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African farmers profit from rise in demand for organic food
Small farmers in West Africa are benefiting from the growing demand for organic produce, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
African farmers
Thanks to a German-backed FAO programme, nearly 5,000 farmers in five countries are now able to meet certification standards and other requirements so that their produce can be exported internationally.
FAO reports that farmer groups and small exporters in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone, learned how to increase their technical skills and improve product quality, thus enabling them to obtain organic and fair-trade certification.
The farmers had previously been excluded from this market because of the difficulties in complying with the high-level food standards in the developed countries, and the need to meet certification requirements.
FAO says the money that the farmers will gain from sales will mostly go towards purchasing food or clothes, paying school fees, and other expenditures which improve their living conditions.
The agency notes that the market for organic and fair trade products is expected to grow by five to 10 per cent per year over the next three years.
Dianne Penn, UN Radio.
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