|
October 10, 2008
The International Task Force on
Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture (ITF) has
completed its work and launched two practical tools to
facilitate the trade flow of organic products worldwide. Led for
six years by a partnership of
IFOAM, UNCTAD and FAO, the ITF sought solutions for barriers
to trade in the organic sector due to a multitude of organic
standards, government technical regulations and certification
performance requirements that now characterize the sector.
Governments and private certification and accreditation bodies
can now depend on one set of instruments for assessing the
equivalence of standards, technical regulations and
certification requirements. Equivalence will ease trade barriers
and foster organic market development worldwide.
EquiTool, which facilitates the equivalence of standards for
organic production and processing, includes assessment criteria
and emphasizes reference to the international standards of IFOAM
and Codex.
IROCB (International Standards for Organic Certification Bodies)
will enable the recognition of organic certification bodies
worldwide. Based on ISO 65 (General Requirements for Bodies
Operating Product Certification Systems), IROCB (pronounced
eye-rock-bee) also includes performance requirements specific to
organic certification.
The ITF Tools were launched by IFOAM Vice President Urs Niggli,
UNCTAD Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi and FAO Assistant
Director General Alexander Mueller at a public session following
the 8th ITF meeting. The final ITF meeting was held on 6-7
October at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
“The growth of organic agriculture presents a very good
opportunity for farmers to participate in trade”, noted the FAO
Deputy Director during his remarks at the public session.
“Market demand is strong and consumers know that the quality of
organic products is high and the production system is
environmentally friendly.”
“The food supply and price crisis have called to attention the
problems in agriculture. The way that the world grows its food
will have to change radically to meet these changes, and organic
agriculture is an approach with strong potential to address the
problems,” observed the UNCTAD Director General. “The sector is
growing rapidly and presents opportunity for producers. Organic
agriculture is particularly well suited for smallholder farmers.
It preserves traditional knowledge and reduces dependence on
external inputs. Constraints include the requirements to obtain
organic certification for different markets. To address these
constraints, the public and private sectors should embrace the
ITF findings and tools.”
“Now we have another result in the organic sector from a
public-private cooperation, stated IFOAM’s Vice President. “The
cooperation of FAO, UNCTAD and IFOAM on the ITF has produced two
important tools to support organic market development. ITF is
one of the rare successful examples of public-private
partnership. It is of utmost importance to intensify and enhance
the partnership of IFOAM, UNCTAD and FAO.”
Participants in the ITF praised the tools. Some participants,
such as those from the EU Commission and IFOAM, committed to
using these tools in their systems, and others committed to
advocating in their own regions for their adoption. |
|
