What comes to mind when you think of Mangalore’s exports . . . roofing tiles, fish coffee? However there is a new export that came to my attention recently and it surprised me. This new exporter is none other than the Diocese of Mangalore. Since 2007 the SJS Organic farms, owned by the diocese and run by Fr. Alwyn Dsouza and 6 other priests from Mangalore, have exported ‘Organic farming’ know-how to the Same-Diocese in Tanzania where they run their own organic farm and training center.

Why organic farming

Fr. Alwyn and his team have already witnessed the financial devastation caused by input dependent farming practices. In Same province Tanzania, there are now only a few rich people, while the vast majority are dirt poor. Farmers who used chemical fertilisers ended up destroying their soil’s natural nitrogen cycle and ended up dependent on the fertiliser, seed and pesticide companies who then drive farmers to bankruptcy. The story is similar in our country too. Organic methods provide two important advantages a) It reduces or eliminates the cost of inputs such as fertilizer and pesticide and b) reduces the risk to the farmer going bankrupt during market downturns.

The results

With many being lifted out of poverty thanks to the training provided by Fr. Alwyn and his team at SJS Organic farms, Same Diocese is now once again a thriving community. Priests who earlier had to work at petrol stations as attenders can now attend more fully to their pastoral duties. Many farmers now produce enough to feed their families and some to sell. SJS Organic now conducts Organic farming training for neighbouring provinces within Tanzania. 

Technical training in Mangalore

Recently a delegation from the Same Diocese visited Mangalore and other locations in India to further deepen their organic techniques. I was fortunate to be a part of the local technical advisory team that hosted them in Mangalore. (Article written Feb 2025)