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UNCLAS GENEVA 001043 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR IO/EDA and EEB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNCTAD ECON ETRD USDA USAID
SUBJECT:  Organic Agriculture: International Task Force Facilitating 
Trade 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  The International Task Force on Harmonization and 
Equivalence in Organic Agriculture (ITF), which was a successful 
public-private partnership, held its final meeting on October 7, 
2008, having completed its five-year project to develop a method for 
comparing different organic standards and technical regulations 
(Equitool) and a set of performance requirements for organic 
certification (IROCB).  The ITF estimates that use of these products 
will increase trade in organic agriculture by USD 500,000 to 8 
million per year among countries that conduct trade in organic 
commodities. END SUMMARY. 
 
International Task Force on Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic 
Agriculture (ITF) 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶2.   On October 7, 2008, the International Task Force on 
Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture (ITF) held its 
final meeting at which it launched the two products of the ITF's 
five year work program: EquiTool, a tool for determining the 
equivalency of organic production and processing standards among 
various international standards, and IROCB - International 
Requirements for Organic Certification Bodies, a set of performance 
requirements for organic certification.  Approximately 35 member 
states, private companies and non-governmental organizations 
attended the meeting as did the Organization for Economic 
Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission, many 
of which said they intended to use the two products. 
 
¶3.  The ITF was a cooperative effort by the United Nations 
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO), the International Federation of Organic 
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and 29 member states including: 
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, Russia, 
and the United States, and twenty-five civil society and other 
private organizations.  It was a five year project aimed to develop 
a method for comparing different organic standards and technical 
regulations, with a view to facilitating trade among countries with 
comparable standards and regulations; and a set of performance 
requirements for organic certification that gives countries 
confidence in each others' certification process and a clear 
understanding of the meaning and criteria for that certification. 
 
¶4.  To support Equitool, IROCB was developed as a baseline to 
recognize and approve organic certification bodies based on 
internationally agreed performance requirements.  UNCTAD stated that 
these tools should be used by private and public sector 
decision-makers to develop methodological frameworks for 
establishing equivalence and recognition among organic standards. 
 
¶5.   Equitool and IROCB are available for download through the links 
provided below. These materials are not copyrighted so they can be 
freely utilized and disseminated among nations and organic trade 
organizations. 
 
Equitool- http://www.unctad.org/trade%5Fenv/itf%2Dorgan ic/ 
meetings/itf8/ITF_EquiTool_finaldraft_080915d b2.pdf 
 
IROCB - http://www.unctad.org/trade%5Fenv/itf%2Dorgan ic/ 
meetings/itf8/IROCB_0809%20.pdf 
 
¶6.   Speakers at the October 7 ITF meeting said the Western Pacific 
and East African regions would benefit most from a regional organic 
standard.  Thailand plans to use Equitool and IROCB as a benchmark 
exercise, and an Australian private company plans to approach its 
government with a partnership proposal based upon these tools.  The 
European Commission stated it would reference these tools, and 
possibly incorporate them into its own procedures and guidelines. 
According to Sophie Twarog, the UNCTAD economist who spear-headed 
the task force, new European Union regulations are much more 
trade-friendly than the previous ones because they have taken the 
ITF recommendations on board. 
 
¶7.   UNCTAD's Twarog also suggested that USDA should use both tools 
to facilitate its dealings with foreign-produced organic products. 
(Comment from USDA:  While USDA is assessing the tools and may find 
them useful in some circumstances, there is no current plan to 
adjust US import or equivalence procedures for organic products. 
Note that US import procedures for organic products are already 
 
considered among the most flexible and trade-friendly of the major 
importing countries.  End comment.) 
 
¶8.  UNCTAD SYG Supachai said the use of Equitool and IROCB will help 
countries overcome the challenges of organic trade and thereby help 
alleviate the world food crisis.  At a recent meeting of "Organic 
Asia," the tools were well received and representatives from the 
region expressed interest in developing a harmonized "Asian" organic 
standard, or a multi-lateral equivalency agreement based on Equitool 
and IROCB.  On the margins of the October 7 meeting, the OECD 
representative praised the ITF's two tools and UNCTAD's successful 
work with UNEP developing an East African Organic Standard as some 
of the best, most practical cooperative exercises in the UN system. 
 
Next Steps 
---------- 
¶9.  With completion of the ITF's two five-year projects, the ITF has 
depleted its funds.  If donors provide additional funding, the ITF 
said its virtual network of cooperating organizations and personnel 
could continue to exist, help nations utilize Equitool and IROCB, 
and serve as a forum for sharing experiences.  The ITF opined that 
through international peer pressure, the creation of websites and 
other information dissemination platforms, Equitool and IROCB can 
raise awareness of organic trade and facilitate such trade.  UNCTAD 
announced that within its existing resources to the extent possible, 
it would assist nations and the private sector involved in organic 
activities to implement Equitool and IROCB within their respective 
regulatory frameworks. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶10.  International organic trade has a multitude of standards and 
regulations that can create certification and trade barriers for 
producers and exporters wishing to sell in different markets.  These 
barriers can reduce access to the benefits of organic agriculture 
for resource-poor farmers in developing countries and cause 
consumers to pay higher prices for a limited product supply. 
EquiTool and IROCB could facilitate participation by farmers in 
developing countries in organic agriculture and its trade. 
TICHENOR#