In May 2010 I had the opportunity to attend a university conference on academic issues in Tehran. I took the precaution of informing the organisers in advance that I would also like to spare time to visit organic farms and talk to organic farmers as well. As a result, I was able to spend a couple of days meeting with people connected with organic agriculture in Iran.

I was first invited on 8th May to make a presentation on the work of India’s organic farmers to a group of farmers and trainers at the IPM training workshop that was going on at the Biological Control Department, Plant Pests and Diseases Research Institute in Tehran city. I was met there by Hossein Heidari, a deeply motivated and enthusisastic IPM consultant and senior researcher in biological control agents. Heidari has the capacity to enthuse others. So it was a pleasure to address his group. I made a presentation of the work done by OFAI which I had first prepared for the SAC conference in Bangalore and they then asked questions.

They were keen on PGS (Participatory Guarantee System) for organic certification and would like to set up the system in Iran, with the Biological Control Department itself as the facilitating organization for the local groups. Heidari said the Institute would take about a month before it would be ready to take up this role which it was eager to do. I therefore explained PGS to them in some detail and we agreed that I would route their request for assistance to the PGS Organic India Council which handles such matters. The Iranians too are not keen on certification for export. They want the system for the local market only.

On 10th May I was able to visit organic farmers in Suteh, in the Caspian Sea area. One of the farmers (Ali Mousavian) in fact had been a participant at the course in Tehran on the 8th and was the motivating factor. This was an interesting group of farmers some of whom were already organic. It was great to see them maintaining cows and working with cow dung manures. Of course they had not heard of panchagavya or jeev amrut which have revolutionised organic farming in India. They were keen to try it.

The group had received some funding from the Global Environment Facility to evolve methods of growing food that would eschew the use of pesticides in order to protect the Siberian Crane and other migratory birds that came to visit the vast paddy fields in the area. The group in fact was called Dorna (after the crane).

Under a tree, we had a more detailed discussion on organic farming. I explained the principles guiding organic farmers in India: specifically, the effort to generate all farms inputs on the farm itself; to ensure the soil was living and how to maintain soil life, etc. There were the usual fears expressed about possible declines in production during the conversion period. I told them that with the use of the fermented materials like panchagavya (which they could make themselves), there was no need to be afraid of such declines at all. Even if there were some losses, these would be of a temporary nature.

After we concluded the interaction, the farmers expressed a desire to visit India to visit Indian organic farms. They also said they would like to play host to organic farmers from India who could assist them with some of the techniques used for successful farming in India. This request is being conveyed by me to the Managing Committee meeting of the association being held on June 25 in Ahmedabad.

Details of the the people involved on the Iranian side:

Hossein Heidari is Senior Researcher of Biological Control and Field Leader for Community-based IPM at the Biocontrol Department, Plant Pests and Diseases Research Institute, PO Box 1454, Tehran 19395, Iran. Email: hheidari_2000@yahoo.com

The name of the organic rice growers’ leader in Suteh is Ali Mousavian and his numbers are: (Home) Tel: +98-112-5660952; Mobile: +98-911-9085565.

Aydin Yassemi was the perfect intermediary and translator. He is also keenly interested in promoting organic farming in Iran. His postal address is: No.12, 6th St., S. Piroozan Ave., Phase 2, Shahrak-e Gharb, Tehran, Iran 14666-33113.

Third Biennial Convention
Date: 15-17 Dec, 2010
Venue: Anand, Gujarat