IFOAM - Africa Organic News
December 2007, Vol.2, No.12
  1. Newsletter Update
  2. Forum for Food Sovereignty – Declaration of Nyeleni
  3. International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security
  4. Launch of the East African Organic Products Standard (EAOPS) and the Associated East African Organic Mark (EAOM) at the East African Organic Conference
  5. Launch of the Ethiopian Association of Organic Agriculture
  6. Launch of the National Organic Agriculture Movement of Madagascar at the National Organic Workshop
  7. First Organic Restaurant Established in Ghana
  8. Leading Supermarket Chain Goes Organic in Kenya
  9. Celebration of this Year’s World Food Day (WFD)
  10. Join Organic Africa at BioFach 2008
  11. A List of Organic Certification Bodies Operating in Africa is Available at the IFOAM Africa Office Homepage
  12. Upcoming Organic Agriculture Related Events
 

1. Newsletter Update

 Welcome to the last issue of the Africa Organic News for 2007. In this issue you will find highlighted news published during the year and some upcoming Organic Agriculture related events. We hope you will enjoy reading through this newsletter.

We are very grateful for all the comments that you sent during the year, because they encouraged us to improve and provide you with a better service.

We wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year 2008!

 
 

2. Forum for Food Sovereignty – Declaration of Nyeleni

 The Forum for Food Sovereignty was held from February 23-27, 2007 in Selingue, Mali. More than 500 representatives from more than 80 countries, including peasant, consumer and environmental organizations, urban movements and rural workers gathered together in the village of Nyeleni in Selingue, Mali to strengthen a global movement for food sovereignty.

As a result of the forum, the Declaration of Nyeleni was signed. The declaration is mainly based on the concept of food sovereignty, in particular the right of all peoples, nations and states to define their own food and producing systems. The right of all peoples to defend their territories from the actions of transnational corporations and the fight against the privatization of food, land, water, seeds, livestock and the natural heritage are prominently mentioned in the declaration.

To read the full declaration, please see: www.foodnews.ca.

 
 

3. International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security

 The International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security was held from May 3-5, 2007 in FAO’s Headquarters in Rome, Italy, in connection with the 33rd Session of the Committee on World Food Security (7-10 May 2007).

The overall objective of the conference was to shed light on the contribution of Organic Agriculture to food security through the analysis of existing information in different agro-ecological areas of the world. The meeting identified organic agriculture’s potential and limits in addressing the food security challenge, including conditions required for its success.  
 
The conference report and other documents are available at: www.fao.org/organicag/ofs/docs_en.htm.

 
 

4. Launch of the East African Organic Products Standard (EAOPS) and the Associated East African Organic Mark (EAOM) at the East African Organic Conference

 The East Africa Organic Conference was held from May 28 - June 1, 2007 in
Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.

The conference aimed to mobilize support for Organic Agriculture in East Africa by sensitizing decision makers, development cooperation partners, and the public about the potential of Organic Agriculture as a market and sustainable development opportunity.

The conference launched the East African Organic Products Standard (EAOPS) and the associated East African Organic Mark (EAOM). The EAOPS - the second regional organic standard in the world, following that developed by the European Union – and the EAOM were launched officially by Mr. Edward N. Lowassa, Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania.

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

All the presentations and some photos of the conference are now available at: www.unep-unctad.org/cbtf/openDaressalaam2.htm.

 
 

5. Launch of the Ethiopian Association of Organic Agriculture

 Since the Participative Networking Workshop was held from May 24-25, 2007, the organic movement in Ethiopia has shown considerably change and progress.

Following the workshop, two consecutive meetings were respectively held in Addis Ababa on June 30th and July 6th, with the aim to launch the Ethiopian Organic Agriculture movement.  

During the second meeting, the participants agreed to establish a National Organic Agriculture Movement named the Ethiopian Association of Organic Agriculture (EAOA).

For more information, contact Addisu Alemayehu  at: alfrd05@yahoo.com.

 
 

6. Launch of the National Organic Agriculture Movement of Madagascar at the National Organic Workshop

 The national organic workshop was held from July 4-5, 2007 in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Some 60 participants attended, including representatives from government, research, NGOs, private sector, certification bodies and other organizations working in the organic sector in the country. 

The meeting was a great success. A lot of publicity was given to this event, on radio, television and in the newspapers.

The meeting led to the creation of the National Organic Agriculture Movement of Madagascar. Its first leading team has one year to establish a functional network.

For more information, contact Rajaonarison Andrianjaka at: njakar@gmail.com.

