trid – Serbia Organica https://serbiaorganica.info/en/ Nezavisna, nevladina i neprofitna građanska organizacija Thu, 11 Apr 2024 07:41:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://serbiaorganica.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/cropped-srb-32x32.jpg trid – Serbia Organica https://serbiaorganica.info/en/ 32 32 Urban Agriculture, Smart Design, and Vertical Farms https://serbiaorganica.info/en/urban-agriculture-smart-design-and-vertical-farms/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 03:33:31 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9519 The big advantage that urban farming touts is the innovative reimagining and utilization of space. Urban farms might be as humble as your traditional, outdoor community garden. On the other hand, they might be as complex and futuristic as well-regulated, self-contained, environmentally controlled pods that are stacked on top of each other.

In one of the latest trends in urban farming, vertical farming, we’ve begun to realize yields that are nearly 10 times more efficient than traditional agriculture. “Vertical farming doesn’t promise to radically change the way we farm, only make it more efficient, productive, and take up less space,” writes Jelor Gallego with Futurism.com.

Traditional farmers could take a lesson from vertical farmers in their buildings and design, adopting the tenets of smart design to reduce waste and increase yield. Josh Tittle, writing on smart and sustainable barn design, reminds that it’s easy to get carried away by what you want rather than what you need.

“ … more space means more energy that’s needed for heat and light, which in turn makes for higher costs and more wasted resources. Instead of building a larger structure, consider what it is you need at the moment and design an efficient space for that purpose,” he writes.

As we continue to overpopulate our world and take up space, we’ll need to rely on efficiency in spaces and growth to continue to feed ourselves. Unfortunately, no matter how high we build or how intelligently we design, human beings are causing extensive damage and change to our environments, impacting our ability to raise healthy, mature crops. (innovation excellence)

]]> Pasona Group, Tokyo, Japan https://serbiaorganica.info/en/pasona-group-tokyo-japan/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 03:30:39 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9523 At the Pasona Group’s headquarters in Tokyo, tomatoes dangle from the ceiling, herbs grow fragrantly in meeting rooms and a rice paddy serves as the lobby centerpiece. Photograph: Pasona Group

At the Tokyo headquarters of the Pasona Group, a staffing company, tomatoes dangle from the ceiling, herbs grow fragrantly in meeting rooms and a rice paddy is the lobby centerpiece.

The plants are intended to relax employees, encourage innovative thinking about agriculture and create a sense of community as workers tend to the crops. The foods grown in the office are prepared and served in the company cafeteria. (Guardian)

]]> Serbia at the “Biofach Fair” https://serbiaorganica.info/en/serbia-at-the-biofach-fair/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:18:31 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9343 Biofach represents the leading global organic sector fair which will be held from February 13 -16, 2019 in Nurnberg in Germany. Presentation of the Serbian companies dealing with organic agricultural production at this fair helps to increase the value of the Serbian organic products in the foreign markets and contributes to the increase of the Serbian agribusiness’ competitiveness all along the value chain in the organic sector.
Since 2010 “SERBIA ORGANICA” has organised the exhibition of the companies at the national booth and present Serbian organic products.

Experiences from the past years are great and reflect in a number of signed trade contracts between domestic producers and international buyers. Added value of presence on this fair is possibility for domestic companies to get specific market knowledge and information regarding market demands, competition, quality, prices etc.

]]> Latest issue of organic news https://serbiaorganica.info/en/latest-issue-of-organic-news/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:16:46 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9339

“Organic News” is a unique newsletter and information service on organic sector movements, where all information can be found in one place and keeps track of current affairs from the country and the world. The Organic News Bulletin has been following the most important trends in the organic sector in the country and the world since 2010 in order to improve communication, increase the awareness of all participants in organic agriculture and  to promote the organic sector. It is designed to include: news from the organic sector in the country and the world, current events such as fairs, conferences, seminars, innovations in organic production and processing, market needs and requirements, as well as an overview of changes to the standards accompanying organic production, in addition to its informative and educational character, in the wider sense it deals with the promotion of organic production and its members as well as the activities that the Association itself conducts.

