| |  | | September 2007, Vol.2, no.9 |
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- IFOAM’s engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa
- African Pavilion at BioFach 2008
- New online discussion forum at IFOAM website: Genetically Modified crops and Food Security in Africa
- Leading Supermarket Chain Goes Organic in Kenya
- News from Nigeria
- World Food Day (WFD) 2007
- Activities of the Coalition for the Protection of African Genetic Heritage (COPAGEN) in Senegal
- First Organic Restaurant established in Ghana
- Upcoming Organic Agriculture-related events
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| | 1. IFOAM’s engagement in sub-Saharan Africa | | | IFOAM’s engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa is guided by the Strategic Plan, which was developed by different actors and stakeholders in the organic movement in Africa during a strategic planning meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya. In short, the four objectives of the Strategic Plan are:
1. Institutionalizing the organic sector in Africa
2. Promoting Organic Agriculture (OA) as a holistic development option for Africa
3. Developing organic markets and standards in Africa
4. Fostering a policy framework for the development of OA in Africa
IFOAM implements the Strategic Plan through projects in cooperation with different partners in order to build synergies. All of these projects are contributing to one or more of the four objectives mentioned above. These projects include, for example:
The IFOAM Africa Office for institutionalizing the organic sector. The Africa office mainly focuses on network building, information flow within the African organic movements.
The I-GO Program for local marketing and promoting OA as a development option for Africa
• Advocacy tools: surveys on food security and socio-economic effects of OA in Africa
• Local marketing: case studies on local organic markets in Africa and a study and workshop on Participatory Guarantee Systems in East Africa
The OSEA project for developing national organic standards, local and regional markets, and regional private and public cooperation.
The FAO project for West and Central Africa on OA and fair-trade when it comes to export market development. IFOAM is represented in the project’s steering committee by the IAO coordinator.
The Rudolf Steiner Foundation project for linking producers and buyers (African Pavilion at BioFach 2008) and supporting the establishment of accreditation bodies in Africa.
The UNEP-UNCTAD CBTF project for developing best practices for organic policy.
| | | | | 2. African Pavilion at BioFach 2008
| | | BioFach is the largest organic trade fair in the world. Exhibitors and buyers come from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Oceania, Latin and North America to take advantage of this major business boosting opportunity. Over the years, BioFach has established itself as a meeting place for those involved in organics, including traders, exporters, researchers, national Organic Agriculture movements, consultants, NGOs, policymakers, and development partners. In 2008, many organizations will join forces at BioFach 2008 to give Africa a prominent role.
There will be an African Pavilion where visitors will enjoy African designs, colors, sounds and flavors. A piazza in the middle will make the pavilion an oasis that attracts the visitors and offers them African coffee, tea, wine, snacks and new innovative beverages. In the country or sub-regional stands, exporters, national Organic Agriculture movements and export promotion agencies will showcase the specialties from the Sub-Saharan countries. The Pavilion will also serve as a hub of information on activities and services of different importers, trade promotion agencies, consultancies, NGOs and certifiers. It will also provide an opportunity for exhibitors to exchange information and contacts with relevant businesses from all over the world.
In addition to the African Pavilion there will be a day-long symposium on 23rd February to highlight the status of organics in Africa. Participants will hear about opportunities (and some challenges) for trade and development, including the impact of OA on smallholder farmers; what is being done to further promote organic by governments, private sector and development partners. A high-level panel with policy and opinion makers will discuss the potential of Organic Agriculture to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
The event will be widely covered by African and international media and many journalists have expressed interest in participation. Access to partner organizations' global networks will also help spread the word about the event. The event is likely to be a great success and more than 50 exporters from Africa are expected to participate.
If you are an exporter in Africa – sign up now and take advantage of this opportunity to expand your business and boost your image, contact africa2008@grolink.se or the national Organic Agriculture movement in your country (see contacts listed below)!
