The Organic Movement Aligns with the Core Principles of a Green Economy and Contributes to Achieving Sustainable Development Goals, Specifically:
Organics and Climate:
Global practice has confirmed the high effectiveness of organic technologies in minimizing the negative impacts of climate change. They actively stabilize large volumes of greenhouse gases as natural components of biochemical processes in soils. Organic ("living") soils can retain a significantly larger volume of water—up to ten times more—compared to soils subjected to intensive (chemical) production, making them resilient to mudslides and floods. Unlike other forms of economic activity—intensive agriculture, construction, mining, and industrial production—organic agriculture not only preserves but actively contributes to the restoration and conservation of habitats, ensuring the sustainable renewability of its resource base.
Organics and Mountain Ecosystems:
The climatic and ecological characteristics of mountainous regions make them a natural setting for organic agriculture. It offers an excellent alternative to traditional forms of intensive economic activity by reducing land degradation, generating additional income, preserving biodiversity, increasing agricultural profitability, and utilizing mountain water resources in the context of climate change. All Central Asian countries have significant mountainous landscapes, and for Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, mountains are the primary living space. Nature has harmoniously combined glacial mountains and agricultural plains for their sustainable development. However, mountain ecosystems are very sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic impacts, and organic, regenerative technologies and approaches are most suitable for mountain ecosystems, providing stable natural conditions for all Central Asian countries. In 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, "Central Asia Facing Environmental Challenges: Strengthening Regional Solidarity for Sustainable Development and Prosperity," urging Central Asian countries and the world to step up efforts to protect mountain ecosystems and glaciers. Additionally, the "Five-Year Development Program for Mountain Regions of Kyrgyzstan" was approved by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2023.
Organics and Food Security:
Organic agriculture can not only address food security issues but also provide a fundamental solution to food safety, which is increasingly important in the context of rising epidemiological risks. It fosters the sustainable immunity of both soil ecosystems and all growing crops, ensuring high quality and nutritional value of products as a guarantee of human health and the preservation of the gene pool.
Organics and Economic Factors:
The Central Asian region has one of the most significant production-resource potentials in the world, with 10.1% of all agricultural land on the planet while accounting for only about 3% of the global population. The potential for yield increase through nature-conserving technologies and infrastructure development is estimated by experts to be 1.5-2 times greater. Systematic realization of the organic potential of the agricultural sector in Central Asian countries, with accessible certification and competent state marketing support, will significantly improve living standards, reduce social tension, decrease internal and external migration processes, and substantially increase the contribution of the agricultural sector to the countries' GDP.
Organics and Traditional Culture:
The principles and priorities of "organic approaches" and the green economy fully align with the traditional meanings and values of a culture based on "ecocentrism" and the necessity of maintaining "harmony in the system: nature-society-human," which is a fundamental factor for sustainable development for current and future generations. Promoting organics will simultaneously contribute to the revival and development of the foundational tenets of ecological mentality and traditional culture, ensuring stability and harmony in society.
Organics and Peacebuilding:
The establishment of borders following the collapse of the USSR, combined with economic and demographic changes, heightened residents' sense of insecurity regarding access to previously shared natural resources and their dependence on the "other side." This, in turn, fueled conflicts, often leading to physical confrontations between residents of neighboring countries. Organic agriculture is a path to more efficient use of natural resources, increasing export potential, and improving public health. It will also enhance the resilience of livelihoods and ecosystems, indirectly addressing resource shortages and reducing the likelihood of cross-border conflicts that threaten peace in the Central Asian region.
