Organic Agriculture - A step towards the Green Economy in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia region - Case studies from Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine

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Publication Date: 2011

In the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) region organic agriculture could play a catalyst role in green economy transformation by re-vitalizing the farm and food sector and creating employment that provides better returns on per unit of labour input all along the value chain. It could increase income and food security for rural communities; create business opportunities for investors and increase the contribution of agriculture to the national economies by, inter alia, reducing import bills for farm inputs, boosting exports of organic products and reducing costs to society that result from the negative externalities of industrial farming.

This report suggests that attaining an organically managed area in the range of 5 to 10 per cent of the region’s whole agriculture area is desirable and possible within a decade. EECCA governments can gradually stimulate organic production by setting ambitious growth targets, making organic action plans, adapting policies to support organic agriculture and facilitating public and private investments in the sector.