The 2nd African Organic Conference – Mainstreaming ... - ICROFS

2 nd AFRICAN ORGANIC CONFERENCE 2012
May 2-4, 2012 in Lusaka, Zambia
AFRICAN&ORGANIC&PRODUCT&AND&THE&EU:&
STATUS,&REQUIREMENTS,&OPPORTUNITIES&AND&AU:EU&INITIATIVES&
FRANCIS FAY
Deputy Head of Unit for ACP, South Africa, G8/G20 and FAO, DG Agriculture and Rural Development,
European Commission, Brussels, Belgium, francis.fay@ec.europa.eu
Abstract
The size of the European Union (EU) market in organic product is estimated in the order of EUR 19 billion.
It is an open market for organic product exported from Africa. Since 2010, the African Union (AU) and EU
Commissions have initiated agricultural policy cooperation, focussing on value adding schemes and in
particular organic farming. The benefits of the organic production method in terms of sustainability make it
a system well-suited to African needs in agriculture and in particular for smallholders. While the EU
market is an important outlet, local and regional markets in Africa for organic-labelled product should also
grow. If necessary, alternatives to third party certification, such as producer guarantee systems of control
can be applied and developed. Initiatives on organic farming should be mainstreamed into national and
regional agricultural policies to ensure development opportunities for the sector and coherence with the
Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme. At regional level, the EU is developing
formal trade and development relations with the regions to guarantee market access to the EU and provide
for formal agricultural cooperation, which can also cover organic farming. Stakeholders have an
opportunity to mainstream organic farming into national and regional agricultural policies and help ensure
the growth of the sector.
Key words: AU, EU, policy, trade
THE&PIP&PROGRAMME&AND&ITS&SUPPORT&FOR&ORGANIC&PRODUCTION&
John Cox
PIP, Belgium, john.cox@coleacp.org
Abstract
COLEACP-PIP is a European Union funded programme that provides technical assistance to the Africa-
Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) fresh fruit and vegetable export sector. In accordance with the Millennium
Development Goals, the main objective is to: “Maintain and, if possible, increase the contribution made by
export horticulture to the reduction of poverty in ACP countries”. While export horticulture is the principal
focus, where possible outputs are adapted to also benefit production for local and regional markets.
A first phase of the programme ran from 2001 to 2010, directed primarily at supporting compliance with
the evolving EU food safety regulations and private standards. This was achieved through capacity
building of producers, exporters, and local service providers, with a special emphasis on SMEs and smallscale
producers. A second phase, running from 2010-14, has broadened the scope to also consider
sustainability, and the social and environmental impacts of production. Within this context there is a strong
drive to promote and support ethical trade, minimal pesticide residues, Integrated Crop Management, and
alternative production systems, including organic.
PIP is demand-driven and provides support within the context of supply chains. Requests for assistance
from the organic sector have grown significantly in recent years, and PIP is supporting a range of
initiatives. Among these is support to producers and exporters in organic production; currently 19
companies (sourcing their produce from several thousand smallholder outgrowers), spread among nine
African countries, are receiving training and assistance towards organic certification. PIP also aims to
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