Tanzania is set to host the East African Organic conference to discuss among others progress made in mainstreaming organic agriculture into national and regional policies.
Addressing journalists in Dar es Salaam , the Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM)’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Jordan Gama, said participants at the regional meeting will also share experiences from successful initiatives in research.
“We expect between 120 and 150 participants from the five member states of the East African Community, Ethiopia and some European countries,” Mr Gama said.
The meeting is organized by TOAM in collaboration with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Participants are also expected to discuss and share experiences learned since the launch of the East African organic products standards in 2011.
The standards were introduced to regulate and guide organic farming in the region. In Tanzania there are over 450,000 certified organic farmers covering about 185,000 hectares of land that have also been approved for organic farming, according to the TOAM boss.
The farmers plant crops such as cotton, coffee, sunflower and cocoa as well as spices such as ginger and vanilla which they sell within EAC, Europe, United States and Middle East. With a theme “Sharing achievements made and lessons learned,” the conference will also include separate meetings and workshops.
Mr Gama noted however that TOAM was currently conducting data on the exact quantity of organic products that are being exported and how much they have earned the country.
By ALVAR MWAKYUSA, Tanzania Daily News