IFOAM - Africa Organic News
March 2007, Vol.2, No.3
  1. Renaming of the Africa Office Service Center (AOSC) to IFOAM Africa Office (IAO)
  2. Invitation to Tender: IFOAM study on organic food and HIV/AIDS response in sub-Saharan Africa
  3. FAO Organizes Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security
  4. Experience of the Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ) at BioFach 2007
  5. Experience of the National Organic Agriculture Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU) at BioFach 2007: An eye opener
  6. Statement from African civil society organizations at the World Social Forum 2007
  7. Participatory Ecological Land-Use Management (PELUM) promotes traditional foods at the World Social Forum (WSF) 2007
  8. Local marketing initiatives for organic agriculture in Uganda
  9. Updates on Organic Agriculture in Nigeria
  10. Calendar of upcoming organic agriculture-related events
  11. Call for contributions Africa Organic News Vol.2, No.4

 

1. Renaming of the Africa Office Service Center (AOSC) to IFOAM Africa Office (IAO)

 At its January 2007 meeting in Munich, the IFOAM Executive Board (EB) approved
the African Advisory Group’s proposal to rename the Africa Organic Service Center (AOSC) to IFOAM Africa Office (IAO).

 
 

2. Invitation to Tender: IFOAM study on organic food and HIV/AIDS response in sub-Saharan Africa

 IFOAM is seeking a consultant to compile regionally diverse case
studies on organic agriculture and HIV/AIDS.
The proposed study will bring out fresh perspectives and greater
clarity and precision on how organic food and nutrition influence the lives
of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa.
Offers must be submitted to IFOAM before the 14th of April 2007.

Complete information can be found at:
http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/around_world/pdfs/ToR_organic_food_and_
HIV.pdf

 
 

3. FAO Organizes Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security

 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, through its Inter-Departmental Working Group on Organic Agriculture, is organizing the conference in partnership with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Third World Network (TWN).

The Conference is open to all interested parties, including government, academic institutions, civil society and private sector institutions interested in organic agriculture and food security.

For more information visit the FAO website on Organic Agriculture (www.fao.org/organicag) or contact Nadia Scialabba (nadia.scialabba@fao.org).

 
 

4. Experience of the Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ) at BioFach 2007

 The Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia (OPPAZ) is a member based producer organization that facilitates development of the Zambian Organic Sector (ZOS). OPPAZ has 53 individual and corporate members representing community based producer organizations, private commercial companies, researchers and consultants.

OPPAZ attended BioFach in Nuremberg Germany from February 15-18 2007 for two reasons:
  • To market Zambian organic products, and
  • To create viable international linkages for marketing of Zambian organic products.
Three important marketing challenges became clear to OPPAZ at BioFach:
  • BioFach is an international fair for organic products, where producers, manufacturers, advocates of organic production, fair trade and third party certifiers meet.
  • Large volumes of quality certified products packed in clearly marked containers are an absolute necessity in international market supply. Supply of information describing the product, production process and the value chain is therefore indispensable. Product contamination with any foreign matter beyond internationally accepted standards works against product marketing.
  • The international market is ready to pay the price for the value of quality organically certified products.
Consequential to the above, OPPAZ is designing a strategy to accelerate entry of Zambian organic products in the international market. By 2010, Zambia should be able to export increased volumes of organic products through increase in productive capacity and improvement of quality of Zambian organic products. The achievement of this benchmark is contingent upon OPPAZ’s implementation of the three point plan outlined below. OPPAZ shall:
1. Formulate and implement a responsive product and producer targeted extension service plan in order to accelerate organic and fair trade certification and to promote production of organic products currently high in international demand.
2. Mobilize producers and facilitate increased production of organic products currently in high demand. The actions will include:
  • Development of an interactive information management system for collection, collation and dissemination of product and market information to all stakeholders as necessary.
  • Development of an organic producer and buyer database and facilitation of commodity exchange forums between buyers and producers using information, technology and communication.
3. Promote quality production through facilitation of sound post-harvest handling, and appropriate and competitive value addition techniques.

In full recognition of the untapped potential enshrined in the pristine Zambian environment and the insatiable increasing international demand for organic products, OPPAZ invites willing partners to collaborate with in accelerating development of the Zambia Organic Sector through producer support arrangements.

For more information, please contact Munshimbwe Chitalu (Munshimbwe_chitalu@yahoo.co.uk), OPPAZ Executive Vice Chairman.

