MOIT VIETNAM | Export organic products must meet new requirements
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Export organic products must meet new requirements
From 1 January 2021, if producers want to export organic products including grains, beans and oilseeds to the countries of the European Union (EU), producers must comply with a a new set of rules regulated by the EU.
Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden (concurrently Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Latvia) said that the European Commission (EC) issued this new regulation to ensure fair competition for businesses to produce and export organic products. It will also prevent origin fraud and enhance consumer confidence in the EU over imported goods. The new regulation not only controls the use of pesticides in products, but also relates to soil management and food production.
The single rule will also apply to non-EU farmers who export their organic produce to the EU market.
The new regulation on organic products will apply to unprocessed and processed agricultural products used for food and animal feed. Processed products can only be labeled organic when at least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic.
The new regulation is supposed to bring fairness to European agricultural producers but is a major challenge for small organic producers in developing countries as they may not be able meet the requirement.
Organic producers in developing countries face different challenges compared to European producers. Many cereal crops, seeds and oilseeds in developing countries are produced on a large scale in the subtropics (soybean, sesame, chia seeds). Others are marginal and poor (quinoa, millet fonio). These regions will have different climatic problems and plant diseases. Standards for infrastructure, water quality and performance cannot be compared with those of the average European farmer.
Another problem of concern for developing country producers is origin fraud. This is fairly common for some healthier products like chia seeds. Organic food certification and accreditation has become a business. Manufacturers do not believe that the new rules will change this. But the organic rules are still very clear. Certified producers are not allowed to use any illegal pesticides on their crops. The new regulations require them to take precautions to ensure biodiversity and soil quality are maintained. They must also prevent pests and diseases, negative environmental impacts and contamination of products or non-organic substances.
Finally, according to the Vietnam deal in Sweden, to become a supplier of organic grains, beans and oilseeds to Europe, producers must have a truly organic mindset.
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