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Subject: Organic Pineapple Working Group

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  • From: Organic Pineapple Working Group <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • To: "Organic Pineapple Working Group" <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc: Det Yoocha <det AT tipco.net>
  • Subject: [OP] share information
  • Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:12:46 -0600


Dear Duane and Det:

Friday, February 25, 2011, at 2:58:55 PM, Duane Bartholomew wrote to Det:

> I am replying to your email because I did not see a reply from the opwg
> to you.

I never received it, and I subscribed myself via two separate
accounts. Neither account received mail from either det AT tipco.net or
from him via "Organic Pineapple Working Group" <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org>

Are you sure Det didn't write you directly? Do the headers of his
email show he subscribed to the opwg?

The opwg archives
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/opwg/2011-February/date.html#225
show only two messages during the month of February and both are
from you, Duane; this one and the Pineapple News No. 18.

Further more, I just checked the Membership List and Det isn't
subscribed. I would be glad to subscribe him, if he wishes.
Or he can navigate to http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/opwg
and subscribe himself.

> I wonder if the group is still active.

The group is as active as it's 45 members want it to be.
Anyone that has subscribed can email a post to:

"Organic Pineapple Working Group" <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org>

And the ibiblio list-servers will send his or her message to each
and every OPWG subscriber.

> If you did get a reply then perhaps the group has stopped
> functioning because there is no one to lead it.

Just me Duane. And this is what I suggest:

Judging from your letter, Det apparently asked you for information
regarding organic pineapple production - a reasonable request, since
it was directed to the Organic Pineapple Working Group. The problem
is, some of the information he seeks is available and some hasn't
been fully defined as yet.

You may recall that a few years back, an organization in Malaysia
that had been commissioned by the FAO to draft an Organic Pineapple
Production Manual asked us to help them do this. I suggested at that
time that we invite OPWG members to collaborate in joint research
project and tabulate the results, which would fill in the gaps and
demonstrate which alternatives worked best under which conditions.

However, the group in question responded that not enough time was
available because they had made a commitment to have the document
was ready by a certain date. But as far as I know, their Organic
Pineapple Production Manual was never published.

So (once again) I suggest that first of all, we (the 45 members of
the Organic Pineapple Working Group), determine how many of us are
interested in participating.

This letter is going to all OPWG members and can serve an as
Official Invitation.

Those participating must either have access to existing data or
access to land in an area suitable for pineapple production. (Any
questions regarding the suitability of the area can be answered by
sending them to "Organic Pineapple Working Group" <opwg AT lists.ibiblio.org>

The OPWG information page mentions the following Areas of Research
that should be dealt with:

Pest and Disease Control (including prevention);

Maintaining Soil Fertility and Providing for the Plant's and
Fruit's Nutritional Needs,

Natural (and certifiable) Means of Inducing Florescence;

Harvest and Postharvest Handling;

The Development of New Varieties;

Marketing:

Trade Barriers;

Organic Certification;

Contamination (and the loss of organic status) from external
sources (including cross pollination from neighboring genetically
modified pineapple crops); and

The Role of the OPWG in relation to these (and other relevant) issues.

> Personally, I do not know anything about organic practices for pineapple
> and so far as I know there is no literature on the subject.

And that is exactly what I suggest we correct.

> Lacking anything else, my recommendation would be to start with
> the requirements for growing crops under the organic label and
> develop practices from there.

> As far as I know there is no list of approved practices for pest
> and disease control so rotation would seem to be the best option
> for nematode control if they are present.

A lot of information is available but we need to determine who is
interested in collaborating, then elaborate protocols and design an
equitable way of dividing the workload.

The OPWG is composed of Organic Pineapple Farmers, Researchers,
Specialists in Sustainable Development, some (but not all) of whom
have introduced themselves to the group in the past.

A number of members are concerned about sharing information with
possible competitors, a reasonable concern that we never-the-less
may be able to overcome (and the ideas of all members about
resolving this problem are welcome).

For example: If the pineapple crop will be directed to a market for
fresh pineapple, pineapple farmers in Asia have little to fear from
those located in the Caribbean or the Americas, so separate research
groups can be created to avoid conflicts of interest. (It may be
necessary to create additional email list-server groups to implement
that scheme among trusted members who have agreed to share
information under specific terms).

> In the United States there are a few products, e.g.
> soaps, sold for pest control but I don't know how effective they
> are on pineapple.

Det is apparently in Thailand.

Furthermore, the concept of agriculture supported by the OPGW is
Biologically based. This means that each aspect of the Agricultural
(in this case Pineapple) Production System will be based on one or
more naturally occurring biological processes.

Rather than an Agriculture of bottles, it's an Agriculture based on
the labor of beneficial organisms, beginning with the presence
activity and diversity of those found in the soil environment
itself.

Since these processes can (and should) be recreated on each and
every pineapple plantation, the end result is to free pineapple
growers from their present state of dependence on agrochemicals that
cost too much, aren't very effective, contaminate the soil, water and
air and perpetuate a state of farmer dependence by eliminating or
diminishing the presence, activity and diversity of the soil
microorganisms that are not only responsible for the soils
fertility, but also produce substances with proven antibiotic
activity against many of the pineapples pests and pathogens.

> I wish you success as you explore this option for your pineapple operation.
> With best regards,
> Duane

Thank you Duane for forwarding Det's letter to the OPWG. I have
been meaning to send out a proposal to OPWG for a few months now,
so it was a timely act on your part. (Det, don't forget to subscribe
or alternatively, I'll be glad to do it for you if you drop me a
line).

Douglas Hinds
OPWG Chair
Mexico

> On 2/20/2011 4:35 PM, det AT tipco.net wrote:

>> Dear collegues
>> I am working in the Tipco Foods (Thailand) PCL. The company business
>> is mainly processed and export pineappe. We are interested in growing
>> organic pineapple. Could you pls share us the most effective and
>> practical practices of growing organic pineapple.
>> Look forward to hearing from you soon.
>> Regards,
>> Det Yoocha
>> Senior manager Agriculture
>> Tipco Foods (Thailand) PCL
>> det AT tipco.net






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