Agroecology and organic export
The green economy (Agroecology) is an emerging economic system that seeks to promote and adopt natural and organic practices that protect the environment.
December 30, 2021
In this session of The Organic & Natural Virtual B2B Talk Shop, Warren Hickinbotham, Co-founder of Organic and Natural Products Portal Africa, and Brett Sander from SAOSO unpacks the green economy, also referred to as Agroecology.
Watch on Youtube: Agroecology and Organic Export
Brett has over a decade of experience in organic farming and sustainable community development in the Western Cape, South Africa.
Based on SAOSO’s research, Brett highlights some key factors when it comes to South Africa’s natural and organic export, the process of obtaining organic certification and which organisations to approach for export to the USA and EU.
For South African organic and natural retailers, the process of obtaining organic certification can be very overwhelming. Therefore, we highly recommend you get in touch with SAOSO as soon as possible.
The South African Organic Sector Organisation (SAOSO) is a non-profit organisation focused on uniting and growing the organic agriculture sector in South Africa.
SAOSO works to unite farmers, producers, retailers and consumers of organic products to collectively protect the future food freedom and natural ecology of South Africa. They collaborate with organisations whose strategies are aligned.
SAOSO is, without a doubt, the knowledge hub for organic agriculture in South Africa and has developed a local Standard for Organic Production and Processing which is included in the IFOAM Family of Standards.
Unlocking a truly sustainable food system.
In South Africa, there is only 0.034 million hectares of organic farmland and 220 organic producers, which suggests a massive growth potential in the sector. On the demand/consumer side, a total value of EUR 75 billion of organic products were sold globally in 2015, illustrating a continued double-digit growth since 1999.
While demand is predominantly located in the USA (36bn), the EU (30bn), and the EFTA region (4.2bn), Asian and Middle East markets are steadily gaining momentum. In Europe, a growth rate of more than 20 percent of organic retail sales was observed in Spain, Ireland and Sweden.
The historic recommendation that South African producers certify their production processes against the EU organic regulation, has been overly costly for many a producer. The advantage for South African producers is, that one certification opens up 28 different markets of varying sizes. This would be supportive of individual companies’ production capacities, as well as corporate development efforts. A small producer can now establish its product in a smaller market and take it from there.
What is the green economy about?
To truly unlock a sustainable food system, one must adapt the Green Economy Nexus Approach.
Job creation – Organic 6 jobs per hectare vs conventional agriculture 1.6 jobs per hectare.
Agriculture – Soil fertility health and biodiversity preservation – Mixed production systems and planting trees on farms. Establishment of soil and pesticide testing laboratories.
Water – Land-scape hydrology design, watershed management, water purification and storage.
Energy – Solar and biogas technologies to supplement energy requirements on the farms and surrounding communities.
Waste – Management of Organic waste into composting and vermiculture systems, large scale municipal participation at production sites such as Agri-hubs or City Parks.
This Green Economy Nexus approach is defined as Agroecology.
By taking responsibility for food sovereignty and sustainable development through Organic Production and Agroecology Practices (OPAP) we can all reverse the adverse effects of climate change.
For further information on Agroecology, contact Colleen Anderson at SAOSO at 011 82 808 9471 or send her an email at colleen@saoso.org.
Keeping the Organic & Natural conversation going…
The Organic & Natural Virtual B2B Talk Shop takes place twice a year and brings together a mix of all industry stakeholders for two FREE days of conference and networking, with the opportunity to feature one’s company in a micro site on the platform.
The conference content covers an overview of the organic and natural sector delivered by Trade Intelligence, with insights from various retail buyers, distributors, tech enablers along the likes of e-commerce and marketing, and associations and government bodies offering support services to organisations in the sector.
Delegates are made up of suppliers in the sector ranging from fresh produce to food & beverage, as well as cosmetics and personal care, distributors, exporters, importers, and industry support bodies.
The Organic & Natural Products Portal Africa is an easy-to-use portal for both trade buyers and consumers to access Organic & Natural Products Expo information, as well as the company information of suppliers of organic and natural products in, and from, the African continent.
Get listed on the directory to gain exposure to thousands of trade buyers and consumers seeking products in your category.