Yugoslavia

According to the results of the official survey of 1991, about 18 % of the Yugoslav rural population derive their income from agricultural activities, and 61% of these have an active role in agriculture. Agriculture amounts to about 20 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The agricultural sector in total (including parts of the chemical and mechanical industry, tobacco industry) has a share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 35 %. Agricultural exports and imports have a high importance for the whole economy.

Yugoslavia has 6.2 million hectares of agricultural land of which 60 % is arable land, 4.3 % are orchards, 1.4 % vineyards and 33 % are natural grassland. Yugoslavia has about 0.4 hectares of agricultural land and 0.18 hectares of grassland land per citizen, which is almost double the value compared to Europe (0.25 hectares) and the world (0.27 hectares). More than two million hectares are highly productive soil, located in the lowlands, which only have small quantities of rainfall, but which are without effective systems for water protection.

The second important natural resource is water, which Yugoslavia has in abundance. Despite this fact only 2 % of arable lands are irrigated. Most regions only have small quantities of precipitation, and in flat parts like Vojvodina and Pomoravlje the annual value is not more than 800 mm. The biggest rivers with the wide possibilities for irrigation are located in these areas. In the hilly and mountain areas rainfall amounts to 800-1250 mm annually. Due to the big water resources there are major opportunities for water supply for agriculture. Apart from these opportunities there is also the possibility to establish water reservoirs for agricultural and other purposes. There is also a great abundance of underground waters which can be exploited in the future.

Each of these geographical areas has particular natural conditions for specific agricultural production, and this natural diversity represents one of the main advantages of Yugoslav agriculture.

Conditions in agricultural production concerning organisation, production and economics vary from region to region. There are big inter-regional differences in the structure and intensity of agricultural production, and they are primarily caused by the relief of the soil. About 90 % of the production of the industrial plants and more than a half of the cereal production is located in Vojvodina, where approximately 90 % of the surface are lowlands. The central parts of Serbia have approximately 60 % of the total milk and meat production, and they have the highest production of fruit and grapes. Kosovo-Metohija and Montenegro are representative areas of sheep-farming, grape production and production of some fruit species.

The change of the ownership did not cause any major disturbances in Yugoslav agriculture. There are many factors that influence the development of agriculture in general: the war situation and sanctions of UN which made the export of agricultural products and also the import of the necessary materials difficult, the disintegration of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which was the main market for Yugoslavia, low incomes, etc. Nowadays agriculture is making big steps forward thanks to the natural resources and plenty of experts.

2 History and Development of Organic Agriculture in Yugoslavia

There are many organisations representing this new approach in agriculture, and just a few of them are dedicated to organic farming completely. Most of them have organised parallel production of conventional and organic agriculture.

The history of organic agriculture starts in the middle of 1980s. A key factor for the development of this new trend in agriculture were the lectures of the famous micro-biotic Micio Kusi, where he explained the need for the preservation of nature and the environment. Everything began with individual initiatives of the small farmers.

In Zrenjanin in 1989 the organisation Healthy Life was founded. Healthy Life still functions although it has never produced food. Its main role was to popularise the idea of organic agriculture.

In the same year another important organisation was established in Novi Sad. It was called Vrelo, and the founders were professors from the University of Agriculture and the Technological University etc. In the beginning the members of the organisation traded their health food products was amongst themselves, but after some time it spread on the public markets. The organisation worked on production and offered educational programmes like everyday lectures, courses, promotions, and it published some books and magazines.

In the year of 1989 Natura Vita was founded by the members of the co-operatives, research institutes and farmers. It organised production as well educational courses.

Individuals, mainly enthusiasts from Subotica founded the Natural Food Association TERRA’S in 1990. This association was organised as a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, which developed co-ordination and co-operation of activities in production, processing, marketing and application of organic food.

The first experimental Bio-Station in Yugoslavia was established in April 1990, in the Subotica-Horgos desert, the most northern region of Vojvodina. This research programme which lasted for four years, gave many important results and pragmatic solutions for the new organic approach to agriculture.

