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New Standard for East African Organic Products to be Launched at Tanzanian Conference May 28th - June 1st |
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May 24, 2007
New Standard for East African Organic Products to be Launched at Tanzanian Conference May 28th - June 1st |
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A 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 88th to June 1st 2007. |
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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 and Development |
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