Geneva, 7 October 2008 - The International Task Force on Harmonization and Equivalency in Organic Agriculture (ITF) concluded its work today with the launch of two practical tools intended to ease trade in organic agricultural products.
The tools, approved in Geneva at the two-day final meeting of the ITF, were launched by Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Alexander Müller, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Urs Niggli, Vice President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). All urged that these measures and other task force recommendations be employed worldwide. The launching was followed by a reception featuring organic food -the first held at Geneva´s Palais de Nations.
- The EquiTool is a guide to help decision-makers assess whether an organic production and processing standard applicable in one region of the world is equivalent -- that is, not identical but equally valid -- to another organic standard.
- The IROCB (International Requirements for Organic Certification Bodies) is a minimum set of performance requirements for organic certification bodies.
International organic trade is hindered by a multitude of standards, regulations, and conformity assessment systems (accreditation, inspection, and certification). Products certified as organic under one system are not easily recognized as organic under another. This causes major headaches and costs for organic producers and exporters wishing to sell in different markets-sometimes even in two stores on the same street. These barriers can put the multi-faceted economic, environmental, health, and social benefits of organic agriculture beyond the reach of many producers, particularly resource-poor farmers in developing countries-the very ones who stand to gain the most from organic production. It also leaves consumers paying higher prices for a more limited selection of products.
UNCTAD, the FAO, and IFOAM -- the umbrella organization for the organic sector worldwide -- joined forces to seek solutions to this problem in 2003 by forming the ITF. The task force is a platform for international discussion by experts from the public and private sectors aimed at removing technical barriers to organic trade and improving the access of developing countries to international markets for organic products.
Meeting eight times in six years, the ITF completed a series of studies analyzing impediments to organic trade. It formulated a set of recommendations and the two tools.
The ITF advocates that organic production should be based on standards well-suited to local socio-economic and agro-ecological conditions; that international organic trade should be on the basis of international standards and the principle of equivalence; and that organic certification bodies worldwide should meet minimum performance requirements.
For more information, please see the ITF websites http://www.unctad.org/trade_env/itf-organic and http://www.itf-organic.org