In 1991 Bio-Pescara was founded on 50 hectares of the Subotica-Horgos desert intended to be a pilot project with the main aim of biological production.

Expert team composed of agronomists, biologists, technologists, nutritionists and physicians elaborated the project TERRA’S in 1990. The idea of the project was to connect all participants in the production chain From the soil to the kitchen table and to create a business system incorporating all involved - producers, processors, traders and consumers.

The first bio-dynamic farm in Yugoslavia was established in autumn 1992. It was called Sunny farmhouse, and it was situated on 50 hectares of sandy terrain in Subotica-Horgos.

The organisation Bioag for organic food production, processing and marketing was formed in 1992 in the frame of the company Agros.

An action called 1000 families - 1000 bio-baskets as a specific form of marketing of organic products without middlemen was organised in 1993 in Subotica.

In 1993 a big organisation Srbija sume, which is mostly dealing with forestry established a new model of production. Natural products were derived from the forest areas with an protected trademark.

In the spring of 1994 at the experimental fields of the public company Navip, on the slopes of Fruska Gora, the production of organic grapes was initiated. The whole process was monitored by experts from TERRA’S. The project was initiated with the purpose of environmental protection and of the preservation of the long tradition of grape and wine production in the vineyards near the national park Fruska Gora. The result of this project was the promotion of the first certified organic wine in 1996.

In 1995 the Ministry for the Protection of the Environment of the Republic of Serbia was established.

In 1996 Etno Art was founded as a daughter company of Yugoimport. The production took place in the village of Kostunici, an area where agro-chemicals had never been used.

In the year of 2000 Ministry of Agriculture developed a law about organic agriculture.

In the year 2001 the Federal Ministry of Agriculture together with the G17 Plus Agricultural and Rural Development Task Force, launched a project aiming at strengthening the national capacity for organic production. G17 Plus Agricultural and Rural Development Task Force is an NGO which designed a project for Yugoslav rural revitalisation, called Green Card. Up to the government reconstruction in August 2001, federal authorities had dynamic activities with organising international support for developing organic production and marketing, completing national sub-regulative, inspection and certification system. After the Federal ministry of agriculture was closed, G17 plus continued activities on organising support to rural communities within its own network of offices for supporting sustainable rural development in Serbia. One of the stakeholders of the new project is the ecological production to be promoted in the Agro-network SEE by means of expert extension service, training, rural revitalisation support, co-operative and agro chamber organisations. Although supported from various foreign and Yugoslav governmental and NGOs this ambitious program is in the very beginning.

In the 2001 the organisation IPM Miroc bilje after several years of conventional production of medicinal plants initiated a programme of organic production with the partnership of a German private organisation.

The number of small individual organisations producing organic food are constantly growing thanks to the Universities, NGOs and foreign investors. The most recent initiative is offered by the Ministry of Science and Technology in August 2001 through the competition for development oriented projects. It was opened to scientific and educational institutions for activities within organic production development. An interesting proposal came from Belgrade Agriculture faculty in co-operation with Terras, eco-Art and a Jersey cheese factory in Knjazevac, which applied for a complex project, aiming at the establishment of a Centre for sustainable rural development and organic agriculture. The faculty of agriculture in Belgrade will also soon host the new MSc programme on sustainable development with the specialisation on sustainable agriculture systems for the countries of the Adriatic-Ionic initiative. Belgrade University should become the regional focal point for a new correspondence course in this sector.

3 Statistical Information

The total surface under organic agriculture is according to unofficial data about 18 600 hectares, but as this land is not registered at the public institutions this figure does not represent official data. Despite this it is said that these 0.3% of the total agricultural surface, which is under organic agriculture could be immediately certified without period of conversion. So far no organisation is obliged to register the surface under organic production or the amount of products that is exported.

