Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agricultural Health Organic farming

Experts from the Americas meet to promote the development of organic agriculture

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

The second annual meeting of Inter-American Commission for Organic Agriculture will be held in Mexico, attended by 18 delegations who will analyze the development of organic agriculture in the region.

San Jose, Costa Rica, September 02 2010 (IICA). From September 7 to 11, Mexico City will be the site of the Second Annual Meeting of the Inter-American Commission for Organic Agriculture (ICOA), to be attended by 18 delegations from countries of the America who will discuss fundamental aspects of the development of organic agriculture in the Americas.

The ICOA was created in 2008 by the Ministers of Agriculture, through the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), with a view to contributing to the development of organic agriculture in the countries and to facilitating trade in such products.

The areas certified as organic represent less than 0.81% of all agricultural land and trade in such products equals only 2.5% of the world food trade.

Topics to be discussed during the meeting in Mexico include the ICOA work plan, which will be reviewed in light of the needs of the countries,  and technical topics related to the development of local markets, the Codex Alimentarius – codes, guides and other recommendations related to food and food production – and Japanese standards on organic production.

The conversations will also center on the inputs that are permitted in organic agriculture, the mechanisms use to control exports, the implementation of specialized software and a proposal for establishing a mechanism for the exchange of information.

Taking part will be delegations from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru, with the United States, Canada and the Caribbean participating as observers. The Mexican government is hosting the meeting through its National Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality Service (SENASICA).

Organic agriculture in numbers

There are more than 35 million certified hectares worldwide and nearly 1.2 million farmers spread out over 154 countries, and trade in organic products was valued at US$50.9 million in 2008.

Despite the fact that 23% of the certified areas and 18.7% of all organic farmers in the world are located in Latin America and the Caribbean, sales of such products account for less than 5% of the world total.

Organic agriculture is in its infancy, but has great potential; the areas certified as organic represent less than 0.81% of all agricultural land and trade in such products equals only 2.5% of the world food trade.

The ICOA comprises the competent authorities responsible for overseeing organic agriculture in the countries, who are responsible for regulating the activity and guaranteeing the organic nature of the products.

This Commission is the first official regional body working in the field and IICA is responsible for its Technical Secretariat, by mandate of the Inter-American Board of Agriculture (IABA), IICA’s highest governing body. The fist ICOA assembly was held in San Jose, Costa Rica, in November 2009.

For more information, contact

pedro.cussianovich@iica.int

Share

Related news​

Buenos Aires, Argentina

April 23, 2025

Addressing future diplomats of Argentina’s Foreign Service, IICA Director General underscores the strategic value of the region’s agriculture sector and its key role for global food security

While on official mission in Argentina’s capital, Otero was invited to deliver a keynote speech at ISEN before a large and distinguished audience. He provided a detailed assessment of the challenges facing agriculture in the world and the opportunities for Argentina and other Latin American countries, in light of demands for accessible, high quality food by a growing population as well as the uncertainties posed by the current geopolitical context.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

April 21, 2025

Dawn Francis, sustainable agriculture and organic farming advocate and a model for small farmers in her native Dominica, is named an IICA Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Francis founded her own organization, EcoBalance Inc., which has organized training programs for farmers and implemented plans for equipment acquisition in the region. It also established a biodiversity center to teach primary and secondary students about agriculture and the environment.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

São Paulo, Brazil

April 10, 2025

Key players from the sustainable aviation fuel sector, addressing the Latin American Congress, maintained that if the region establishes clear rules, it has the potential to lead the world in SAF

The Americas has the potential to become a global leader in supplying sustainable aviation fuels, although to do so, it will need to establish clear rules and to harmonize its sustainability criteria governing the raw materials used, ensuring that processes are certifiable and science-based.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins