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Goal 5 |
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An advisory strategy, including
consultancies and development agencies, for countries with an emerging
sector on organic agriculture is developed and implemented
In various countries and regions, the organic agricultural
sector emerges and governments are looking for competent advice.
Governments can play an important role in the development of the
organic sector. As with other emerging sectors, when the governments
take interest in OA, they focus mainly on “regulating” the sector.
However, with the limited resources the governments in many DCs have at
hand, it is better to support the sector rather than to regulate it.
In November 2003, IFOAM’s Government Relation Committee organized an
informational event in Bangkok for official government representatives
from Asian countries working on national standard setting and national
regulations. The interest was substantial and the lack of comprehensive
information and knowledge about the most important procedures and
challenges were obvious.
Governments can play an important role in the development of the
organic sector. Often emerging sectors ask for intervention of the
government ‘to regulate’. However with limited resources, it is better
to use government’s resources to support the sector rather than to
regulate it. A better strategy for early development of the sector is
to start with the foundations. When governments take an interest in the
organic sector, they focus mainly on regulating the sector. Providing the
global platform for the organic agriculture movements certainly can
guide in all this.
IFOAM realizes the need to develop a strategy to work on advice / for
government support, e.g. in regulations, capacity building, extension,
promotion, and others. IFOAM is planning to develop a comprehensive
information package covering all important sectors of organic
agriculture, like the Organic Guarantee System, promotion materials for
“organic agriculture and food security” and “organic agriculture and
poverty reduction”, training materials on organic agriculture and
marketing, etc. A special focus will be given to development agencies,
as well as to consultancies working in this field in developing and
disseminating the package.
Planned Activities
- Develop a strategy for advice / governments support, e.g. in regulations, capacity building, extension, etc.
- Develop and produce a comprehensive information package
- Support governments on request
- Involve consultancies working with governments to implement the
IFOAM advisory strategy, and to actively use IFOAM's information
package
- Lobbying of development agencies to implement IFOAM's information package in their project/program planning and approach.
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