Organics Get Green Light
- Details
- Category: Business
- Published on Friday, July 22 2011 05:36
- Written by Rod Hughes
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The European Union has renewed Costa Rica's equivalency rating for import of organic commodities -- indefinitely.
The rating signals that the EU considers that the country's organic exports of produce carry the same standards as are required by EU member countries.
The certification had been renewed twice before and on June 30 of this year was given indefinitely. Of Western Europe's countries, Switzerland -- not being a EU country -- has a system somewhat similar to Costa Rica's, limiting certification periods in this case to 2013.
The certification allows this country to export organic produce with only inspection by national authorities. It represents a measure of confidence welcome in a growing market in 2010, this country exported $22 million in organic produce.aThe EU and its customers are not easy to please. Recently European customers for exported pineapples began to question alleged environmental damage caused by uncontrolled farming practices.
The value of exported organic produce could be higher if only all products were raised organically. But not all area, although the list of organic produce from some farms ranges over a wide list: rice, bananas, cacao, sugar cane, coffee, spices, fruits and vegetables, beans, macademia nuts, blackberries, oranges, noni fruit, pineapple and aloe.
These products are shipped to Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Spain, Estonia, France, Hungary, Britain, Italy and Martinique.
