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[jandtaa]

Hi Folks 

I've started this thread and hope it will work in a similar way to the one in the general farming forum . If you have a useful link etc post it here and I will move them up and place them in categories. Cheers for your help ! Jandtaa

SUGGESTED READING:

Organic fruit and vegetables from the tropics - A UN publication in PDF format 

Fruits from a warm climate- Julia Morton (not organic but good cultivation info on most tropical fruits)


GENERAL LINKS:

The Sovereignty Library - An Australian on-line library with a good organic agricultural section many downloadable as PDF's

ATTRA - National sustainable agriculture information service

Jandtaa's farming docs - My personal on-line library of PDF's

ECHO - some good info at this site which is also a seed bank




PEST CONTROL:

OISAT - Non chemical pest control in the tropics

 

GREEN MANURES:
College of tropical agriculture - Hawaii



AGROFORESTRY:

U.H.D.P. - Upland Holistic Development Project 
NAFRI Lao Tree Seed Project



ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: 

A.C.T. - Organic Certification Thailand - This site is currently under construction and not all of the links work.If you mouse over the ACT standards button and then click the general farm management button you can access an E-doc setting out the organic standards for Thailand  

[tjeffrutherford]

Thanks for the lead-off with the links and readings, Jandtaa. I have a couple recommendations and a question.

Purdue University's center for new crops has good info on different crops. And UHDP's Agroforestry Options handbook has a lot of info on species and approaches suitable for Thailand, esp. the north.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/

uhpd.org

The question: has anyone ever read anything remotely concise yet authoritative about organic standards in Thailand? If so, please recommend.

It seems to me that my 3 rai green island in a chemical sea wouldn't be able to meet EU standards. Yet it's hard to imagine a farm in Thailand that isn't in the same, er, boat.

Thanks, Jeff

[jandtaa]

Hi Jeff 

the new link above should help you in regard to organic standards. I won't include the other link as it is neither organic nor tropic specific although there is some very good info there. It will obviously remain clickable in your post and I suggest you add it to the general farming forum. 

cheers for now J

[tjeffrutherford]

Thanks Jandtaa, though the link you sent on Thai certification helps elaborate my problem. That site has a 2001 copywrite yet it's all still under construction. If you're a consumer, and you want to know who is watching the shop on organics, it's not a terribly reassuring experience.

My informal survey of concerned shoppers suggests that people have absolutely no confidence in organic certification in Thailand. "Who certifies it? The government?!? Ha!"

What I'd be keen to see -- and I ask here for it because I've been unable to find it anywhere and doubt it exists at all -- is a clear synopsis or something about certification in Thailand. There's stuff to read, but it's largely gibberish.

Cheers,

jeff

jandtaa, on 2009-03-29 13:34:31, said:

Hi Jeff

the new link above should help you in regard to organic standards. I won't include the other link as it is neither organic nor tropic specific although there is some very good info there. It will obviously remain clickable in your post and I suggest you add it to the general farming forum.

cheers for now J

[jandtaa]

Hi Jeff I agree 

This is the best I have found as yet, maybe they will update the document when the site is fully running (3-4 weeks ago no links worked so they are working on it). On the plus side they claim to be IFOAM accredited so it might be worth checking with them whether they recognise ACT. I think there is no doubt that there is no way to "police"  their policies and because TIT one is inclined to be cynical that it is just a money making scheme . However it might be the start of an official policy, because of the amount of produce Thailand exports maybe it is catching on to the growing demand for organic produce (although in the present economic climate sadly this is declining ).At the end of the day it is up to the importer to verify that the imports meet their countries organic standards . So if you are selling within Thailand to a local market probably the fact that people know you and understand you "mai sai chemi " is enough. In the UK because I produce on a small scale and it's not economically viable to gain certification I sell as "organic non-certified" and can still command premium prices because my buyers know me and my methods . 

here's a link to a Thai farm that appears to be signed up so maybe you could contact them for more info Thai organic farm

cheers J