Organic Agriculture discussed at UNCTAD's side-event during BioFach in Nuremberg, Germany

UNCTAD participated in one of the world's leading trade fair for organic food, the BIOFACH conference in Nuremberg, from 11 to 14 February 2015.

What do we do? Facilitate harmonization and equivalence of standards related to organic production and trade Contribute to easing market access for fresh organic food products Strengthen the production capacity or organic producers in developing countries Use best policy practices for promoting organic production Recent Projects: Uganda Lao People's Democratic Republic United Republic of Tanzania

The BIOFACH conference gathers international actors with stakes in organic agriculture, including regulators and policy-makers as well as businesses, who discuss the latest industry trends.

On 13 February, UNCTAD organized a side event to showcase its past and ongoing projects on organic agriculture, provided under the United Nations Trade and Productive Capacity Cluster projects ongoing in Lao PDR and the United Republic of Tanzania.

During the session, UNCTAD presented the project design used to develop organic agriculture capacities in Lao People's Democratic Republic and the United Republic of Tanzania, focusing on developing technical dialogues between farmers, government ministries and certification bodies, as well as promoting initial supply and demand linkages between organic agriculture and the tourism sector.

The side event was attended by about 30 participants, including government officials from the United Republic of Tanzania and Brazil engaged in similar projects, NGOs operating in Lao People's Democratic Republic (including Helvetas), as well as a number of organic agriculture practitioners and academics.

Reactions from the audience included questions and expressions of interest in the model adopted to create linkages between sustainable agriculture practices and the tourism sector, as a bridge to future export markets.

There were also questions on the types of partners which the UN Trade and Productive Capacity cluster employs to make sure the projects have local ownership and impact.

Finally, parallels were made between practices in Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Brazilian smallholder farming programme, both of which aim to make organic produce affordable not only for premium markets, but also for the local population.

UNCTAD´s participation was supported and facilitated by the BIOFACH conference organizing committee.