If you are engaged in supporting trade or organic farming in Africa – offer your engagement in making this event a success!
If you are an investor in human development – supporting the event can be one of your best investments in the years to come!
Contact list for exporters
Ethiopia
Ethiopian Association for Organic Agriculture, EAOA
Email: alfrd05@yahoo.com
Ph. +251 112 370 300
Ghana
Ghana Organic Agriculture Network, GOAN
Email: adimadosam@yahoo.com
Mob. +233 244 580 720
Kenya
Kenya Organic Agriculture Network, KOAN
Email: koansecretariat@elci.org
Ph. +254 720 703 501
Madagascar
Laulanié Green University, LGU
Email: njakar@gmail.com
Ph. +261 331 136 049
Nigeria
OCCORD
Email: jonathanbabatola@yahoo.co.uk
South Africa
Organic South Africa, OSA
Email: ernestk@worldonline.co.za
Tanzania
Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement, TOAM
Email: kilimohai@bol.co.tz
Mob. +255 744 618 484
Uganda
National Organic Agriculture Movement of Uganda, NOGAMU
Email: cnamuwoza@nogamu.org.ug
Zambia
Organic Producers and Processors Association of Zambia, OPPAZ
Email: Munshimbwe_chitalu@yahoo.co.uk
Ph. +260 95 753 484
Countries in West Africa, other than those listed above
AgroEco Ghana
Email: w.toose@agroeco.net
Countries not mentioned above
Organic Africa 2008 Secretariat
Attn. Kolbjörn Örjavik
c/o Grolink
Torfolk, SE-68495 Höje, Sweden
Email: africa2008@grolink.se
Ph. +46 563 723 45
Fax: +46 563 720 66
| | | | | 3. New online discussion forum at IFOAM website: Genetically Modified crops and Food Security in Africa
| | | This discussion forum has been set up to enable African organic stakeholders and others interested to share their opinion and experience about:
- Risks of genetically modified crops
- Impacts of GM crops on African smallholder farmer livelihoods
- Implications and possible impacts of the “Green revolution for Africa” approach on food security in Africa
- Approaches needed to increase the long-term potential of Organic Agriculture to contribute to crop production and food security in Africa.
From time to time, a summary of the ideas that are being discussed will be made, and the right questions defined for the next step. The outcomes of the discussion will be used as an advocacy tool (African Point of View to the topics) and will be presented at the next Organic World Congress (OWC) in Modena 2008, Italy.
All are invited after registration to participate in the discussion forum at http://www.ifoam.org/forum_php/viewforum.php?f=1.
| | | | | 4. Leading Supermarket Chain Goes Organic in Kenya
| | | Organic farmers in Kenya now have a reason to smile and look forward to a brighter future, which has never looked more promising! Nakumatt Holdings, the largest supermarket chain in the country has opened an organic corner in their ultra modern retail outlet, Nakumatt Westgate, in Nairobi’s Westlands suburb.
This is an unprecedented step forward in the East African region, and is testimony to the importance Kenyans are placing on healthy lifestyles and a clean environment. It is also testimony to the great work that the organic movement in Kenya, under the stewardship of KOAN, has been doing to promote OA in the country.
Nakumatt plans to establish an organic section in each of their outlets in the country. Any progress in this direction would depend entirely on the success of the pilot section in Westgate.
Through this initiative, products carrying the East African Organic Mark are now trading alongside other internationally accepted organic marks in Kenya.
For more information, please contact Wanjiru Kamau (wanjiruk@elci.org).
| | | | | 5. News from Nigeria
| | | At present, more people in Nigeria are becoming aware on the importance of organic products. In August, the Organic Agriculture team of the University of Ibadan organized a one-day workshop for some representatives of farmer associations around Ibadan.
This workshop led to the implementation of two pilot project farms for organic production with a market center/point at the Department of Agronomy of the University of Ibadan. At present, the project focuses on small-scale farmers because they contribute more to the agricultural production in the country. It is planned later to greatly sensitize other farmers to go organic.
