A delegation of the Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Alliance visited Lebanon last week to hold its plenary session and visit Lebanese producers of fresh organic produce. Said Gedeon, Deputy Director General of Chamber of Commerce, industry and agriculture of Zahle and Bekaa reports on the event.
"Organic producers from Jordan, Italy, and Greece, as well as Lebanon took part in the visit. The aim of this visit is to promote organic farming in our countries and to strengthen agricultural exchanges between Mediterranean countries through the conclusion of commercial partnerships."
"Organic producers in the Mediterranean basin face similar challenges. In terms of agricultural production, organic production is lower, and we face a lack of inputs and products to treat pests and diseases. Commercially, we face unfair competition, with many producers falsely claiming organic quality or other confusing qualifications, such as "natural product, local product".
Other challenges include the lack of regulations to protect producers and labels, and the absence of reliable statistics on trade volumes, given that organic products are exported under the same customs rubrics as conventional products.
The Mediterranean Organic Farming Alliance, recently created as a result of the European Union-funded Organic Ecosystem program, aims to "bring producers together and meet its challenges, promote organic farming by strengthening producers and improving integration into the value chain, and facilitate the conclusion of trade partnership agreements, including for small and medium-sized enterprises," concludes Gedeon, who acts as the Organic Ecosystem program coordinator in Lebanon.
For more information:
Said Gedeon
Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Agriculture of Zahle And Bekaa
Tel: +961 3 622 252
Email: Said@cciaz.org.lb