]]> Promotional catalogs of organic products https://serbiaorganica.info/en/promotional-catalogs-of-organic-products/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:15:45 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9335

Supporting the increase of sales of organic products on the domestic market and promoting organic production

In order to promote the current offer and increase the sales of organic products, as well as to raise public awareness of inorganic products, Serbia Organica, with the support of the USAID Competitive Economy Project, has launched the activity of issuing promotional catalogs containing current offers and sales outlets for organic products. Catalogs are distributed through social networks, by e-mail, they are also available on Serbia Organica website and the websites of our partners, and printed copies are distributed through retail channels and their chains.

]]> Organic production in Serbia https://serbiaorganica.info/en/organic-production-in-serbia/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:14:21 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9311 From fertile plains of the north to the mountainous south-west and east, food and agriculture have always been a strong part of the nation’s tradition, identity and pride.

If you’re looking for the true heart of Serbia, you’ll find it pulsating with energy and care across more than 3 mill ha of agriculture land, and discover that its filled with hearty corn, raspberry, plum, wheat, soy, sunflower, apple…

 

 

But what the Serbian heart especially support is its growing organic food production

When you think of Serbia, think about great, healthy, organic food, raised by family run businesses with care and love.

In the last decade, these family organic businesses grew intensively. At the moment, more than 6.000 certificate holders put their care and dedication to work on about 14.000 ha of the most fertile soil, raising organic cereals, fruits and industrial plants, among which predominant are wheat, raspberry and sunflower.

Some of these products are made in traditional ways, using old, autochthonous breeds, generational knowledge and close, respectful relationship with the land.

Others are innovative, made for contemporary users and markets, such as special types of virgin and cold pressed pumpkin seed and sesame oils, fruit chips, spreads made of grilled peppers, jams of wild fruits, buckwheat flour, etc.

Whether contemporary or old-style, the main quality of Serbian organic products grows from the same, unchanging cradle: Serbian love for the land and pride for their quality food.

Application of organic principles in Serbia started long before legal framework was created.Organic production was initiated first in south Serbia around Blace region in 1989 as business initiative of Lion Foods Company that resulted in export of first consignment of organic fruit from Serbia in 1990.Development of non-governmental organic sector in Serbia began in 1990 when Association Terra’s was established in the municipality of Subotica. This NGO began as part  of the Open University  of  Subotica and  had  representatives of  the  University  of  Novi  Sad  as members. Terra’s association carried out numerous campaigns with the aim of promoting organic production according to IFOAM standards (International Federation of Organic Movement) standards, becoming a member of this foundation in 1992. In 1997 Terra’s hosted an IFOAM Conference on organic agriculture in Central East European countries and remained for long time the driving force behind the development of Serbia’s organic sector, as formal and informal groups promoting the sector began emerging elsewhere in the country as well. The first Law on Organic Agriculture in Serbia was passed in 2001, while it was still part of the Federal   Republic of Yugoslavia. Following  the  change of government in 2000, foreign  investments started coming  in, with buyers,  projects  and  donors  bringing knowledge and  export  possibilities as well. Avalon from the Netherlands, SIDA from Sweden and Diaconia from Germany were the first foreign organizations to promote organic farming in Serbia with regional projects. In 2003, GIZ supported Terra’s in establishing cooperation with the German certification firm BCS, thereby laying the foundation for the first certification body in Serbia. These international organisations recognised the potential of organic production in Serbia and facilitated the establishment of new organic associations, primarily on local and regional levels, and several companies began working on export- oriented organic production. In 2004, GIZ supported the first participation of Serbian traders and processing companies at the Biofach international bio-fair in Nuremberg, Germany. Together with the Green Network of Vojvodina, Terra’s started the development of the local market and, as a result, the first Biofest was held in Subotica in 2005. In subsequent years, in addition to the GIZ, SIPPO from Switzerland, USAID and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (MAFWM) also supported participation of Serbian producers and business people at the Biofach fair.

