Fairtrade Soybean Standard released

FLO Develops Standards for Fairtrade Soybean and Pulses

Following a long term project to enable Fairtrade standards to be extended to include pulses and soybean, FLO has now approved the Soybean and Pulses Standards for Small Farmer Organizations. This will enable small-scale producers of pulses such as haricot bean, chickpea, red kidney, lentil as well as soybean to apply for Fairtrade certification.

Many consumers perceive these products to be grown only on large-scale plantations. However, millions of smallholders in the developing world depend on soybeans and pulses for their livelihood.

Soybean and pulse crops add nutrients such as nitrogen to the soil. For smallholder soybean production, the cycle is only 90 to 120 days and is often rotated with wheat, maize, rice, beans, sorghum or sugarcane. Similarly pulses are usually intercropped with crops such as wheat, coffee or cotton. Therefore encouraging small-scale farmers to continue producing soybean and pulses is a means of assisting in longer-term sustainability and enabling diversification through Fairtrade.

The Soybean and Pulses Standards for Small Farmer Organizations contains global Fairtrade minimum prices enabling producers from all regions to apply. However [some countries as India and Thailand currently have] an official government ban on the export of certain pulses. FLO respects this and will not certify producers growing products that are banned from export.

[Still it may opens the opportunity for processed Fairtrade soy bean products to be exported from such countries]

Fairtrade standards prohibit Fairtrade certified producer organisations from using genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including GM seeds and planting stock. Therefore, being Fairtrade certified will provide an incentive for small farmers to continue their commitment to produce GMO-free soybean.

Fairtrade standards, minimum prices and premiums for soybean and pulses are listed in the Fairtrade Product Standards which are published on the FLO web-site.

Agreement: Starbucks to double purchases of Fairtrade certified coffee

Seattle, New Orleans, October 28, 2008 - Starbucks, TransFair USA and Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) today announced a groundbreaking initiative that builds upon their organizations’ shared history of support for small-scale coffee farmers. Starbucks will double its purchases to 40 million pounds in 2009, making the company the largest purchaser of Fairtrade certified coffee in the world. To read the full statement please click here.

Clarification for group certification within NOP under way

After much confusion and irritation in 2007 on the policy towards group certification within the NOP - there seems to be a solution and clarification well on the way.

Group certification was conducted for NOP products all the time - with probably most products imported from outside to the US, originating from such group certification schemes. Still it was found somehow not according to the rules as not regulated within the NOP respectively.

This article in SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIES indicates that a move is imminent. the article refers to the agenda of the next Standard Board meeting (NOSB):

"How to simplify organic certification for multiple grower sites and refining the "100 percent organic" label are among the agenda items of the November meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

An agenda item about certifying operations with multiple sites or units may result in a rule that allows inspectors to visit a sampling of a groups’ sites. It is based in an effort to make it easier for small producers in less developed areas around the world to be certified, according to a recommendation to pass the rule issued by Compliance, Accreditation and Certification Committee."

New organic EU logo postponed

Kreuzer in Organic Market - info 26th of March 2008: The new organic EU logo which should be implemented beginning with the 1st of January 2009 will be postponed. This is the information Organic-Market.Info got from Mr Michael Mann from the EU Commission. The statement says: "The European Commission is fully committed to promoting and encouraging the organic food sector in the European Union. Part of this process is an EU-funded promotion programme for organic food and the development of a new EU logo for all organic products. The Commission has decided to launch a promotion programme this summer." "As part of this programme, we will launch a competition, open to all EU citizens, to design a new logo. This will replace the draft logo which has recently been circulated", it says. To allow sufficient time for a suitable logo to be selected, the Commission will ask the Council to delay by one year (to 2010) the date on which the EU logo becomes compulsory. The reason for the withdrawal of the proposed logo was a big German discounter. "Aldi did contact the Commission to say it felt there was a similarity between the proposed EU logo and its own private logo", Mr. Mann wrote... STILL THE NEW ORGANIC STANDARD-REGULATION IS EXPECTED TO COME IN FORCE 1. Jan 2009

New European Organic Regulation under way

From 1st of January 2009 a new European Regulation (standard) on organic agriculture will come in force and replace the previous EEC No 2092/91

clipped from www.organic-europe.net In December 2006 the European Commission reached a general approach on the revision of the regulation.. On June 12, 2007, the Agriculture Ministers of the European Union reached political agreement on a new regulation on organic production and labelling. The new regulation was published on July 20, 2007 and will come into force on Janury 1, 2009 ( Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91).

Cambodia Bans Rice Exports

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday banned all rice exports from the country in a bid to halt the staple food's spiraling domestic prices.

Rice prices have risen sharply from about 40 cents/kg as speculation of shortages grip local markets, sparking demands that the government put a cap on costs.

Despite GDP growth averaging 11% over the past three years, more than a third of the country's 14 million people live on less than 50 cents a day, making even the slightest rise of food costs devastating to Cambodia's poorest.

source: Oryza March 26,2008