 
 

5. Experience of the National Organic Agriculture Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU) at BioFach 2007: An eye opener

 As an Umbrella Organization that brings together exporters, farmers, processors and other stakeholders towards organic agricultural development, NOGAMU represents its member exporters at International trade fairs, promotes their products and obtains business contacts for them. Under the auspices of the Center for Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI), NOGAMU, by and large achieved its set targets for participation in Biofach 2007.

Each year Biofach presents enormous business opportunities. It is worth noting however, that Biofach 2007 offered more business opportunities to NOGAMU than ever before. With over 300 visitors at the stand, 50% of whom registered and whose business cards were obtained for transacting business, the fair was not only fruitful but also a big eye opener. Better still, NOGAMU continued to gain international recognition for its important role as the coordinating body of the Organic sector in Uganda.

NOGAMU would like to share a few experiences concerning its attendance at Biofach 2007:

First, following critical observation and analysis of all the visitors at the NOGAMU stand, there was a common and urgent demand for the Ugandan dried fruits and spices, including pineapples, mangoes, papaya, apple bananas, jackfruit, vanilla and ginger, among others. Testimonies from most buyers indicated that such products - especially pineapples and apple bananas - were superior in quality compared to the same products from elsewhere in the world. For these, therefore, most buyers placed immediate orders. Of course, there was demand for other products as well, but not as much as the aforementioned. There is therefore an urgent need for NOGAMU to consolidate the Ugandan supply base for dried fruits to meet the high and increasing demand. In other words, a lot of work has to be dedicated towards organizing more producers around such commercially viable fruit enterprises. Additionally, in such products lie our competitive and comparative advantages.

Secondly, retailers, supermarkets and individual consumers were very much interested in both fresh and dried fruits, but did not have any access to them, yet they could not engage in direct importation. This therefore meant that the existing distribution channels did not convey such products to the vast majority of the final consumers. Thus as an eye opener, there is such a huge desire amongst many consumers, which calls for establishment of outlets in strategic places, especially supermarkets.

Thirdly, there is a great need to invest in value addition to increase incomes from such highly demanded products. More work ought to be dedicated towards improving packaging materials as one way of adding value.

Since the international demand for Ugandan organic products is increasing, NOGAMU invites its members to quickly wake up to the challenges and seize the golden opportunity.

For more information, please contact Namuwoza Charity (cnamuwoza@nogamu.org.ug), NOGAMU International Marketing Officer.

 
 

6. Statement from African civil society organizations at the World Social Forum 2007

 In January 2007 over 50,000 delegates from 100 countries met in Nairobi, Kenya at the 7th World Social Forum.  Biodiversity was one theme discussed, in particular the Bill Gates / Rockefeller Foundation plan to foist another Green Revolution on Africa under the moniker "Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa".  A declaration opposing this plan was signed by 70 African civil society organizations from 12 countries. 

For more information about the statement, please see http://www.worldfoodpolicy.org/html/wsf/wsf.htm .
For more information about the "Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa", see http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalDevelopment/Agriculture/Announcements/announce-
060912.htm

 
 

7. Participatory Ecological Land-Use Management (PELUM) promotes traditional foods at the World Social Forum (WSF) 2007

 PELUM Association participated at the WSF 2007 with its own emphasis on Food Sovereignty with a special focus on the promotion of indigenous foods. PELUM has over the years realized that a key reason for the frequent food shortages in the region e.g. Zambia is the over reliance on maize at the expense of numerous traditional/indigenous fruits, grasses, vegetables, nuts, roots, mushrooms etc. Most of these foods are already ecologically suited for the region. They are not as severely affected by adverse weather conditions as maize in which case they would fetch numerous social and economic returns even with very minimal additional attention and investment. Yet in spite of all the above advantages their social, political, economic and nutritional value and advantages are ignored. 
In particular PELUM emphasized the importance of producing traditional foods as an alternative to the genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  In 2005, PELUM launched an Indigenous Food promotion campaign. The campaign aims at addressing the issues raised above. In 2008, PELUM plans to host a Pan African indigenous Food event. The WSF provided an opportunity to share that thinking with other stakeholders. 
PELUM also partnered with ACCORD and organized various meetings on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and their possible implications on Food Security and Sovereignty and particularly on Indigenous Foods. The topics on EPAs placed emphasis on the effects of trade agreements on small scale farmers, the vulnerable HIV/AIDS and gender. One of the meetings was graced with the attendance of physicist, environmental activist and author Dr. Vandana Shiva.

