Organic agriculture (OA) offers a range of environmental, social and economic benefits for developing countries. On the economic side, developing countries may have some comparative advantage in OA, as they have relatively abundant labour and use relatively less agrochemicals. OA may provide a trading opportunity, with major markets for organic products growing at rates of 10-20 per cent per year and price premiums available for a number of goods. Moreover, it may also represent an opportunity for sustainable local development.

To reap these multifaceted benefits, however, governments must create an enabling environment that fosters the development of this sector. Their OA producers and exporters must overcome a number of obstacles, including lack of information (on OA techniques, markets, etc), expensive certification systems, cumbersome import requirements in major markets and preferences for local food in major markets, and small domestic markets with few consumers who are aware of the benefits of OA.

The UNEP-UNCTAD Capacity Building Task force, with the financial support from EC, has started a project to support sustainable trade, environmental protection, food security and poverty reduction in three East African countries (Kenya, the Republic of Tanzania and Uganda) by promoting the production and export of organic agricultural products. The Regional launching workshop of the project will be held on 19 October 2005.

The main objectives of the launch are to share, with stakeholders, the preliminary results of the initial overview study and the national background documents that have been prepared under the country projects on Integrated Assessment of the Organic Agriculture Sector. A panel consisting of Ministers from Trade, Environment, Finance and Agriculture in Uganda will wrap up one session and lead a discussion on future directions. This launch will also provide an opportunity to exchange information, share experiences and strengthen networking between project stakeholders and contribute to existing regional cooperation between Kenya, the Republic of Tanzania and Uganda.