Social Benefit

-->> Keeping it in the community
As Organic agricultural practice is essentially “sustainable” no external inputs are necessary (whether of chemicals or finance) to keep the system going indefinitely and as money is not paid to national and multinational companies for the supply of chemicals more money stays on the farms, in the farming communities, and in the country.

-->> Ending the poverty trap
The sustainability of organic farming systems means that small farmers can work their way out of the poverty trap, without debts running up with moneylenders. There is no requirement to purchase chemicals in advance of harvests. More money stays on the farm.

-->> Spreading the risk
The introduction of short-term cash crops (like sugar cane in Sri Lanka) is often bad news for small farmers. National and multinational companies persuade farmers to turn all their land over to cash crops on the basis that farmers will make huge returns in a short time. Farmers often have to buy planting material from the company concerned at the outset, and frequently receive payment for their crop months in arrears. Science, invariably the cash crop is the only crop plated, a devastation or natural disaster to the crop means that even subsistence is not as option.

Short-term cash cropping, and especially monoculture (growing of just one crop) are not compatible with organic farming practice, thus avoiding the associated negative aspects. Mixed cropping spreads the risk of the farmer; if one crop fails it is a setback not a disaster.

-->> Better conversions
Lanka Organics have found, across the board, that organic farmers get significantly increased income from the conversion to organic production. This is not merely a phenomenon caused by export of organic commodities, as local awareness has lead to the development of local markets for organically grown foods.

-->> Increased productivity
Studies have shown that over time, the productivity of farmland can in fact increase with organic methods until production is almost equal to that of conventional farmland. The equation of cost of chemicals against increased productivity is an interesting one, as very often the cost of chemical use outweighs the extra income from increased production. Organic crops may yield less, but cost of production is that much lower.

-->> Working together
Organic production very often encourages farmer-communities to work in co-operation with each other in order to cut costs of transport to market or processing factories. Where one individual small farmer is a small voice, a whole community has a louder voice, and can argue their case for governmental reform etc, as well as for better prices. In this case organic agriculture gives
small farmers increased self-confidence, and self-determination.