Entitled "Organic Agriculture and Food Security in Africa", the study demonstrates that organic agriculture can be equal or better for food security than most conventional systems and is more likely to be sustainable in the longer term, as it builds up levels of natural, human, social, financial and physical capital in farming communities. It also favours the use of low carbon footprint production methods and local resources.
The UNEP*-UNCTAD** Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development (CBTF) is one of two international partnerships through which UNCTAD conducts its work on organic agriculture as a trade and sustainable development opportunity for developing countries. The other partnership is the UNCTAD-FAO-IFOAM International Task Force on Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture (ITF).
The launch – attended by delegates to UNCTAD´s Trade and Development Board meeting – marks the close of the first phase of the CBTF East African Organic Initiative. That initiative has led to vibrant public-private partnerships in East Africa and beyond, including the development of the East African Organic Products Standard, the second regional organic standard in the world, which will promote production and trade in East African organic products.
The launch was followed by a quick overview of five years of work on the ITF, whose work culminated on 7 October with the launch in Geneva of two tools produced by the Task Force. The EquiTool and the IROCB, a minimum set of international requirements for organic certification bodies, will facilitate organic trade by establishing equivalence and recognition among organic standards and conformity assessment systems.
* UNEP- United Nations Environment Programme
** UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
Source: UNCTAD, September 24, 2009: Organic agriculture and food security study launched
Further information
News at the UNCTAD homepage, September 24, 2009: Organic agriculture and food security study launched
UNEP-UNCTAD study 'Organic Agriculture and Food Security in Africa'
UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development (CBTF)
Info at Organic-World.net
News at Organic World.Net of October 8, 2008: International task force launches two tools to facilitate trade in organic products
Organic-World.net: Africa
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