Organic Africa Pavilion

Africa Symposium @ Biofach 2010: Markets as motors for sustainability

19 February 2010

Nuremberg, Germany

Presentations available in PDF for download! (2010-03-05)

In addition to the Africa Pavilion, Agro Eco – Louis Bolk Institute and Grolink also organise the Africa Symposium during BioFach 2010. The symposium is organised in cooperation with Hivos, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, International Trade Centre and UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development (CBTF). The symposium will be about organic markets as motors for sustainability and will be held on February 19.

Key persons in the world of organic agriculture will contribute to the program. We are very happy to welcome among others the Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture African Union Commission, Ms. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime.

The program in the morning will focus on trade related issues and is therefore very interesting to attend for importers and exporters, social responsibility persons from trade firms, retailers and employees of market information initiatives and so on.

The afternoon will be about policies and funding for organic agriculture and trade. This part of the program will focus on issues that are crucial for donors, governments and development agencies.

Symposium program

Africa is primarily known as an emerging organic supplier of international markets. At the same time it has a potential to supply local and regional markets. Such market access is already benefiting hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers. At the same time, organic agriculture offers some solutions for the important problems that (agriculture) development in Africa is facing. This symposium is about what is there already, what is the potential, what are the business opportunities, what are the bottlenecks, how are/should they be addressed and is the sector ready to expand.

Short presentations are given highlighting issues that are further discussed in the panel, with the public. Background information such as an overview of the organic sector in Sub-Saharan Africa is given in the conference pack. Facilitators are Moses Muwanga (Nogamu and IFOAM) and Bo van Elzakker (AE-LBI).

09.30-11.00 Africa and organic markets; state of affairs

Opening address: Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo on behalf of H.E. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, Rural Economy & Agriculture Commissioner, African Union

• Review of the available information: Hervé Bouagnimbeck, IFOAM Africa office

• Presentation of the Agrodok ‘Entering the organic market’: Marg Leijdens, Agromisa PDF Presentation 352kb

• The synergy of local, regional and export trade in certified and non-certified organic products: Charity Namuwoza, Nogamu PDF presentation 108kb

• First experiences with health food shops, box schemes and supermarkets in Kenya: Su Kahumbu, Green Dreams PDF presentation 4.3MB

• Food processing in Tanzania for the local and export markets: Cleopa Ayo, Golden Food Products PDF presentation 1MB

Panel discussion (20 min)

Conclusion by moderator

BREAK

11.00-12.30 Challenges, the private sector

Most organic initiatives are market driven. Not aid but trade. There are potentials, and there are bottlenecks to reach them. What are these for the different stakeholders, and how can these best be addressed?

• Bottlenecks identified by exporters from Africa, Anne Oudes, AE-LBI PDF presentation 352kb

• The perspective of a commodity trading company, Eva Mbanona, ESCO-Kivu PDF presentation 148kb

• Smallholder access to supermarket shelves: Eva Mattsson, Grolink/UNCTAD PDF presentation 200kb

• Farmers organization for the market: Edit Tuboly, Hivos PDF presentation 868kb

• Organic agriculture and carbon markets: Alexander Kasterine, ITC PDF presentation 172kb

• Presentation of the IFOAM Organic Business Guide: Bo van Elzakker, AE-LBI

• The EU Centre for Development of Enterprise: Jordi Rotllan, CDE PDF presentation 1.3MB

Panel discussion (20 min)

Conclusion by moderator

12.30-14.00 LUNCH

14.00-15.30 Challenges, the public sector

Organic Agriculture fits into various agendas, from combating poverty to broadening the export base, from food security to biodiversity, from organizing farmers to climate adaptation. Organic Agriculture is (part of) the solution. What is the role of governments.

• Organic agriculture policy of the GoU: Hon. Henry Bagiire, Minister of Agriculture, Uganda. PDF presentation 448kb

• Towards sustainable cocoa in the Nyihanini district, Theresa Adomako, DCE

• Public-Private Partnerships, the CBTF, OSEA and GOMA projects: Sophia Twarog, Unctad

• The Trade for Development Centre: Steven De Craen, BTC PDF presentation 312kb

Panel discussion (20 min)

Conclusion by moderator

BREAK

15.30-17.30 Organic Agriculture; part of the solution

What needs to be done to make Organic Agriculture reach its potential in Africa? Are there new markets for what it can achieve? Is the sector ready for larger scale implementation? What is the required organization, coordination, what are the capacities, what is the investment needed.

• National and African policy development for the organic sector: Moses Muwanga, IFOAM World Board PDF presentation 60kb

• The need for concerted action & organic sector readiness: Markus Arbenz IFOAM PDF presentation 924kb

• A donor’s perspective: Elisabeth Sollner, Norad

Larger panel discussion (30 min)

Conclusion by moderator