The first pillar of Fair Trade Alliance
Kerala’s Fair Trade + 3 is biodiviersity. The
aim: that every FTAK’s farm should be like a tropical rainforest boasting a
rich, dense, diversity of crops. The Western Ghats area, where many of FTAK’s
farmers work, has recently been declared a world heritage sight. This was in
recognition of the sites biophysical and ecological processes, which also help
to regulate India’s monsoon rains. It is the 8th most biodiverse
place on the planet, in fact there are 325 globally threatened species of
flora, fauna, birds, amphibians and reptiles and it’s one of the few places
left in the world where new species are still being discovered!
A rare frog found only in
Eravikulam National Park, Kerala
Despite the world wide recognition that
comes with the World Heritage Site award, there was local opposition from the
Kerala local government and in particular Karnataka local government who voted
unanimously to oppose the status.
The local authorities were not alone in their opposition and were joined
by the church and the vast majority of farmer organisations (FTAK being the
exception to the rule)! The reason? There is a perception that the rules and
regulations which come along with status would hinder the development opportunities
of the area.
Madhav Gadhil, with input from an expert
panel, put together a controversial report outlining about how to conserve the
Western Ghats in line with its new status. The recommendations included to
cancel damaging hydroelectric projects and move towards organic agriculture.
The report was met with lots of opposition, but not to from FTAK and if you
read it you will see why as there are many echoes of FTAK’s philosophy. Here
are some snippets of common ground from the report:
In support of organic agriculture “The need for curtailing the use of chemical pesticides and fungicides
is of greater priority in the Western Ghats than elsewhere, as application of these
poisons in the higher hills gets carried downstream polluting the entire wetland
systems.”
“Use of chemical manure has not only killed
the soil biota but also has even changed the soil structure affecting soil
fertility in the Western Ghats. This leads to application of an increasing
quantum of chemical fertilizers without any scientific basis.”
In support of mixed crops “The large extent of monoculture plantations such as tea, coffee,
and cardamom needs to integrate more indigenous crops, especially food crops and
edible fruiting trees best suited to the locality, to help reduce soil erosion,
improve water holding capacity of the soil, enhance productivity and, improve
economic returns from unit area. ”
However some do see the opportunity for
farming and for the planet that this status brings, V. Oommen the chairman of
the Kerala State Biodiversity Board said the status could be used as a leverage
to access funds from the United Nation to revive traditional farming methods
and promote organic farming. For FTAK the report justifies many of their
existing policies and practices and could open up new opportunities.
A trip to look at the biodiversity of the area
