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 <strong>The</strong> 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 <strong>African</strong> Union (AU) and EU Commissions have initiated agricultural policy cooperation, focussing on value adding schemes and in particular organic farming. <strong>The</strong> benefits of the organic production method in terms of sustainability make it a system well-suited to <strong>African</strong> 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 <strong>African</strong> 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 <strong>African</strong> countries, are receiving training and assistance towards organic certification. PIP also aims to BOOK OF ABSTRACTS 71
2 nd AFRICAN ORGANIC CONFERENCE 2012 May 2-4, 2012 in Lusaka, Zambia strengthen ACP involvement in standard-setting and policy-making. ACP representatives are sponsored to attend international meetings, and a strategy is under development to support National <strong>Organic</strong> Association Movements (NOAMS). Activities are already in place or under discussions with NOAMs in Jamaica, Rwanda, and Zambia. Key words: PIP, EU, horticulture, value-chains, ACP, pesticides 72 BOOK OF ABSTRACTS
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