OAPTIN-University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and the Coventry University, United Kingdom, are collaborating on the project to develop institutional capacity on Organic Agriculture in Nigeria, under the England-Africa Partnership. The project will design a curriculum for teaching OA in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It will produce teaching materials and demonstration farms. It will host a national workshop in the first quarter of 2008 to fine-tune the curriculum drafts that will be best, run in the 2008/2009 session.
For more information, contact Prof. P.J.C. Harris at byx038@conventry.ac.uk and Prof. I.O.O. Aiyelaagbe at organicagriculture_unaab@yahoo.com.
| | | | | 6. World Food Day (WFD) 2007 | | | On October 16th 2007, IFOAM will join the international community to celebrate World Food Day with the theme The Right to Food.
The Right to Food is the right of every person to have regular access to sufficient, nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable food for an active, healthy life. It is the right to feed oneself in dignity, rather than the right to be fed.
IFOAM will deliver the same press release in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, in order to heighten public awareness of the world food problem and maximize the visibility and positive message of Organic Agriculture around the world.
For more information about the WFD, visit the FAO website at http://www.fao.org/righttofood/news4_en.htm.
| | | | | 7. Activities of the Coalition for the Protection of African Genetic Heritage (COPAGEN) in Senegal | | | Since January 2004, a coalition for the protection of the African genetic heritage is regrouping civil society organizations of French-speaking West Africa. At the present, the coalition is active in the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
Coalition’s member organizations in Senegal include: Enda Pronat, Enda Plante médicinale, Enda Graf, Pan Africa, Action Aid, Radi, Agrinat, Aspsp, and Ascosen.
The main activities carried out by the COPAGEN/SENEGAL are:
• Organization of an information workshop for the members of the National Parliament of Senegal on the risks of GMOs
• Translation and distribution of booklets and audio cassettes in major national languages
• Participation at the national committee meeting for biosecurity in Senegal
• Training workshop for farmer organizations in Koungheul, Diouloulou, Tamba, Thiès, and in Kaolack
• Implementation of a radio campaign in 6 areas of Senegal and in several national languages, such as wolof, pulaar, mandinka, seereer, and diola
• Publication of a survey on the status of biotechnology in Senegal
For more information, contact Elhadji Hamath Hane (agrinat@enda.sn) or Ndiaga Sall (ndiagasall@enda.sn).
| | | | | 8. First Organic Restaurant established in Ghana | | | Ghana’s capital Accra now has the first organic restaurant “Café Baobab,” where organic menus from certified and non certified products are served to the costumers.
With the establishment of this restaurant, the aim is to initiate a farm to restaurant marketing strategy, where organic producers and direct consumers could trigger growth of local markets for organic produce.
Visitors coming to Accra should visit “Café Baobab” by contacting the National Coordinator of GOAN Samuel Adimado (adimadosam@yahoo.com).
| | | | | 9. Upcoming Organic Agriculture-related events | | | FAO organic workshop in Cameroon
October 4-5 2007
Douala, Cameroon
For more information, contact Jean-Pierre Imelé (imeleanywhere@yahoo.com).
Natural and Organic Products exhibition 2007
October 12-14 2007
Cap Town, South Africa
For more information, visit http://www.naturalandorganic.co.za/no/index.asp.
National Organic Conference
October 16 2007
Accra, Ghana
For more information, contact Samuel Adimado (adimadosam@yahoo.com).
3rd National Conference on Organic Agriculture in Nigeria
November 11-15 2007
Sokoto, Nigeria
For more information, contact:
Dr. A.l. Yakubu
Department of Crop Science
Usmann Danfodiyo University, P.M.B.
2346 Sokoto, Nigeria
Email: aiyakubu2003@yahoo.co.uk
Mobile: +234-(0)803-600-7622
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