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Survey for European importers on the impact of the new EU Regulation on Organic Production – extended deadline

Farmer stirring cocoa beans in a box

80 per cent of all organic producers... (Photo: FiBL, Laura Armengot)

A woman carrying a palm plant supported on her head

...are smallholder farmers who are certified in groups. (Photo: FiBL, Paul van den Berge)

The new EU Organic Regulation redefines the rules for international organic production for the EU and Swiss markets. FiBL Switzerland is conducting an international study on the impact of the new regulation on smallholder supply chains from developing and newly industrialising countries and the effects on the organic market in the EU and Switzerland. In order to better understand the expected impact on European companies, all importers and processors of organic products from third countries are invited to participate in the FiBL survey. The deadline for the survey has been extended until 10 April 2024.

The new EU Organic Regulation No. 2018/848 brings far-reaching changes for farms in third countries that want to continue exporting organic products to the EU and Switzerland from 2025, especially for smallholder groups in the Global South.

The EU's import system is changing from a system based on equivalence to one in which farms in third countries must also comply with all detailed requirements of the EU Organic Regulation (principle of compliance instead of equivalence). The new regulation is already in force within the EU, but inspections in third countries will not begin until the end of 2024. From January 2025, only certificates of inspection confirming compliance with Regulation 2018/848 will be valid for organic imports from most third countries into the EU and Switzerland.

The regulation defines new rules and conditions for the certification of smallholder farmers as a group with the aim of improving the quality of this form of certification.  This has far-reaching implications for all farmer groups organised by processing or export companies, but also for many organic farmer cooperatives, which may have to establish new group entities or adapt their certification structure to meet the new requirements. The changes also affect many supply chains of small or medium-sized organic farms from Mediterranean third countries.

FiBL Study

FiBL Switzerland is currently conducting a study to analyse the impact of the new EU Organic Regulation on smallholder supply chains from developing and emerging countries and on the European organic market. To gather first-hand data, FiBL has launched a global impact survey and is conducting interviews with stakeholders in Europe as well as case studies in selected countries. The study is being conducted with the financial support of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).

FiBL is asking all processing and import companies from the EU and Switzerland that have links to smallholder supply chains from third countries to take part in the survey (see link below) and provide information on the expected impact on their operations and import business. Even those who are not yet aware of the upcoming changes for third countries can provide valuable information and learn more about the upcoming changes by participating in the survey. The survey will run until 10 April 2024.

Further information

Contact

Florentine Meinshausen

Link

survey.fibl.org: Survey on the impact of the new EU Organic Regulation on import and trading companies