Here's a recent article with more proof that sustainable agriculture can feed the world. The article was unfortunately titled "UN Seeks a Green Revolution in Food" - another Green Revolution is the last thing we need - what we are working for is more like a "Second Food Revolution." Not really sure what it means in terms of UN policy changes regarding support for small-scale farmers in the developing world. The title of the UNEP's recent report - The Environmental Food Crisis - is a fitting way to describe the current situation, given how the environmental impacts of conventional production and distribution of food seem to be overlooked, considering the social dimensions of price increase and hunger. Here's a notable quote:

"A briefing paper by the Oakland Institute released Tuesday also confirms the success of the organic model, noting that on average, in developed countries, organic systems produce 92 percent of the yield produced by conventional agriculture. In developing countries, organic systems fare even better, producing 80 percent more than conventional farms."

Organic, small-scale farmers here in Isaan are producing at least 80% more food than their conventional neighbors, given the diversity of seasonal fruits and vegetables that they grow. The "fruits" of the Green Revoltion - mono-crop Jasmine 105 production - must be all sold to local mills and middlemen in order to pay off debts (and buy more chemicals). Many SFS members are not only self-sufficient in terms of food - they are also able to sell surplus crops at the Surin Green Market every Saturday (as well as in Prasat on Tuesdays and delivered by truck on Thursdays).

Yet organic farming remains in the margins. As this article from a Daily News columnist and re-printed in last Thursday's Bangkok Post, points out:

"I wonder how many people are aware that nearly 1,000 poor rice farmers are staging a silent protest near the Royal Plaza in Bangkok. They have been asking the Abhisit government to clear their debts, which amount to 1.7 billion baht. The Abhisit government will soon give 2,000 baht to each worker under the Social Security Scheme and to civil servants earning less than 15,000 baht a month. The total cost for this financial handout is more than 1.8 billion baht. This is a little bit higher than the total debt of the poor farmers. If the government can afford to help these salaried people, it should have no problem clearing the debts of our poor farmers."

Of course, paying off the debts of Thailand's "backbone" would do very little to solve their problems, and only continue to put money in the hands of agribusiness. Agriculture and trade policies need serious reforming and financial support needs to be directed to local markets and organic training - the latter we'll be carrying out from Monday to Thursday of this coming week in Tamor subdistrict.

Today's discussion about the current rice market and trade policies at Rice Fund Surin yielded a lot of interesting thoughts and ideas. The AAN is currently brainstorming for a campaign on rice policies in Isaan: we want to bring together conventional and organic farmers, regionally, and work for change in policy, nationally. This is a lofty goal, but we hope that by promoting this kind of campaign, conventional farmers can begin thinking more about lowering their production costs - a first step to expanding one's thinking about farming - and begin producing for local culture, for self-reliance, for preserving seeds and for the environment.

As Pakphum Inpaen pointed out - populism hasn't helped rural Thais thinking about self-reliance at all. It has made people think about earning high prices at the government sponsored "Rice Insurance" mills and how to get money fast (via local bureaucrats' handouts). We'll use the network-wide festival in Khon Kaen next month to move the discussion forward and possibly create a round of policy proposals.