In Brief

GLOBAL ORGANIC AGRICULTURE CONTINUES TO GROW

Annual statistics on global organic agriculture show growth both of production and of markets.

The ninth edition of 'The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends' was released in mid-February by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Foundation Ecology and Agriculture (SOEL) and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).

According to the survey, almost 31 million hectares of land were managed organically on more than 600,000 farms worldwide in 2006. This constituted 0.7 percent of agricultural land. Australia led with almost 11.9 million hectares of organic land, followed by Europe (7 million hectares) and Latin America. In Africa, 0.9 million hectares of agricultural land was organically cultivated.

Certain European countries had the highest share of organic agriculture as compared to conventional agriculture -- Austria and Switzerland reached 10 percent or more. The US, followed by Argentina, saw the greatest increase in land under organic farming last year. On the other hand, organic land (extensive pastoral land) in China, Chile and Australia decreased.

According to the study, global sales of organic products approached USD 40 billion in 2006. Demand was concentrated in Europe and North America, which imported large volumes from other regions.

In terms of the practicalities of these imports, the study noted that more than 60 countries had regulations on organic standards, and 395 organisations worldwide offered organic certification services. A lack of mutual acceptance and recognition of different certification and accreditation systems hurt trade and market development, the study noted. It highlighted the establishment of an International Task Force on Harmonisation and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture as a possible solution. The task force aims at generating consensus on harmonising standards/regulations between the private sector and government and between governments.

Cotton - a major topic in ongoing WTO negotiations - was one of the crops scrutinised by the study. Turkey was the global leader with regard to organic cotton cultivation in 2006, followed by the US, Mali, Pakistan, Benin, Greece, Israel, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt and Burkina Faso.

Additional resources

The World of Organic Agriculture: Statistics and Emerging Trends 2007. Chapters with main results accessible at http://orgprints.org/10506/01/willer-yussefi-2007-p1-44.pdf

ICTSD reporting.

EU MINISTERS UPHOLD HUNGARY'S GM BAN

On 20 February, EU member states voted by a qualified majority to uphold a Hungarian ban on genetically modified MON 810 maize, which the European Commission had approved in 1998. Five European countries instituted such national level bans between the years 1997 and 2000.

According to a recent WTO ruling, national-level biotech bans cannot be justified as precautionary measures and are not based on an adequate risk assessment (see BRIDGES Weekly, 4 October 2006, http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/06-10-04/story2.htm). However, the EU Environment Council already voted in favour of allowing Austria to maintain its national level bans of two GM maize varieties (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 19 January 2007, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/07-01-19/inbrief.htm#4).

Following member states' rejection of its proposal, the Commission will now need to consider alternative options for implementing the ruling, which could include judicial action or requesting the relevant countries to provide a risk assessment that complies with WTO requirements.

"EU upholds Hungary's sovereign right to ban GMOs," REUTERS, 20 February 2007; "Are EU GMO rules starving the poor?" EURACTIV, 23 February 2007.

NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS TRADE-RELATED MEASURES FOR FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

Conservation organisation TRAFFIC recently released a report calling for effective management of fisheries in order to safeguard their future health and survival.

Entitled "Catching On? Trade-Related Measures as a Fisheries Management Tool," the report focuses on trade-related measures taken by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs). The measures examined include the use of documentation to authenticate the legality of catches, as well as the creation of "white" and "black" lists of vessels in order to identify those that comply -- or fail to comply -- with regulations. The report also considers the use of trade bans on states that do not implement conservation and management measures.

In terms of useful actions, the report recommends the installation of satellite tracking of vessels to monitor their position and fishing activities. It further recommends the use of Catch Documentation Schemes (CDS), which provide data on legitimate fish landings, "allowing sustainable quota levels to be set, and even provide insights into the levels of illegal trade."

According to TRAFFIC's Glenn Sant, "Systematic use of trade-related measures is effective. A combination of catch documentation, vessel monitoring, on-board observers, controls on transshipment and where vessels land and sell their catch do work. What it needs is the political will and adequate resources to ensure these measures are put in place."

The report was released in advance of a meeting of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Committee on Fisheries, to be held on Rome from 5-9 March.

Additional resources

The report "Catching On? Trade-Related Measures as a Fisheries Management Tool," can be downloaded at http://www.traffic.org/content/833.pdf

"Fisheries not catching on," TRAFFIC RELEASE, 1 March 2007.

ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE INITIATIVE GOES GLOBAL

A US-led initiative to fight wildlife crime was internationally launched in February this year. The Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) aims to "boost wildlife enforcement, reduce consumer demand for illegally traded wildlife and generate high level political support to end the unlawful industry."

Claudia McMurray, US Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, outlined the three-fold reasons the initiative had been established. Firstly, to protect endangered species and biodiversity, second, to help stem the spread to humans of virulent wildlife diseases, such as SARS, avian influenza and the Ebola virus, and third, to stop organised crime. Wildlife trafficking often uses similar routes and methods as human, drug and arms trafficking.

Originally launched by the US in 2005, the initiative brings together the governments of Australia, India and the UK, as well as a number of organisations, including the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the American Forest and Paper Association, Conservation International, Save The Tiger Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, Traffic International and environmental group WWF.

The CAWT launch took place in conjunction with the UNEP Governing Council (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 16 February 2007, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/07-02-16/story1.htm).

The US currently chairs the CAWT. The country is the second largest market for illegal wildlife trade, following China.

Additional resources

CAWT website http://www.cawtglobal.org/cawt/public/

"Opening Remarks at High Level Meeting of the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking," US DEPT OF STATE RELEASE, 10 February 2007; "UK Government helps fight against illegal wildlife trafficking," DEFRA RELEASE, 13 February 2007.