Browsing: Organic Farming

Organic fresh produce sales totalled US$9.22 billion last year, up 5.5 per cent from US$8.54 billion in 2020, when the market grew 14.2 per cent, according to the 2021 Organic Produce Performance Report. www.theexchange.africa

Africa in pole position to grow organic food market share

Industry and Trade

Ecological Organic Agriculture (Initiative for Africa), EOA(-I), certification in Africa has gained leverage through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the AU-led EOAI Continental Secretariat hosted by Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) and the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) aimed at developing a common continental EOA standard. The partnership will additionally link the EOAI with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to engage further on strategies of boosting EOA trade on the continent.

In West Africa, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali and Togo reported an increase in Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) certified producers and hectares. 2021 was the last year of the implementation of the Organic Markets for Development (OM4D) project, which supported the development of PGS initiatives in Burkina Faso, Ghana Togo, and Sao Tomé and Principe according to FiBL survey 2022.

Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are locally focused quality assurance systems. They certify producers based on the …

Organic Agriculture: African Experiences in Resilience and Sustainability. Woman using manure as fertilizer. www.theexchange.africa

Organic farming a prototype for sustainable agriculture in Africa

Industry and Trade
  • Organic agriculture is the use of green manure, compost, biological agriculture, and biological fertilizers derived from animal waste.
  • To promote the organic sector in Africa, countries should implement the African Heads of States Decision EX.CL/Dec.621(XVII) on Organic Farming which was made following the report of the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture held in Lilongwe, Malawi in 2010.
  • The organic farming market size is expected to grow from $150.63 billion in 2021 to $169.04 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.2%.

In addition to existing agricultural challenges, pandemics and wars such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war created issues such as the increase in prices of fuel, food commodities, and particularly agrochemical input.

A shortage of chemical fertilizer, is driving up food costs and creating a crisis for countries in Africa and has many farmers desperate and looking for alternatives. According to The Conversation …