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Challenges
to Organic Certification for African Stakeholders
part
I
One way for A-SNAPP stakeholders to compete with bigger agricultural
and processing operations in the international botanicals marketplace
is to establish themselves as a source for specialty natural
products that typically are not available elsewhere. By its
very nature, organic production is better suited to small farms
and facilities than large ones. The great international demand
for organic herbs, spices, essential oils, and teas presents
an ideal opportunity for African stakeholders to supply this
specialty market. A-SNAPP aims to help them achieve this goal.
Organic farming
Promoting environmentally sustainable agriculture is a key goal
of the A-SNAPP program. To achieve this goal, stakeholders receive
tools that enable them to grow and process their crops using
organic methods whenever possible. While conventional agriculture
uses inorganic chemical pesticides and fertilizers to keep plants
healthy, organic agriculture relies on natural pest control
methods (e.g. diatomaceous earth, beneficial insects, mechanical
removal) and special techniques (e.g. composting, crop rotation,
burning) to achieve comparable yields.
Organic processing and fair labor
Many people think the term "organic" can be applied only to
the stage of production in which crops are in the ground. But
what good would it do to grow organically if the plant material
were then processed with chemicals, transported in a container
cleaned with harsh solvents, and fumigated with insecticide
before export? The types of plants grown by A-SNAPP farmers
all require processing; they must be dried, ground, fermented,
or extracted. To successfully export organic products, A-SNAPP
farmers, processors, and distributors must work together to
ensure the integrity of organic production at every step.
Organic production can also mean that fair labor practices
were followed throughout the farming and manufacturing steps.
In these cases, producers who employ very young children or
disregard workers' safety, for instance, may not claim that
their products are organic, even though they have met all other
criteria.
Benefits of organic production
Many of the synthetic chemicals used in conventional agriculture
have harmful effects on people and animals, especially when
they are used incorrectly. Fertilizers, pesticides, and some
chemicals used in processing can remain in the soil and water
for years, polluting them. These problems make conventional
methods inherently unsustainable.
Organic methods circumvent these problems, improve farmland,
and allow growers to achieve comparable yields for less money.
By using organic methods, A-SNAPP stakeholders avoid the inadvertent
contamination of products with chemicals that may be considered
unsafe by overseas buyers.
Because consumers have become wary of the effects of synthetic
chemicals, organic products also bring a higher market price.
The absence of harmful chemical residues is especially important
when plant material is used in extracted or concentrated form,
as for teas and medicines. Throughout the world, increased income
has become an additional incentive for producers to use organic
methods.
Continued
on Next
Page
Some examples of organic certification logos:
 
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