Challenges for Transitioning Conventional Farming in the Sudan to Organic

Abstract

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), defines organic agriculture as a production system which voids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives. To the maximum extent feasible, organic farming systems rely upon crop rotation, crop residues, animal manure, legumes, green manure, off-farm organic wastes, mechanical cultivation, mineral supply bearing rocks and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilth, to supply plant nutrients and to control insects, weeds and other pests. Therefore, organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and to sustain and optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of organic agriculture, in the modern sense of the term, is a highly regulated form of ecological agriculture. The legalities of organic agriculture are codified in a number of formal standards that define the regimes that producers or processors need to work within in order to claim organic status. These organic standards besides stipulating the prohibition of use of certain inputs also demand strict adherence to a range of practices by the farm. This paper reviews the process of conversion from a conventional to an organic system which requires complete deterrence from application of chemical inputs, significant changes at the farm level particularly within soil and major changes in the attitudes of the farmers, besides other costs and obstacles that affect transition process. On the other hand, it highlights the chances and prospects in favor of organic farming in the Sudan.