Bonn, Germany
May 24, 2007A
uniform set of procedures for growing and marketing organic
produce has been established for East Africa and will be
introduced by the Prime Minister of Tanzania at a conference to
be held in Dar es Salaam from May 8th to June 1st 2007.
The East African Organic Products Standard (EAOS) is the
second regional organic standard in the world, following that
developed by the European Union. The EAOS and associated East
African Organic Mark will ensure to consumers that produce so
labeled has been grown in accordance with a standardized method
based on traditional methods supplemented by scientific
knowledge, and based on ecosystem management rather than the use
of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. As organic produce
generally sells at premium prices in rapidly growing overseas
markets, it is hoped that the standard will increase sales and
profits for small farmers in the region.
The standard was developed by a public-private sector
partnership in East Africa, supported by the UNEP-UNCTAD
Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and
Development (CBTF), a joint initiative of the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the
International Federation of
Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
Tanzanian Prime Minister Edward N. Lowassa will present the
standard and organic mark on May 29th during a week-long series
of meetings and workshops titled "East
African Organic Conference: Unleashing the Potential of Organic
Agriculture." Also on May 29th, Secretaries of
Agriculture and other high-level government officials from
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi will take part in a
roundtable discussion on "Unleashing
the Potential of Organic Agriculture in East Africa."
Other events during the week will include a May 28th workshop on
"Developing Local and Regional
Organic Markets"; a May 29th-30th workshop on "Moving
the Organic Agenda Ahead"; a May 28th-29th exhibition of
East African organic products; a May 29th public
East Africa Organic Forum;
and field trips to organic agriculture sites on May 30th and
June 1st. Over 250 public and private sector participants from
25 countries will attend, making it the largest organic
agriculture event ever in Africa.
Angela B. Caudle, IFOAM Executive Director, concludes “East
African producers are poised to take advantage of the rapidly
growing organic markets worldwide. We are gratified by the
participation of Tanzanian Prime Minister Edward N. Lowassa and
the diverse ministers and dignitaries in this conference, which
is indicative of the vast potential that organic production
systems represent for this region.
Herve Bouagnimbeck, IFOAM Africa Office Coordinator emphasizes
“The coalescence of public and private entities to
systematically develop organic agriculture in East Africa is a
sustainable model of development for the world to behold and
replicate.”
The conference is jointly organized by the CBTF, IFOAM, the
Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM) and Export
Promotion of Organic Products from Africa (EPOPA), in
cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Cooperatives of United Republic of Tanzania, the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the
International Trade Centre (UNCTAD/World Trade Organization
(WTO)). The conference is part of the East African Organic
Agriculture Initiative being implemented with the financial
support of the European Union and Sida.
The EAOS and the conference are expected to boost organic trade
and market development in the region, raise awareness about
organic agriculture among farmers and consumers, and create a
unified negotiating position that should help East African
organic farmers win access to export markets and influence
international standards related to organic agriculture. In
addition to its economic benefits, organic agriculture offers an
array of environmental, social, health, food security and
cultural benefits for developing countries.
Work on the East African Organic Standard began in 2005.
For more information about the conference, please visit:
www.unep-unctad.org/cbtf/openDaressalaam2.htm
The EAOS and other documents are available at the following
websites:
www.ifoam.org/partners/projects/osea.html
www.unep-unctad.org/cbtf/projecteastafrica.asp
See also UNCTAD Information Notes
December 11th 2006
(UNCTAD/PRESS/IN/2006/028)
March 6th 2006
(UNCTAD/PRESS/IN/2006/003), and
October 19th 2005
(UNCTAD/PRESS/IN/2005/034).
And IFOAM Press releases of
December 13th 2006
and
March 8th 2006.
Quick links:
Overview of the current state of the organic sector in East
Africa
UNCTAD Trade and Environment Review 2006
UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment
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