Organic agriculture in Colombia has opportunities that can leverage large, medium and small producers, but to achieve this, the public and private sectors should arrange medium term policies.
This was explained by an expert from the American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Pedro Cussianovich, in a presentation to the Fourth Congress of Sustainable Rural Development that closed on August 15 in Colombia and attracted over 700 people.
Cussianovich who is in charge of the area of organic agriculture in the IICA and serves as Technical Secretary of the American Commission for Organic Agriculture, clarified that a concerted policy agenda should promote social inclusion of producers and consumers in the activity by developing local markets as well as the positioning of Colombian products in international markets.
According to him, Colombia has the advantage that it already has excellent experience on the issue.
Organic production: an economical and commercial option for the development of Palmyra. Cussianovich addressed the issue from a perspective of market opportunity in front of his current local and national situation.
With 23% of certified organic land in the world and 17% of certified organic producers (2010), Latin America is building a new production and trade stage in the face of organic agriculture, from which Colombia greatly benefit, said the specialist, who performs his duties from Costa Rica, where IICA has its headquarters for the Americas.
Cussianovich was emphatic in stating that the determining factor will be to think and act strategically, because, to date, the development model followed by organic activity in the countries of the region, has been characterized more by individual actions than articulated and agreed actions.
The conference held in Palmira said, allowed to develop clear messages for a particular territory, but whose recommendations are extended to a country that has in their lands ability to respond to emerging market demands and deficit, who see in organic products a new consumer trend to ensure better health and a better quality of life for its residents.
Source: IICA