Stakeholder Consultation of the East African Organic Products Standard

The African Organic Network (AfrONet) is collaborating with National Organic Agriculture Movements (NOAMs) in East Africa to update and strengthen the East African Organic Product Standard (EAOPS).

To this end, AfrONet commissioned the International Institute for Sustainable Development, through the State of Sustainability Initiatives, to conduct a benchmarking of the Final Draft East African Standard (FDEAS) 456:2024, Organic production – Requirements, against criteria based on a set of indicators related to regional policy objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, while comparing it with other internationally recognized voluntary sustainability standards operating in the region. A regional organic agriculture standard like the FDEAS 456:2024 has the potential to boost the formal trade of organic products in East Africa, opening market opportunities for thousands of organic-certified producers who comply with other international regulations, such as the new European Union’s Deforestation Regulation and the new EU Organic Regulation. Therefore, to strengthen the FDEAS 456:2024 for wider adoption, it is essential to look at its current state in relation to social, economic, and environmental conditions.

This online event sought to

• convene representatives from NOAMs, national bureaus of standards, and the Secretariat of the East African Community;
• present an overview of the FDEAS 456:2024 along with the requirements of the new EU Deforestation and Organic regulations;
• identify issues that are relevant to address in the updated version of EAOPS.

Participants

• AfrONet and NOAMs
• Burundi Bureau of Standards
• Kenya Bureau of Standards
• Uganda National Bureau of Standards
• Office Congolais de Contrôle
• Rwanda Bureau of Standards
• South Sudan National Bureau of Standards
• Somali Bureau of Standards
• Tanzania Bureau of Standards
• East African Community
• International Institute for Sustainable Development