fan of environmentally-friendly farming. And they have some weighty arguments in their favour.

"The market for organic food is one of the few in agriculture that has been on the rise in recent years, and there is no indication of the trend subsiding," said Tadeusz Szynczyk, secretary of Ekoland, a government agency responsible for the promotion of eco-farming.

As a significant sector of the economy, the number of organic farms in the EU has been growing at the rate of 30% a year for over a decade, reaching a total of more than 100,000, which account for over 2% of all farmed land, he added.

And they're profitable, too. In spite of the low efficiency of environmentally-friendly agricultural techniques, it pays to accept a reduction in crop output that can amount to as much as 50%.

"The label of 'authentic' or 'natural' is the best-selling point today," Metera said. "Customers are prepared to pay for it."

But first they need to be made aware of it.

"In Germany, the government funded a campaign to promote that country's organic food brand. It worked extremely well. It now has a huge market for such products. One can only dream of a similar thing happening over here."

But what really makes the difference, at least from the financial point of view, is the EU's commitment to promoting the environment.

"There has been an increased interest in organic farming since the introduction of subsidies," Szynczyk said. "Organic farmers are currently the only ones who receive direct support. It is to be hoped that there will be even more of it following accession. But a lot will depend on the government. There are differences in the levels of support given between member states, even between regions in Germany. Some decide to give more aid, some less. We do not yet know which direction the government will decide to go, but we all hope for the best."

Metera, however, insists that the government backs organic farming techniques. "Everyone is in favour of organic farming," she said. "All the politicians have come out in support of it."

Problems arise, however, when it comes to actions rather than words.

One of the most serious obstacles to the introduction of organic techniques is that the domestic market is much less developed than in western European countries.

"The level of environmental awareness is not very high," Metera said. "I am confident that it will grow, but organic food is always a little more expensive, and the current economic conditions are hardly conducive to developing a taste for 'clean' products. Export is the obvious solution."

The problem with exports, however, is the high cost of certifying a product as organic. Domestic certification procedures are not recognised in the EU. Each farmer must apply individually for a much more expensive EU certificate.

"Hungary applied for its procedure to be approved by the European Commission as far back as 1995," Metra said, citing an example. "It is now an important player on the Dutch market and elsewhere. The Czech Republic applied in 2000, and immediately buyers rushed in, especially from Germany.

So why has the government not followed suit? Apparently, it has. There was just the small matter of approaching the European Commission through the wrong channels, so that applications were rejected - or so rumour would have it.

"There is nothing sensational in this," said Wiesław Wawiernia, director of the Ecological Agriculture Division at the agriculture ministry. "There was simply no law regulating the issue." The ministry thought about applying to the commission in 1995, but there was no legal basis for it, he said, since the Ecological Agriculture Act was passed only in 2001, and the ministry has only now made an application.

"There was no political will to address the issue," Metera countered. "The matter was put off by successive governments. We have made a strong case, and finally progress is being made. An EU-funded twinning project with Italy is underway to bring our practice and procedures in line with those found in that country, one of the most developed and experienced organic food producers. It will help when our application is submitted to the commission."

Clearly, there is much to be learned. While 5% of Italy's farmed land is used for organic production, here the figure is a long way short of 1%. There are currently 2000 farms certified as organic by the domestic authorities. "In some regions there is bound to be growth," Szynczyk said. "But there are problems. Higher costs of biological protection, which can be three times as high as spraying and account for 10%-12% of total costs, are relatively insignificant. What really matters is the cost of marketing. Ekoland and Symbio, a company of growers from the southeast, are there to help. But still, reaching the customers is a problem." Part of it is that the areas most suited to organic agriculture are also the most remote from potential buyers.

"It is often said that we have a lot of organic farmers and no organic producers," Metera said. "Although the average size of certified farms is twice as large as the average in the country, very few are large enough to produce effectively for the market. The largest number of certified farms is in the southeastern region but it is really only in the vicinity of the largest cities that production for the market is at all developed. In the more remote regions logistics is a problem. With such small-scale production, the costs are very high. Moreover, distribution is hardly there at all. In some countries, such as Denmark, you buy organic products in supermarkets. Elsewhere there are specialised shops, as is the case in Germany or the UK. Over here the customer and the producer still cannot meet on the marketplace."

Environmentally-friendly production is the way to turn the country's biggest handicap, the huge and inefficient agricultural sector, into an asset. It is also closely interlinked with other issues.

"Your unspoilt nature is a huge advantage," said Jens Friis Jensen, whose native Denmark is one of the most developed markets and producers. "There are whole regions that could specialise in the production of 'clean' food. It is good for the producer and for the region. Agrotourism goes hand in with organic farming, so you can double the benefits. It is the future."