About 80 % of the total agricultural area that is 4.96 million hectares are under mixed farming systems with elements of ecological farming. Concerning farmers there are no exact data how high percentage of them are in organic farming or conversion.

4 Organic Agricultural Organisations

4.1 ETNO-ART

Etno-Art is a daughter company within the business system of Yugoimport, which was founded back in 1996. The production facilities of the ETNO-ART enterprise, situated in the village of Kostunic include: a distillery, a drying plant, a cold store, a potato processing plant. Those parts of the enterprise area located in the nearby town of Cacak are used for heat processing of various sorts of fruit and vegetable and for the manufacturing of sterile fruit purees. Their quality monitoring and assurance laboratories are also located in the town of Cacak. The production areas have never been used for conventional agriculture. ETNO-ART is planning to organise winter educational courses for the local farmers in the villages where they organise their production. Another news is that an whole farm which is going to be the source of the commercial products of high quality will be open next year.

4.2 SRBIJA SUME

SRBIJA SUME is an organisation founded in 1991 as the result of a gathering of the small local organisations from the forestry sector. Its main aim was maintaining and exploitation of the forests, but also there were many other possibilities like fish ponds, mushrooms, aromatic plants, forest fruits, etc. In 1993 there was a change of the concept, and they have accepted a new model of working. They opened Zastitna radionica as a segment which was responsible for certified health food products and natural food from the forest area. There are five production segments:

This programme should cover a wide area in Serbia, but as a complex project was too difficult to control. Now there is a new concept of a small farm, which includes apart from manual work an educational programmes, which should explain the importance of organic agriculture and the preservation of natural resources.

4.3 VRELO

VRELO was established in Novi Sad in 1988 as an organisation for health food and environmental protection, and it was the first organisation of this kind in this area. The founders were the local people who wanted to produce food without chemicals and in the same time to preserve the environment. The idea was supported by many university professors from different faculties (agricultural, biological, medicine and engineering). One of them was Prof. Branka Lazic. Their work was organised through:

From 1997 VRELO in co-operation with the Department for the Improvement and Protection of the Environment of Novi Sad and the Agricultural Faculty organised the exhibition of ecological innovations. Until now there are more than 1500 members not only from Yugoslavia, but also from Greece, Canada, Australia, France, Hungary, etc.

4.4 NATURA VITA

Natura Vita was established in 1989. The founders were members of eco-operatives, representatives of public institutions and farmers. They tried to cover the whole of Serbia by educational programmes and courses. Each year they organise training courses for farmers. The need for this kind of organisation was initiated by the inhabitants near the lake of Gruza. This lake is used for drinking water, and there was a highly negative impact from the chemicals used in conventional agriculture that polluted this lake. Since May 1991 they have been member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), and they have been in constant contact with this organisation.

4.5 IPM MIROC BILJE

IPM Miroc Bilje was founded in 1996. At the beginning this organisation collected medicinal plants and forest fruits from nature. Today they have the very strong and serious intention to produce medicinal and aromatic plants organically. The production is in presently converted, supported by a German private organisation, which is a partner in this job. It is expected that they will gain a licence for the export in EU in less than three years.

4.6 TERRA’S

Terra’s was founded in 1990 in Subotica, as an NGO, non-profit organisation. Besides organisation, education and marketing activities TERRA’S also does promotional activities, consulting services and inspection and certification. A major part of the promotional activities of the association TERRA’S over the last decade has been the promotion of fairs and tastings of certified organic agricultural products. They initiated and monitored many projects like a demonstration farm in the Subotica-Horgos desert, the interdisciplinary project „From the soil to the kitchen table“, „Sunny farmhouse“, „1000 families - 1000 baskets“, etc. Considering ecology and health as cornerstones agriculture, they organise a series of round tables, scientific meetings and panel discussions. Since 1991, public manifestations like Days of TERRA’S including exhibitions, presentations and degustation have taken place every year. Ecological educational projects play a particular role in their activities, as they are seen as a basic precondition for the development and raising of ecological awareness of both young and elderly citizens. Projects have been realised not only in Subotica, but in other cities as well.

