ORGANIC UPDATES

 

Organics and trade on Secretary’s list of priorities for 1999

 

On December 17, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman announced that he and the Department would focus on seven key priorities in 1999, including "issuing national organic standards that are good for farmers and consumers;" "expanding research to improve all of USDA’s work, from nutrition to food safety to sustainable agriculture;" and "further expanding trade opportunities for American farmers." Other priorities concern crop insurance reform, anti-hunger initiatives, the meat and poultry inspection system, and civil rights issues. Mr. Glickman also noted USDA’s successes in 1998, among them "the first rule on national standards for organic foods, using the Internet in an unprecedented public review and comment process. A revised rule that reflects substantial public input will be released in 1999."

 

Organics in Chile and Argentina

 

Chile - Although relatively small, Chile’s organic production has grown significantly over the last four years. In 1998, Chile’s two domestic certifiers certified nearly 1,700 hectares (4,300 acres) of land as organic. Land use and major crops produced include "prairie" (uncultivated land for wild crops and forage areas for bees which produce organic honey) rose hips, raspberries, medicinal herbs, asparagus, and apples. Other organic crops produced include kiwi, plums, garlic, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, vegetables, seed corn, honey, milk and beef. Certifiers predict future growth in Chilean organic agriculture, particularly for fresh grapes, avocados, vegetables, kiwi, and wine. However, one of the greatest challenges to further expansion of organics in Chile is the difficulty of building soil fertility using organic methods.

 

According to government statistics, exports of organic products were valued at $2.6 million in 1997/98. Major export items in descending order of value were medicinal herbs, fresh kiwi, fresh grapes, fresh apples, rose hips, frozen asparagus, frozen raspberries, dried apples, frozen squash, fresh raspberries and fresh plums. The main target market is the United States (especially for raspberries and asparagus). Chile also exports organic kiwi, herbs and table grapes to Japan, and medicinal herbs to Europe. Exports of sulfite-free organic wine packaged in small bottles for Europe and Japan began for the first time in October 1998.

 

Argentina - Less than 1 percent of total agricultural production is certified organic, but that is rapidly changing. Since 1995, the area devoted to organic production has more than doubled, reaching 231,280 hectares (571,260 acres) in 1998. Only about one tenth of that area is in crop production; the remainder consists of rangeland for organic livestock production (mainly beef), and uncultivated forage areas for bees (organic honey) and for wild crops. A small amount of organic milk, cheese, and poultry are produced for domestic consumption.

 

Argentina’s diverse climate and geography make it possible to produce a wide range of organic commodities. Following is a breakdown by product category and percentage of total harvested area for 1998:

 

* 78 percent - grains and oilseeds (corn, soybeans, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, wheat, millet, rye, sorghum, oats and flax)

* 17 percent -processed/industrial crops (sugar cane, yerba mate, and tea)

* 3 percent - fruit (apples, pears, plums, peaches, cherries, and citrus fruit)

* 2 percent - vegetables (onions, asparagus, potatoes, pumpkin, lettuce and Swiss chard)

 

Small quantities of processed products such as olive oil, wine, sunflower seeds, bakery products and mate tea are also produced.

 

According to government statistics, approximately 85 percent of Argentina’s organic production is exported, and about 83 percent of the exports go to the EU. The remainder are destined for the United States and more recently, Japan. In 1995/96, organic exports were valued at nearly $20 million. Estimates are that by the year 2000, shipments may top $100 million. Major export products and destinations:

 

* EU - corn, soybeans, sunflower seeds, apples, pears, oranges, onions, asparagus, garlic, raisins, wine, orange juice concentrate, honey, beef.

* United States - pears, apples, olive oil, grape juice, apple juice, concentrated pear juice, and olives.

* Japan - grape juice and apple juice.

 

Fifteen percent of Argentina’s organic production is consumed domestically, primarily in the capital region. Imports are minimal. As elsewhere, consumers of organic foods tend to be more educated and affluent. Organic products can be found in natural product shops and in major supermarkets. The most important products consumed domestically are asparagus, lettuce, pumpkins, beetroot, oranges, mandarins, lemons, yerba mate, olive oil, herbs, beef, chicken, milk, cheese and honey.

 

MAPO (Argentine Movement for Organic Production), formed in 1995, is Argentina’s main organic industry group, representing growers, scientists, technicians, certifiers, business managers, and academia. MAPO works closely with government entities to craft a united strategy for developing the organic sector and promoting organic products overseas. MAPO organized the 1998 IFOAM conference in Mar del Plata, boosting Argentina’s presence on the world organics stage.

 

For more news on organics, see HTP’s monthly newsletter "Organic Perspectives," available at the HTP home page:

 

The newsletter contains reports on organics from around the world gleaned from attache reports, trips made by HTP’s organics staff, and other sources. The newsletter also covers items of interest about the U.S. national organic program and the domestic organic industry. A list of upcoming conferences, trade shows and other events is included in every issue.

 

(For further information, contact Janise Zygmont (analysis) at 202-720-1176 or Kelly Strzelecki (marketing) at 202-690-1341.

Last modified: Thursday, April 06, 2000