VOA标准英语2010-African Farmers Growing Organic Foods for

A melon field is pictured at a farm in the village of Djilakh, 80km south of Dakar, Senegal on 22 Apr 2008 (file photo)

African farmers are making more money producing organically grown crops for European markets, where demand for healthier food is growing.

Nearly 5,000 farmers in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, and Sierra Leone are exporting organically-grown produce to Europe, after gaining organic and fair-trade certification with help from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The program focuses on all stages of production from planting and harvesting to packaging and promotion¹, increasing the profitability of farmers who previously² struggled to afford costly³ chemical fertilizers.

Pascal Liu is an economist⁴ with the FAO's trade and markets division.

"Organic agriculture in general is well suited to small-scale farmers because usually small-scale farmers do not have much cash to purchase external inputs⁵, chemical inputs, pesticides⁶, or chemical fertilizers," he noted⁷.

Liu says the program helps West African farmers learn organic means of production using compost and natural predators⁸.

A total of 30 small-scale pineapple farmers in Ghana saw sales grow from 26 tons to more than 115 tons after gaining their organic certification.

"The market for organic foods has been growing very rapidly," he added.  "Even though there has been a slow down because of the economic crisis, but it is still growing much faster than the market for conventional foods."

Liu says the United Nations expects demand for organic foods will grow by between five and 15 percent during the next five years.  And African farmers are well positioned to benefit from more people eating healthier food.

"There are opportunities for small farmers in Africa in this market for some tropical products that cannot be grown in North America or Europe, for example products like organic cocoa or organic sugar, organic fruits and vegetables," explained Liu.  "And usually there is a price premium⁹ for organic products.  The price is a little higher than the price for conventional foods."

Some farmers who are not in the program have begun adopting organic farming techniques in hopes of joining small organic cooperatives that are beginning to negotiate long-term contracts with European organic and fair-trade wholesalers.

 

1 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

4 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 inputs   

n.输入( input的名词复数 )；投入；输入端；输入的数据v.把…输入电脑( input的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Uncheck the inputs checked for optimization in the previous stage. 不测试那些已经测试过的优化了的以前步骤的inputs.（变量参数）。 来自互联网
• Just in case, save in a file the inputs obtained at the previous stage. 以防万一，保存以前步骤获得的inputs（变量参数值）到一个文件中去。 来自互联网

6 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。