Education is also intended for adults, NGO’s, family education and media education for citizens. In June 1991 TERRA’S became a full member of IFOAM. TERRA’S model of inspection and certification was elaborated following the global standards of IFOAM and the EU-legislation. Production programmes of this organisation have been presented at numerous domestic and foreign fairs.

4.7 BOSTAVA

Bostava was founded in 1993 as a NGO for ecological and ethnological research. The work of this NGO is manifested by education, promotions, lectures, publishing, seminars, and experimental ecological projects as well living in alternative settlements. It has several sections:

In June of 1994 Bostava began building of the first alternative settlement in Serbia, in one village near town Zajecar. The houses are made of ecological materials, and the idea was to produce continually and to establish a tourist hostel where educational seminars could take place. It is still under construction building because of the lack of finances, but its importance is manifested by the fact that two documentary films were shot about it.

4.8 AEERT –Association of Experts in Eco Rural Tourism

· to connect all participants in eco-rural tourism and to enable exchange of information by co-operation with the University, professional organisations and other organisations in Yugoslavia and abroad

· to create and promote investigations, studies and projects for the rural development in order to form an consulting service

The multidisciplinary approach of AEERT makes it unique in Yugoslavia, especially because it promotes Organic Agriculture in the abandoned areas where there is still pure, untouched nature.

4.9 G17 plus Agricultural and rural development task force

was funded in Belgrade within G17 plus, which is an expert network established to assist Serbian citizens. It is an organisation that gathers experts from all fields of social life in various towns of Serbia aiming to promote and practically implement the ideas of a modern market economy, open and democratic society and the rule of law, through its programs, projects and the whole public activity. The expert network Team for agriculture and village is enabling actions of aid to village and agriculture – with adequate media presentations, logistics for activities with foreign partners, investors and international humanitarian organisations etc. They are also active in the planning and implementation of aid projects in rural areas.

There is still a large number of individual producers who are also important for development of Organic Agriculture in Yugoslavia.

5 Land Use, Animal Husbandry

There is a big initiative to establish a farm integrating crop production and livestock husbandry. Animal husbandry is still developing and is of minor importance. The production of fruit and vegetables is dominant and the production of medicinal plants is increasing.

6 Standards and Certification, State Regulations

An expert team at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture elaborated a draft for a law on organic farming, and the federal parliament adopted this law in July 2000, and Yugoslavia joined the countries with legally regulated organic farming. Experts from the Ministry of Agriculture with the help of professors from the agricultural universities and of the organic agriculture organisations have continued to work on the further elaboration of 13 legal acts. These acts will regulate specific areas (primary plant production, livestock husbandry, processing, earmarking , control, certification). The law on organic farming facilitates a wide range of activities not only for domestic organisations (public, private, NGO) but also for foreign investors.

Many initiatives are lobbying for the state to provide budget resources for organic farming development.

7 Certification

There are three domestic organic certifiers who base their inspection and certification on the European Union and the IFOAM standards. These bodies are

So, there is certification and production, but it is done with foreign certifiers and inspection bodies.

8 Marketing

The most important task of our marketing activities is connecting supply with demand and increasing consumption of organic products. In the beginnings the activities concentrated on the education of potential consumers. There were many lectures, media shows about organic farming, promotional activities, etc. There is no export of organic products on a state level, but some export is organised through the so called back door facilitated by middlemen.

Unofficial information says that 10 to 15 % of the organic products are sold at a higher bigger price than conventionally products on the market.

9 Training

Training and education is organised by NGO’s. There are also initiatives coming from the state universities: The Agricultural University of Belgrade and the Agricultural University of Novi Sad.