 
 

7. First Organic Restaurant Established in Ghana

 Ghana’s capital Accra now has the first organic restaurant “Café Baobab,” where organic menus from certified and non certified products are served to the customers.

With the establishment of this restaurant, the aim is to initiate a farm to restaurant marketing strategy, where organic producers and direct consumers could trigger growth of local markets for organic produce.

Visitors coming to Accra should visit “Café Baobab” by contacting the National Coordinator of GOAN Samuel Adimado at: adimadosam@yahoo.com.

 
 

8. Leading Supermarket Chain Goes Organic in Kenya

 Organic farmers in Kenya now have a reason to smile and look forward to a brighter future, which has never looked more promising! Nakumatt Holdings, the largest supermarket chain in the country has opened an organic corner in their ultra modern retail outlet, Nakumatt Westgate, in Nairobi’s Westlands suburb.
 
Through this initiative, products carrying the East African Organic Mark are now trading alongside other internationally accepted organic marks in Kenya.

This is an unprecedented step forward in the East African region, and is testimony to the importance Kenyans are placing on healthy lifestyles and a clean environment. It is also testimony to the great work that the organic movement in Kenya, under the stewardship of KOAN, has been doing to promote OA in the country.

For more information, please contact Wanjiru Kamau at: wanjiruk@elci.org.

 
 

9. Celebration of this Year’s World Food Day (WFD)

 IFOAM’s Press Release: The Right to Food is Food Sovereignty

Distribution of the IFOAM’s WFD Press Release by African Contact Points

The WFD press release was sent as a sample to the IFOAM African Contact Points in English and French for distribution in their countries. Examples from Zambia and Madagascar are illustrated below.

In Zambia, the Press Release has been published in the Post Newspaper which generated an article titled “Developed Countries Creating unfair competition”.

In Madagascar, the press release has been read on the national radio and TV channels (RNM and TVM) and published by some newspapers.  Other media like “Express de Madagascar” generated positive articles on Organic Agriculture.
http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200710180338.html

 
 

10. Join Organic Africa at BioFach 2008

 BioFach is the largest organic trade fair in the world. Exhibitors and buyers come from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Oceania, Latin and North America to take advantage of this major business boosting opportunity. Many organizations will join forces at BioFach 2008 to give Africa a prominent role.

There will be an African Pavilion where exporters, national Organic Agriculture movements and export promotion agencies will showcase the specialties from the Sub-Saharan countries.

In addition to the African Pavilion there will be a day-long symposium on 23rd February to highlight the status of organics in Africa.

At present, 83 companies have applied to be present at Biofach African Pavilion: Ethiopia 9, Benin 3, Burkina 5, Cameroon 3, Togo 1, Mali 1, Burundi 1, Ghana 7, Kenya 16, Rwanda 6, South Africa 1, Tanzania 10, Uganda 15, Zambia 4, Madagascar 1, Zimbabwe 2. Also 1 Certifier has hired a stand in the Africa Pavilion.

More certifiers and exporters in Africa are encouraged to sign up and to take the advantage of this opportunity to expand their business and boost their image.

The organizers are still seeking funding for the event. If you want to become a partner, please contact the Organic Africa 2008 Secretariat at: africa2008@grolink.se. There are also other ways to sponsor this initiative. Your company logo can be put on big sponsor posters at the pavilion, you can sponsor the drinks and snacks served or you can sponsor an African participant or a VIP to come to the symposium. Your logo/name will be made clearly visible of course.

For more information, visit: www.organicafrica2008.com.

 
 

11. A List of Organic Certification Bodies Operating in Africa is Available at the IFOAM Africa Office Homepage

 The list has been developed to enable African organic stakeholders and others interested in Organic Agriculture to have an overview on organizations providing organic certification services in Africa.

The data used for this list are from the Organic Certification Directory 2006 and the respectively organizations’ websites.

The organizations are listed by country in alphabetical order. It is therefore easy to find out which certification body is providing services in which African country.

To read the list, visit the IFOAM website at: www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/around_world/aosc_pages/Organic_CBs_operating_in_Africa.html

For more information about worldwide standards and certification issues in the organic sector, visit: www.organicstandard.com.

 
 

12. Upcoming Organic Agriculture Related Events

 Organic Africa at the BioFach 2008
February 21-24 2008
Nuremberg, Germany

The 16th IFOAM Organic World Congress: Cultivate the Future
June 18-20 2008
Modena, Italy

IFOAM General Assembly
June 22-24 2008
Modena, Italy

Organic Agriculture Development Training Program
July 25th to August 10th 2008, in Sweden, and January 22nd to February 4th 2009, in Uganda

 
 


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