Central authorities, experts and the business community members will suggest legal amendments to aid the development of organic agriculture in Moldova. The creation of such a task group is a recommendation of the National Study on Organic Agriculture and Greening of Conventional Farming, commissioned by UNDP and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) as part of the Environmental and Fiscal Reform Project in Moldova, IPN reports.
Project manager Mihai Roscovan said during the study presentation that many policy initiatives, backed by studies, have been launched to promote organic technologies in Moldova. “We are presenting a new study on organic agriculture and proposals for greening conventional farming. Their implementation will help the development of organic farming so that it plays the role it deserves in Moldova” said Mihai Roscovan.
According to the study, exports of organic produce represent over 11% of all agricultural exports. In the last years, subsidies in organic agriculture constitute 0.7% of total subsidies in agriculture, while subventions for pesticides and fertilizers amount to 12.1%. So far, there haven't been any coordinated efforts to set environmental criteria and goals in the policies and legislation that regulates farming subsidization.
Head of the Ministry of Agriculture's ecological production and products of origin service, Iurie Senic, says that eco-farming occupies 62,000 hectares in Moldova, mostly cultivars of sunflower, soy, medicinal and aromatic herbs like lavender, sage and dill. The number of farmers interested in organic agriculture is on the rise. This year, 19 organic farmers have been registered, with the total number reaching 59.
The EU has prepared three regulations on subsidization of ecological farming and rural areas as part of the process of association with Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, and Moldovan farmers are ready to obtain European subsidies according to these regulations. “Our country has all the necessary legislation concerning the development of organic agriculture, but we must harmonize it with the four EU regulations that appeared during the association process. Today, we can't satisfy the EU demand, especially as there are no quotas on organic products. The EU market for organic products isn't covered by half”, said Senic.
Last year, Moldova exported 83,000 tonnes of organic food to EU countries. The main importers are Germany, Austria, France, Denmark and Italy.