One of the most important NGOs are Terra’s (Education for young people, education for adults, NGO activities, family education, media education), Vrelo (education, seminars, lectures, printed materials), Bostava (sections for organic agriculture, lectures performed at many public institutions, experimental eco settlement), Etno-Art (see above)

10 Advisory service

The advisory service –consulting work with producers /processors in organic food production/processing is mainly represented by NGOs and also with the experts from the public Institutions like Agriculture Universities. There is no organisation, which is specialised on advisory services.

11 Research Situation

There are still no institutes at the agricultural or biological universities dedicated to organic farming, but an interdisciplinary team composed of agronomists, biologists, nutritionists, economists, extensionists and medical experts has been performing scientific and research projects.

One of the representatives is Prof. Branka Lazaic, agronomist from the Agricultural University of Novi Sad. He does research e.g. on the possibilities of biological production of vegetables and herbs and on the impact of biological production on vegetable yield.

Another representative is Prof. Snezana Oljaca, biologist from the Agriculture University of Belgrade. She works on the projects in organic farming. Together with her team she is initiating the beginning of a MSc course for Sustainable Agriculture, and in the frame of this they plan to perform new research in organic farming.

T.H Skenderovic works on conditions and possibilities for organic production in Yugoslavia and on the macro project TERRA’S.

Tomislav Sudarevic who did PhD in the topic of Marketing of organic products and is still working in this field.

B. Kalman, V. Robotic, K. Bede and others are involved in research in organic agriculture.

S. Djordjevic-Milosevic, PhD, is an agronomist and ecologist, and the former federal assistant of the minister of hunting, fishery and organic agriculture. As a senior research officer in the institute of animal husbandry he dealt mostly with organic grassland in mountain regions, rural development and food production in nature protection areas. He is also acting as one of the G17 plus strategists for integrated rural development in Serbia. He is the initiator of the sustainable rural development network project.

12 Challenges and Outlook

According the author’s opinion one of the biggest challenges are the promotion and implementation of consumption of organic products in Yugoslavia. There is a big need for educated people - experts in organic agriculture and also for founding of institution for organic agriculture on a state level.

Another important challenge is to improve animal husbandry, as there will be a big demand for organic fertilisers in the future. If the number of farms integrating plant production with livestock husbandry there will be lack of organic fertilisers in the future.

The next challenge is establishing organic agriculture in abandoned areas, mostly hilly or mountain regions. The extensive agriculture of these regions is caused by the emigration of the young to the big cities. By organising organic agriculture and establishing a network of prodcucers the population of these settlements would be motivated to come back and to invest in these regions. The back ground for this strategic planning are not only empty villages, but also pure, untouched environment. As these lands have never been used for conventional agriculture, the most of them could go into organic production immediately, without large investments.

An interesting approach and challenge in organic agriculture is the establishment of multidisciplinary projects of eco-agro tourism. There is no need to mention that there are many parts of Yugoslavia, which are considered as ecological oases. The advantages of these areas are rare plant and animal species and special micro-climatic conditions. The abundance of mineral and thermal waters can enable founding of spas, the heating of plastic houses and of green houses, irrigation systems etc. Also the fact that these lands have never been conventionally used or just for a short time attracts domestic and foreign investors

The establishing of a network for organic products would certainly be a big challenge.

With the common work between governmental institutions and NGOs, the implementation of organic agriculture is making big steps forward. The consciousness of the domestic population about importance of healthy food is fastening the process and makes the conversion from conventional to organic agriculture easier. There is a big hope that the Yugoslav area will become equal partner in organic agriculture to the ones in the EU and will prove the high quality of its products.

13 Author

Goran Pastrovic
st. of Agriculture, Bul.Arsenija Carnojevica 27, 11070 Novi Beograd, Yugoslavia, Tel: +381-11-311-32-47 or +381-63-440-949, e-mail: pastrovic@yahoo.com

14 Addresses

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Goran Pastrovic: Organic Agriculture in Yugoslavia.
Published 3.5.2002

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Organic Agriculture in Yugoslavia 2002

Goran Pastrovic

1 Agriculture in Yugoslavia