Location
The People's Republic of China, claims an area of
9,596,960 km2. The mainland's 5,774 km coastline, extending from
the mouth of the Yalu River in the northeast to the Gulf of Tonkin in
the south. China is
bordered on the North by Mongolia; and Russia; on the North East
by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; on the East by the
Yellow and the East China seas; along the southern border are Hong
Kong, Macau, the South China Sea, the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam, and
Laos; on the South West by Myanmar, India, Bhutan, and Nepal; on the
West by India, Jammu and Kashmir (disputed areas), Pakistan (west of
the Karakoram Pass), and Afghanistan; and on the North West by
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. The climate in China varies
greatly with topography. The Minimum winter temperatures ranges from
–27°C in the northern region to 16°C in the southern region.
Agricultural Sector
Although agriculture accounts for only 12.5% of the GDP, the sector
employs 49% of the population. China’s cereal production (mainly rice)
is the largest in the world. China is also the world’s largest
producer of garlic, ginger, wheat and potatoes. Its main export crops
include tea, rice, carrots, soybeans, cotton, sesame seeds, cinnamon,
citrus fruits, maize, apples and pears. It also exports pork and fish
(FAOSTAT, 2005-06). The majority of agricultural production is sold
domestically. A greater portion of China's soil is acidic red clay, but irrigation and
heavy fertilizer use - both organic, and chemical - have provided
Chinese farmers with high yields. The land use is divided as follows:
permanent pastures 43%, forests and woodlands 14%, arable land 10%,
permanent crops 0%, other 33%. (CIA, 2007).
Brief overview of organic farming
The organic sector in China has rapidly expanded in the last decade.
China is the first country in Asia and the second in the world for
total hectares of land under organic cultivation. With 3,466,570
hectares, accounting for 0.60% of the total agricultural area,
approximately 1,560 Chinese farmers use organic production methods
(IFOAM & FiBL, 2006). This growth in organic production has been
driven not only by the increasing international demand, but also by an
expanding domestic market in urbanised areas, which showed market
growth up to 30% (IFOAM & FiBL, 2006). The increasing international
demand and the expansion of the internal market for organic products
indicates that the sector has potential to develop further in the
future.
Brief overview of key organic products
Certified organic produce from China includes tea, pumpkin, sunflower
seeds, soy products, various mushroom, medicinal plants, and kidney
and black beans. Most of these products are sold in semi-processed or
raw forms (IFOAM & FiBL, 2006). Most existing organic fruit farms
presently produce for domestic market, but aim at international market
in the longer run (FAO, 2003). Chinese organic products are exported
mostly to Europe, U.S and Japan. China's
organic food exports totalled 142 million US$ in 2003 and 200 million
US$ in 2004.
The network
Organic production has attracted over the past years an increasing
political recognition by the Chinese government for its role in
protecting the environment. The China Greenfood Development Centre
(CGFDC) was established in 1992 under the jurisdiction of the Ministry
of Agriculture. Its major activities include inspection, certification,
teaching, and training. The CGFDC’s aims are the protection of the
agro-ecological environment and the extension of sustainable food
production methods. CGFDC formulates programme, policies and plans for
developing Green Food; it also administers the use of the Green Food
label and organizes the formulation of the various standards for Green
Food.
The Organic Food Development Centre of China (OFDC) is another
governmental organization directly under the jurisdiction of the State
Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA). OFDC has been involved
in organic inspection and certification since 1994. The main tasks of
OFDC are to control agro-environmental pollution caused by pesticides
and fertilizers, to promote the development of organic agriculture,
and to provide certified quality organic food for consumers. It also
administers the use of the OFDC organic logo, which is approved by
SEPA.
Established in 1998 with the aim of increasing the productivity and
sustainability of agricultural production systems in China, the
Intercontinental Center for Agroecological Industry Research &
Development (ICAIRD) promotes the development of agroecological
industry and organic agriculture.
The Jiangsu Ruikang Organic Food Trade (JROFT) was established in
1995 with the aim of stimulating organic farming in China. Over the
last years, JROFT has cultivated organic tea, organic liquorice and
organic star anise.
Notably, in 2006 BioFach China took place for the first time in
Shanghai. BioFach is a public-private partnership between Nürnberg
Global Fair and the German Development and Investment Society. The
BioFach China was organised together with CGFDC and SEPA.
CGFDC
China Green Food Development Centre
Mr. Shi Shongkai
Room 205 Chongquing Hotel
15 Guangximen Beili, Xibahe
Chaoyang District,Beijing 100028
Tel.: +86-10-64228888 ext.7205
Fax: +86-10-64221175
E-mail: CGFDC(at)agri.gov.cn
http://www.greenfood.org.cn/
OFDC-SEPA
Organic Food Development Center of China
Xingji Xiao
P.O.Box 4024
8, Jiangwangmiao Street
Nanjing 210042
Tel.: +86-25-5425370
Fax: +86-25-5420606
E-mail: ofdc(at)pub.nj.jsinfo.net
http://www.ofdc.org.cn/english/about/about.asp
ICAIRD
Intercontinental Center for Agroecological Industry Res
Li Zhengfang, or Ding Wie
103 Goulu Post Office
17-206 Xijiadatong, Gulou
Nanjing 210008
Tel: +86-25-3602748
Fax: +86-25-3602748
E-mail: icaird(at)jlonline.com
JROFT
Jiangsu Ruikang Organic Food Trade
Lengjie Cheng
66-1 Chengxian Street
210018 Nanjing
Tel.: +86-25-7712445
Fax: +86-25-3356700
E-mail: ruikang(at)public1.ptt.js.cn
References
- CIA FactBook, 31.05.07
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html
- FAO, 24.10.2006: Key Statistics of Food and Agriculture External Trade.
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
Statistics Division.
http://www.fao.org/es/ess/toptrade/trade.asp?dir=exp&country=3&ryear=2004 and
http://www.fao.org/es/ess/top/country.html?lang=en
- FAO, IFOAM, and Earth Net Foundation (2003): Proceedings of the
Seminar on the Production and Export of Organic Fruit And Vegetables
in Asia.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/AD429E/ad429e00.HTM
- FAO Statistical Year Book, (2005-06)
http://www.fao.org/statistics/yearbook/vol_1_2/pdf/China.pdf
- IFOAM & FiBL (2006): The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and
Emerging Trends 2006. International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM), Bonn & Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
FIBL, Frick, pp. 108-117.
- Lu Zhenhui, Production and market of organic foods in China, 1st
Gangjin International Symposium on Organic Agriculture, 2002 (November
15), Gangjin, Korea.
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http://www.new-agri.co.uk/02-1/countryp.html
