Local soil and organic experts state that their reservations with regard to the use of human waste-based fertiliser relate only to organic farming, not to wider agricultural activities and practices.

According to Dr Joseph Lindsay, soil scientist and a past executive of the Jamaica Organic Agricultural Movement (JOAM), human waste-based material has been used for tree crops for years in Jamaica, "especially for banana and coffee", and in agriculture for centuries in South East Asia as well.

Not for organic farming

He, however, stated that its use was not advised for organic farming.

"In organic farming, there is also restriction of the use of farmyard manure with minimal times specified for application prior to harvesting," the soil scientist said.

Raymond Martin, current chairman of JOAM and head of the Biological Sciences Division at the University of Technology, told The Gleaner on Friday that his concern was for organics.

"Due diligence would indicate that you avoid usage. In organic farming, once there is a risk, we avoid it."

Advancing at up to 15 per cent a year, organics is among the fastest-growing segments of Europe's agriculture market and one that Jamaica is keen to break into.

Health- and environment-conscious consumers are willing to pay premium price for 'green' products.

Jamaica has been trying to develop organic banana, cocoa, ginger and coffee, among other agricultural products.

Similarly, Jamaica, having gained a toe hold, wants to expand its role in the Fair Trade movement, where product certified as grown in environmentally sound conditions and with fair conditions for workers, get better prices.

Although still a tiny fraction of world agricultural trade, the Fair Trade market, at US$3.62 billion worldwide last year, represented a 47 per cent increase over 2006.

Fair Trade movement

Jamaica's participation in the Fair Trade movement is primarily via bananas, which Banana Export Company sought to exploit in an effort to compete in the European market against fruit cheaply grown on Latin American farms that do not meet the requisite labour and environmental standards.

Indeed, the European Union funded a project to help Jamaican banana farmers, hurt by World Trade Organisation rulings, which have diminished their EU preferences, meet Fair Trade standards.