The World of Organic Agriculture - Statistics and Emerging Trends 2009 documents recent developments in global organic agriculture. It includes contributions from representatives of the organic sector from throughout the world and provides comprehensive organic farming statistics that cover surface area under organic management, numbers of farms and specific information about land use in organic systems.

The book also contains information on the global market for organic food, activities of UN organizations, the latest developments in organic certification, standards and regulations and insights into current status and emerging trends for organic agriculture by geographical region.

To buy this publication, please go to IFOAM or FiBL

This publication concludes that organic agriculture has much to offer in both mitigation of climate change through its emphasis on closed nutrient cycles and is a particularly resilient and productive system for adaptation strategies. It also raises the issue of whether organic agriculture should be eligible for carbon credits under voluntary carbon offsetting markets and the Clean Development Mechanism.

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This report should be seen as an input to Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources for the development of an action plan for organic agriculture and trade. It can also be an input to a more comprehensive policy for organic as well as giving some guidance for existing or future organic projects.

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The new edition of this annual publication documents recent developments in global organic agriculture. It includes contributions from representatives of the organic sector from throughout the world and provides comprehensive organic farming statistics that cover surface area under organic management, numbers of farms and specific information about commodities and land use in organic systems. The book also contains information on the global market of the burgeoning organic sector, the latest developments in organic certification, standards and regulations and insights into current status and emerging trends for organic agriculture by continent from the world’s foremost experts.

The full document is available in the Organic Eprints Archive at http://orgprints.org/13123/

The demand for organic wild collected products is significant. Products for direct food consumption, such as berries, nuts, mushrooms and a large number of herbs are the main items.

This publication:
• Discusses terminology used in wild collection.
• Gives an overview of organic and other standards that relate to wild collection.
• Provides data and background information about collection and marketing of certified organic wild collected products.

In June 2007 the UK organic standard-setting body, the Soil Association, launched a Green Paper and public consultation on possible courses of action that it might adopt in relation to reducing or eliminating the contribution of airfreighted organic imports to climate change. This publication is a preliminary analysis of the economic impacts of a possible ban on organic fresh imports, in the UK on the one hand and in countries supplying to the UK by air on the other.

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The issue of climate change has grown in importance as seen through the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol and issues such as “food miles”. ‘Food miles’ is a relatively recent issue which has arisen in the United Kingdom, Germany and other countries over food transportation. This publication provides a review of literature most relevant to the issue of air miles. In particular, this report concentrates upon issues around the proposed changes in the Soil Association’s (a leading UK organic certification body) criteria for airfreighted products. Moreover, this is particularly relevant to the import of fresh fruit and vegetables from developing countries.

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The EU market for organic products is growing. Particularly high growth rates are observed in Germany and the United Kingdom. In most European countries highest growth is seen in the fruit and vegetables, as well as the meat and dairy product categories. In the short and medium term, demand is foreseen to strengthen and growth is expected to continue. This publication guides exporters in Thailand to make products, expertise, and exporters known to the (potential) buyers in the EU market. A common marketing effort among exporters of organic products and readily available information on products on offer, expertise and ideas, would be an advantage for exporters in Thailand.

Report analysing the global market for organic cotton fibre, textiles and clothing
- gives a definition of organic cotton and ‘fair trade’ cotton; provides detailed figures for organic cotton production, trade, and consumption; presents the geographical markets for organic cotton fibre, textiles; describes the involvement of many large brands and retailers, and reviews organic cotton markets in the United States, Switzerland, Germany, United Kingdom and France; provides a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the organic cotton market worldwide; includes recommendations and a bibliography.

This manual builds on information compiled through consultancy and mission seminars in Africa and South America, as well as other activities carried out under this project. It is designed to address the needs of producers and exporters in developing countries for specific technical and market information in order to develop their organic enterprises and to export the products covered to target markets. This 2nd edition (July 2006) adds a number of producers and importers to the database. Contamination problems with food products - organic and annex conventional - in target markets are increasingly reported, and the costs and penalties involved becoming increasingly severe. New links to sites dealing with quality management including the use of sterilisation methods for finished products and mycotoxin prevention advances are in Annex IV.

This report has been prepared by the ITC Technical Assistance Team to provide a background to the current state of play of organic agriculture in Thailand, and offers an assessment of key issues for the supply chain, including production, marketing, research, training and extension services, the institutional framework and support systems, and import requirements of the EU. The report is based upon an earlier benchmark survey and literature review, combined with an extensive stakeholder consultation process over a 12-month period. Based on the outcomes of this feedback, the report makes a number of recommendations in support of a national action plan for organic agriculture to foster growth of the export sector, enhance coordination between government agencies, and strengthen Thailand’s government control systems. Appendices include a bibliography (59-60), project fact sheet, list of organic companies and organizations consulted for this study.

The Canadian market for organic food and beverages (2004) is meant to focus on those aspects of the Canadian market that are of most interest to producers and exporters in developing countries, although it may hopefully be of interest to other readers as well. It gives practical information on distribution channels and identifies major importers and other organic companies.

This Market Brief profiles the US market for natural ingredients that are used in the cosmetic and/or dietary supplement industries. It highlights selected Andean products that have potential for capturing a larger share of the US market. The range of natural ingredients covered in this report includes medicinal and aromatic herbs, medicinal herbal extracts and vegetable saps, pectic substances, vegetable mucilages and thickeners, ground-nut oils, fixed oils including castor oil, flaxseed oil, jojoba oil and hemp oil, vegetable waxes and insect waxes such as beeswax, cocoa butter, plant-based colorants such as annato seed, essential oils, resinoids, and oleoresins.

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The study presents the findings of recent ITC research on the United States market for organic food and beverages. It identifies market prospects and business opportunities for developing countries and transition economies ; gives data on domestic production, imports/exports and market size ; outlines market characteristics and import requirements ; provides information on organic certification, including the National Organic Program (NOP) ; examines distribution channels and identifies major importers, distributors, retail organizations and manufacturers/packers of organic foodstuff, industry and consumer associations, trade publications and government offices.

The Canadian market for organic food and beverages (2004) is meant to focus on those aspects of the Canadian market that are of most interest to producers and exporters in developing countries, although it may hopefully be of interest to other readers as well. It gives practical information on distribution channels and identifies major importers and other organic companies.

CHAPTER 1: REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCING AND EXPORTING ORGANIC PRODUCTS TO MAJOR MARKETS CHAPTER 2: MAIN MARKETS FOR ORGANIC FRUIT AND VEGETABLES AUSTRIA BELGIUM DENMARK FRANCE GERMANY ITALY JAPAN THE NETHERLANDS SWEDEN SWITZERLAND UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES CHAPTER 3: CASE STUDIES OF COUNTRIES PRODUCING AND EXPORTING ORGANIC FRUIT AND VEGETABLES ARGENTINA CAMEROON CHILE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MADAGASCAR PAPUA NEW GUINEA ZAMBIA CHAPTER 4: ASSISTANCE TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE