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OSEA Project: Regional Organic Standards in East Africa |
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Project public report available here!
The OSEA project (Regional Cooperation for Organic Standards and Certification capacity in East Africa), funded by Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) was implemented by IFOAM, in cooperation with the national organic movement in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. IFOAM was the leading agency and also ensured local project coordination, provided technical and political input to the project, and was responsible for part of its implementation. Grolink was responsible for the core of the practical implementation of the project.
The project lasted 2 years (2006-2007) and aimed at improving income and livelihood of rural communities in East Africa, through facilitation of trade in organic products by means of a regional standard and regional certification cooperation.
The specific objectives of the OSEA project were the following:
- To develop standards through stakeholder consultations and by field testing
- To develop joint protocols for the verification of compliance with standards
- To establish a governance structure for East Africa Organic Standards
- To adopt an East African Standard by early 2007
- To get the East African Standard approved by IFOAM
- To inform consumers in East African Countries about the standards and increase their understanding of OA
The project was implemented in close cooperation with another similar project called CBTF (Promoting Production and Trading Opportunities for Organic Agricultural Products in East Africa). The leading agencies of this project (UNEP and UNCTAD) and IFOAM agreed to merge the regional standards components of their projects into one project, where IFOAM was responsible for facilitating the implementation of this component of the project. A regional Standard Technical Working Group, comprising representatives from standards bodies, certification bodies and the organic sector from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda worked from 2005 to early 2007 to develop the second regional organic standard in the world.
The project managed to complete the East African Organic Products Standard, which was adopted by the East African Community in April 2007 and launched by the Prime Minister of Tanzania at a major event in Dar es Salaam May 2007. In addition considerable efforts have been allocated to increasing consumer awareness in East Africa and an organic mark – the East African Organic Mark – has been developed. Together with the CBTF project, considerable impact on policy development has also been accomplished.
The follow up to the project, OSEA II, is pending approval from Sida.
Download the Song on Organic Agriculture in Kiswahili, "Kilimohai", here.
Contact of the Group:
Mionzi Dance Theatre
PO Box 90186, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Telephone + 255 713445832 or +255 754 376367
Email mionziart@yahoo.com or mwanaima@yahoo.com
The song was composed as a collaborative effort.
The producer was Athanas Lukindo and the co- producer Bernie Hewett.
The song was recorded at the Zamunda Studios, PO Box 21147 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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