Family organic food business struggles to prosper

However, he added, he also questioned the methods used by the relevant agencies and consumers' groups to detect the pesticide levels in the products.

Because of the blow to its reputation, Genki Home suffered losses amounting to NT$20 million. Tomo and Nono were forced to sell their farm machinery and food production equipment to offset their deficits.

“We had worked so hard in the business for nine years, and suddenly everything was gone,” Tomo said.

However, with the encouragement of their friends and reaffirming their dedication to eco-friendly agriculture, Tomo and Nono soon decided to try to revive the business.

“Food grown without intensive use of synthetic chemicals is better for people's health and the environment,” Tomo said. “We decided to stay in the business, despite the huge amount of money we had lost.”

Amid growing competition from other organic food companies owned by big businesses, Genki Home has adopted a strategy of diversifying into products such as colorful vegetables rarely seen in Taiwan, and it now contracts cultivation only to reputable farmers.

On their small holding, Tomo and Nono grow green vegetables, red and white radishes, cherry tomatoes, fennel, purple broccoli, leek, and oakleaf lettuce, which are all hugely popular among health conscious consumers.

Nono set up a blog site on which she posts photos and descriptions of their produce and recipes that feature organic products. In the two years since it was launched, the site has had 370,000 hits and has won an award.

A year ago, Nono began organizing camps that offer people the opportunity to gain farming experience and she has been distributing free organic food samples at department stores in Taipei, Tainan and Kaohsiung.

“We're just trying to keep our farm viable, find our niche and use direct marketing to convince our customers that we are supplying them with safe healthy products from a clean wholesome environment,” Tomo said.

The company is still struggling to make ends meet because sales are shrinking in the wake of several typhoons and amid the economic downturn, according to Nono.

“Consumers are reluctant to pay the premium prices associated with many organic products,” she said.

However, Genki Home will continue its struggle to bring to the market food products that are healthy and free from chemicals, the couple said.

“Once our customers like what we supply, we know we're on the right track,” Tomo said.

He thinks that sticking to pesticide-free farming is “a matter of conscience” and sees organic farming as much more than just a means of earning a living.

“In our use of the land, we need to love it and protect it,” he said. “We also need to instill environmentally friendly habits in our children and let them know that organic farmers are guardians of the earth because this type of farming helps to restore the land.”

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