Dec 4, 2020

The European Commission has approved a proposal that would recognize organic certification standards in the United Kingdom for at least 12 months after the UK leaves the European Union on December 31, 2020. Unless an organic equivalency agreement is reached, the move will keep UK organic products on the market in Europe only through 2021. UK organic product exports to the EU are estimated at £225 million annually.

Dec 4, 2020

India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will require certain foods to be accompanied by Non-GMO or GMO-free certificates, with a deadline that has been extended until a delivery arrival date of March 1, 2021. Items on the list include corn, wheat, rice, soybeans, beans and many fruits and vegetables including apples, papayas, pineapples, eggplants and potatoes. The order does not apply to processed food products or livestock feed.

Dec 1, 2020

The 2020 China Organic Products Certification and Organic Industry Development report valued the organic food market in China at CNY68 billion (US$10.3 billion) in 2019, but fewer than 500 imported food products have been certified organic in China. Chinese shoppers are skeptical about organic certification because fake certificates can be purchased relatively cheaply in certain provinces. To boost consumer trust, the government mandates that all organic products, down to the SKU,  have a unique code to facilitate traceability.

Nov 26, 2020

About 1200 organic farmers in Ireland received payments, totaling €5.5 million, from the country’s Organic Farming Scheme. The program has resulted in an increase of nearly 50% on the hectarage under organic production since the start of the scheme in 2014. Ireland plans to increase the budget by €4 for this program in 2021.

Nov 24, 2020

The government plans to move away from GMO oil products as a strategy. Research indicated that Chinese consumers oppose genetically modified foods. Over 90 percent of the 70 million tones soybeans China imports are GMO. Palm oil products are expected to gain a larger market share as the country shifts away from GMO soy.

 

Nov 23, 2020

The USDA Foreign Agriculture Service will host a virtual trade event for US exporters  interested in selling in Bangladesh, India, Burma (Myanmar), Nepal and Sri Lanka. Exporters of U.S. dairy products, healthy and natural foods (including vegetarian/vegan-friendly foods and non-alcoholic beverages), prepared foods and tree nuts are strongly encouraged to apply. Apply by December 11, 2020 deadline for the Feb. 2-4, 2021 event.

Nov 17, 2020

Recently signed into law, Indonesia’s ‘Job Creation’ bill contains provisions that are expected to ease access to imported food and beverage ingredients. Importing food to Indonesia has been complicated by laws which favor use of domestic production, even though data on domestic supply is often unreliable. The new law may take into account other factors, such as high food prices, in allowing food imports.

Nov 11, 2020

A new app powered by blockchain helps consumers in China verify the origin of products before they buy. The app, OrgHive, enables users to scan and verify over 2 billion organic certifications issued by Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA). Products listed on the platform feature a unique 17-digit code that enables traceability from origin to retail.

Nov 10, 2020

After extensive review and public comment, Canada is poised to release an updated version of its standards. The country’s climate for agriculture has driven many of the changes, which seek to make organic agriculture possible under challenging conditions for some products. Livestock, crops, greenhouse and honey production and the permitted substances list will all be among the changes.  

Oct 30, 2020

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service will host a virtual trade event for US candy and snack food businesses interested in trade with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or the United Arab Emirates. Importers in those countries are usually interested in new and innovative candy and snack foods to introduce to a wealthy, multicultural consumer base. Apply by November 12, 2020 deadline for the January 12-14, 2021 event.

Oct 27, 2020

The European Commission introduced legislation that would change the implementation date of the new EU organic regulations from January 1, 2021 to January 1 2022. The legislation is expected to be adopted by early 2021.

Oct 27, 2020

The European Union notified the World Trade Organization about the opportunity to comment on specific components of the new organic regulations. The current notifications are: 

Learn more about comment procedures.

Oct 26, 2020

Stakeholders can comment on a draft of regulations designed to update Australia’s regulations for organic products exported from there.  Among other changes, the proposed rules would increasing the scope of cosmetic products to include substances used for domestic animals; include provisions to ensure that current certification bodies can continue to issue government certificates under the new legislation and removed references to approved auditors as they will not be required since they will be departmental employees.  Comment by November 5, 2020.

Oct 22, 2020

The United Kingdom’s Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs told the Organic Trade Board that, as part of the Brexit process, the UK will continue to recognize the European Union for trade in organic products until the end of 2021.  There has been no corresponding move from the EU toward products from the UK. Selling UK organic products in the EU after December 31, 2020 will require either a Free Trade Agreement, or certification to European Commission regulations by certifiers with appropriate credentials.

 

Oct 15, 2020

According to data from Agrarmarkt Austria Marketing (AMA), Austrians spent about 20 percent more on fresh organic food in the first half of 2020, compared to the first half of 2019. Milk and egg purchases led the way, but were slightly less that 2019. Other categories with above average sales include potatoes, vegetables and fruit yogurt. Austrians spend €2.06 billion on organic food in 2019, with 15 percent of sales via specialty shops and direct sales, while nearly 3/4 of the sales were in grocery stores. Within the grocery channel, 28 percent of sales were in  discounters, while full-range stores sold 72 percent.

Oct 14, 2020

The Philippines legislature has agreed on a bill which will amend the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 to create the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS), which will make organic certification more affordable for small farms and fisheries. The bill will also provide training and incentives for PGS groups.

Sep 29, 2020

After 16 years of effort, Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries  launched the nation’s National Organic Agriculture Policy on September 29, 2020. The policy enables the Ministry to regulate, coordinate and harmonize Uganda’s organic agriculture sector. Uganda has 262,282 hectares of land under organic farming, with 210,352 certified farmers producing 115,062 tons of organic produce.

Sep 23, 2020

As part of its ongoing strategic plan, Australian Organic Limited, the peak industry body in the country, continues to push for domestic organic regulations to facilitate international trade agreements and simplify business. Currently, Australia’s organic regulations only cover products for export.

Sep 22, 2020

Organic acreage in Quebec increase 65 percent from 2017 to 2019, while organic acreage in other Canadian provinces remains stable or is increasing slightly. Provincial incentives payments are one of the reasons for the growth in Quebec. Nearly 40 percent of Canada’s organic farmers are in Quebec, which is the only province that pays farmers to switch to organic methods.

Sep 14, 2020

The US Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) plans to expand the types of meat, poultry and egg product labels available for generic approval because the label is in compliance with regulations, and to stop evaluating labels that are eligible for generic approval. In the proposed rule, the following labels could no longer be voluntarily submitted for approval:

  • Labels on products for export
  • Labels that list organic ingredients in the ingredients statement
  • Labels that display geographical landmarks
  • Labels that identify the absence of certain ingredients, such as ‘preservative free’ or ‘made without soy’
  • Labels of products that receive voluntary FSIS inspection

Comments on the proposed rule, ID FSIS-2019-0019-0001, are due by November 13. 

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How to use this website

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) brings the US organic industry to developing markets around the world. This database is a comprehensive tool for OTA membership interested in participating in or expanding international trade in organic products by providing information to understand international markets for organic products. Select the country you wish to export to and find out whether it has an agreement with the United States, who its certifiers are, and much more.

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