As demand explodes, we will still have to rely on imports to solve the organic supply equation... so how can we secure our organic sourcing in France or abroad?
"Two-thirds of organic products consumed in France are of French origin," announced the latest figures from the Agence Bio. "Organic + local: it's the winning duo," concluded one of the latest organic professional events (BIO N'Days).
The French origin attracts, reassures, and has the potential to explode the French agricultural area used for organic farming. While these equations are exciting on paper, they are not so simple to implement on the ground. The organic sector has been facing major challenges of change of scale for several years, linked to the growth of the organic market of course, but also to this trend towards mass relocation.
Furthermore, the import of organic raw materials remains a necessity for many sectors – and not just for exotic products.
So how can we ensure that quality (of products and trade) and the fundamental principles of organic farming remain the priority when structuring sectors, whether at national or international level?
This question will be the basis of several conferences of the Organic Ingredients Forum at Natexpo 2021.
Going further in the relocation of sectors
The current crisis linked to the substance Ethylene Oxide (ETO) contaminating many raw materials (conventional and organic) imported into Europe, will undoubtedly further fuel the need to relocate organic sectors in France.
However, let us not forget that French agriculture is struggling to reduce its pesticide consumption and that batches of French organic crops are regularly destroyed due to accidental contamination.[1].
In addition, faced with this change in scale of the organic market, many questions arise related to the increase in volumes requested, the adaptation of practices and installations, respect for people and animals, etc. It is to support this transition that Synabio proposes to co-construct a charter for organic sectors accompanied bya guide to good practices for their structuringTheir intervention on October 26 will be an opportunity for discussions to consolidate this project.
Furthermore, we note that the development of new sectors in France is not systematically accompanied by studies on their nutritional value. The still marked trend of "super-foods" often seeks "exotic" ingredients, while the full potential of some of our resources is unknownThis is what the Nutrifizz team is trying to demonstrate, supporting the relocation of sectors or upcycling projects, by proposing to rely in addition on the analysis of their added nutritional value.
Rely on secure import channels
Since France does not necessarily provide all the guarantees in terms of contamination, remains a "more expensive" market, and will in any case still lack organic volume, resorting to imports is inevitable. Unfortunately, its perception by consumers is increasingly negative and further tarnished by the current ETO crisis.
However, there are many examples of qualitative and even virtuous import channels... " This is what we want to demonstrate during this Organic Ingredients Forum ", explains Gaëlle Frémont, director of Ingrébio. Digitalization tools are moving towards greater traceability of supply chains but will not replace human relationships. We can see its importance, particularly in fair trade programs (which are also developing widely in France...). As we will see with the support of IFOAM Organics Europe, European regulations will also evolve to impose more requirements on third countries, which will not be without consequences for small producers.
Several field experts have been invited to present their work structuring and consolidating these sectors in third countries as well as in Europe. Thanks to the contributions of Biopartenaire, AVSF, and testimonials from committed companies, we will travel to the southern hemisphere and discover the programs that can support this structuring. Alexandra Farnos, an expert in organic fruit and vegetable sectors for over 20 years, will take us to Spain to show us how producers there are also working to go beyond organic regulations on environmental issues.
This year again the Organic Ingredients Forum, in the heart of Ingredients and Raw Materials Division, will aim to cover current topics and challenges for the formulation and processing of organic products, and in particular that of supply. See you on October 24, 25 and 26 at Natexpo!
[1] Pesticides: Contamination causes enormous losses for organic producers, INGREBIO, 06/25/2021
Article written by Ingrébio