MINSK, 3 April (BelTA) – Belarus plans to introduce the certification of organic products and organic farming, noted Sergei Litvin, a member of the Standing Commission on Agricultural Policy at the House of Representatives, BelTA has learned.
The MPs passed the first reading of the bill at the spring session on 2 April. “The draft law is designed to introduce the certification of organic products and organic farming. Organic products will be certified for compliance with the national standards and organic farming requirements stipulated in technical codes,” Sergei Litvin said. The accredited certification bodies will be in charge of this task. A certificate of conformity will be granted to the applicant that meets the necessary requirements. The certified products will be labeled “organic”. The labeling procedure is to be defined by the Belarusian State Standardization Committee.
“The adoption of the bill will improve Belarus' international reputation of a country with high-level receptiveness to innovations seeking achievements in economy, science, and culture. This law will map out development of natural and economic environment for organic farming in Belarus,” the MP believes.
Organic farming is in the focus of Belarus' social and economic development program for 2016-2020. “The development of this sector will ensure the country's food security and open up new opportunities for trade in organic products with other countries,” Sergei Litvin underlined.
The transition to organic farming is not immediate, he added. A transition period of at least three years is required for soil purification and modernization of manufacturing facilities. “As a result, we will start producing food products that are very safe for human health, which is especially important as they slow the growth of cancer cells and boost the immunity. Organic diet reduces the chance of allergies and gastrointestinal diseases,” the MP clarified.
When commenting on the benefits of organic farming in general, he stressed that this is one of the ways to reduce the negative environmental and health effect of chemically synthesized fertilizers, plant protection products, retardants, veterinary products, and other harmful substances.
Today organic farming is developing in most countries which adopt relevant national laws and certification system. Natural foods are produced in 179 states. There are over 700,000 organic food manufacturers in the world nowadays. As of today, organic products account for 7% to 10% of the world's agricultural output.
As for regulations, 87 countries have their own laws, 17 countries are drafting them, and another 20 have relevant standards. For instance, a draft law on bio-organic farming has been submitted to Russia's State Duma. A similar document had earlier been in effect at the regional level. Similar laws have been adopted in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Ukraine. In 2014, the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly passed a model law on eco-friendly agricultural production.
The concept of a bill on the production and circulation of organic products has been designed in Belarus and then approved by the president. The draft law is a brainchild of a working group of representatives of several government bodies. They have summarized the international organic farming practices, explored the background in the CIS, non-CIS countries, and the EU. The document is based on the most successful approaches to and mechanisms of organic food production.
