Nearly 5.000 West African farmers are now able to take advantage of the growing popularity of organic foods in industrialized countries.
A 2,4 million US dollar (13 millioner DKR) German-backed FAO programme has helped them meet necessary certification and other requirements.
VOKSENDE EFTERSPØRGSEL
The market for organic and fair-trade products in developed countries is expected to grow by about five to ten percent per year over the next three years, offering new opportunities for smallholder farmers in poor countries.
STRENGE KRAV
However, these farmers struggle to comply with high-level food standards in developed countries and need to meet certification requirements.
Furthermore, to enter organic markets farmers first must go through a conversion period from conventional to organic agriculture.
During that time they tend to incur higher costs as a result of applying new organic techniques without yet obtaining the higher prices usually associated with the organic label.
HJULPET IGENNEM OVERGANGSTIDEN
FAO projects in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone helped farmer groups and small exporters overcome these challenges and take advantage of the remunerative markets.
They increased their technical skills and improved product quality, which enabled farmers to obtain organic and fair-trade certification.