For more information, please contact Marjorie Chola Chonya      (inforunit@pelum.org.zm), PELUM Information and Communications Officer,
Regional Desk Lusaka, Zambia

 
 

8. Local marketing initiatives for organic agriculture in Uganda

 Currently, over 40 groups and individuals farmer groups supply the NOGAMU shop, which serves as a local marketing outlet for NOGAMU members. There has been a steady increase in the sales of this particular outlet of an average of 50% per annum over the past three years.  There are a wide range of organic products in the organic shop including: fresh fruits and vegetables, juices, honey, wines, dried fruits, peanut butter, various oils and, organic cosmetics, natural remedies among others. After successfully piloting this project, NOGAMU is exploring opening up other outlets in other regions of the country, as well as strategic places in Kampala and the country at large.
Home deliveries for registered customers are done on Mondays and Fridays on a basket system depending on the client’s requirements.  The clientele of the shop apparently is over 30, and clients can order by mail depending on the list of available products circulated to them, mostly these orders are for fresh fruits and vegetables.
There have been quiet a few challenges regarding local marketing initiatives for organic products, ranging from the establishment of packaging and labeling that is competitive with other products on the market, to confronting the concept of associating organic with ‘tradition’ and ‘outdated’. NOGAMU recognizes these challenges and has designed strategies towards building a local commitment for organic farming and consumption, which includes a strategy for regional sensitization and providing inputs to farmers for packaging and labeling.

For more information, please contact Jackline Kabahinda (jkabahinda@nogamu.org.ug), NOGAMU Policy and Advocacy Officer, Uganda.

 
 

9. Updates on Organic Agriculture in Nigeria

 The challenge for promoting organic agriculture in Nigeria is sourcing adequate organic inputs (fertilizers, biocides, stock and seeds) for sustainable production. Tropical soils’ finite capacity to grow food, fodder and fiber is decreasing progressively, due to the decline in soil fertility. Therefore, prevention of further degradation is imperative.
The most pressing need is to search for organic sources of fertilizers that are accessible to peasant farmers.
Possible materials for organic fertilizers include human urine, neem–cake, palm–kernel cake, castor oil seed cake, and compost from drumstick (Moringa), Gliricidia sepium, and sunflower. These organic sources were found to be cost effective.
Market acceptability of the vegetable produced with urine was assessed in the University Ibadan. Surprisingly, clients freely accepted the product for consumption even after knowing that they were grown with human urine. At the just concluded 4th African Soil Science Society international conference held at Accra, Ghana, the concept of urine technology for fertilization became novel.
Investigations are currently going on in other institutions of learning in the country on other sources of organic fertilizers; like the use of composted pig manure for green maize production and composted poultry manure for the production of tomatoes, okra and cucumber in the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Similarly, composted poultry droppings and cassava peels are being evaluated at the Institute for Agricultural Research and Training, Moor Plantation, Ibadan.
It’s a long walk to commercial organic agriculture in Nigeria. Nonetheless, these results are rays of hope that it’s not a mirage after all.

For more information, please contact Olugbenga Adeoluwa, Ph.D. (adeoluwaoo@yahoo.com), department of agronomy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

 
 

10. Calendar of upcoming organic agriculture-related events

  In Africa

East Africa Organic Conference
May 28-June 1 2007
Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania

The conference is open during the Day 1 and 2 to all interested colleagues.
Participation in the conference during the last 3 days is subject to invitation by the organizing committee.

For more information, please visit the IFOAM Africa Office webpage (http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/around_world/africa.html).

National Organic workshop
July 3-4 2007
Antananarivo, Madagascar
For more information, please contact Rajaonarison Andrianjaka (njakar@gmail.com)

Organic Work Camp
July 21-August 11 2007
Kpalimé, Togo
For more information, please contact:
For CFAPE-Togo:
Simon Anoumou Todzro
Email: cfape_eco@yahoo.fr

For  CGPA-Kloto:
Kossi Dackey
Email: cgpaorg@yahoo.fr

Contact in Germany:
Rosi Lehmann
Email: kiamaya@web.de

Fiermada (Rural Economy International Fair)
August 1-5 2007
Antananarivo, Madagascar
For more information, please contact Rajaonarison Andrianjaka (njakar@gmail.com).

IFOAM conference

1st IFOAM Conference on Marketing of Organic and Regional Values
August 26-28 2007
Schwäbisch Hall, Germany

For more information, please visit the IFOAM website at
http://www.ifoam.org/events/ifoam_conferences/regional_values_2007.html

 
 

11. Call for contributions Africa Organic News Vol.2, No.4

 We would like to receive your contribution or suggestions for the next issue of the Africa Organic News newsletter (April 2007).
Deadline for contributions: April 7, 2007.

 
 


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