During following years many donors recognized organic production like GIZ USAID Agribusiness project, FAO, ADA, REC SIDA, UNDP and many others.

In May 2009 when National association for organic agriculture, Serbia Organica, was founded players in organic sector were united and interests of organic producers and others sector’s participants lobbied for within governmental institutions and stimulating interaction and promoting organic farming and processing, both at home and abroad. The National Association “Serbia Organica” (NASO) currently gathers about 80% of the sector players, who are also present in other related associations and organisations. A large number of members come from primary production, processing, certification, trade, academic and other institution.

The organic production sector in the Republic of Serbia has seen growth in terms of acreage and in terms of number of producers involved in this production, as well as by the number of enterprises engaged in processing of primary products.

Organic production is mostly export oriented.

Plant production is dominant.

 

The basic characteristic of organic production in Serbia is that there are two groups or types of organic producers:

– producers who directly conclude a contract with the control organization on the performance of the control and certification in organic production and independently bear the costs;

– cooperating producers who have concluded a contract with the manufacturer and who are the holders of the certificate and whose production is subject to the so-called ” group certification”

In the case of group certification in a contract concluded by the manufacturer of the certificate with an authorized control organization, all manufacturers – contractors with whom the manufacturer has concluded a cooperation contract, in which case he shall bear the costs of control and certification and shall be obliged to establish an internal control system.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia, organic production in 2017 took place on a total area of 13,423 ha, whether it was already certified production or in the conversion process i.e the process of obtaining certificates for an organic product. The cultivated areas included in organic production in 2017 were 11,874.8 ha.

 

Table 1. Areas under organic production and the number of producers in the period from 2010 to 2017

Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Acreage (hа) 5.855 6.335 6.340 8.228 9.447 15.298 14.358 13.423
Number of producers 137 323 1.061* 1.281* 1.867* 2.289* 2.794* 6.153*

* including group certification or subcontractors

These areas include meadows and pastures, while the areas used for the collection of wild berry fruit, mushrooms and medicinal herbs are not included. In Serbia, there is no defined method on which the information can be obtained about the total area where the collection of wild plant species takes place from their natural habitats.

The areas of organic plant production during the conversion period in 2016 were 6,966.54 ha, while the areas in organic status were 7.391,41 ha. The share of organic production areas in total used agricultural land in 2017 was 0.38%.

Share of organic production area from 2012 to 2017

Year Areas under organic production (hа) Share of areas under organic production in total utilized agricultural land (%)
2012. 6.340 0,18
2013. 8.228 0,23
2014. 9.447 0,28
2015. 15.298 0,44
2016. 14.358 0,41
2017 13.423 0,38

Source: MAFWM RS

Vojvodina is the region with the largest share of the areas involved in organic production, 53.67%, followed by the region of South and East Serbia 32.39%, and the region of Sumadija and western Serbia -13.67% in 2016.

Export of organic products

Organic production in Serbia is mostly export oriented. Production for export must be certified in accordance with market requirements. The certification organization must also be accredited according to the requirements of the standards and regulations of the country in which it is exported. The estimate is that only 1% of organic food produced is sold on the domestic market. Serbia currently exports over 99% of organically produced food, and the demand for a certain number of Serbian products exceeds the supply. The largest export percentage in total exports are raspberries, cherries, apples and blueberries. The largest consumers of organic products in the EU are Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain. Traditionally, the most exported fruit are low-grade processed: raspberries, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberry and apple, then concentrated fruit juices, dried raspberries, blackberry, sour cherry, medicinal herbs, mushrooms and frozen berries. Certain number of our companies are successful in placing organic products on foreign markets, however, the potential that Serbia has in terms of export of organic products has not been sufficiently exploited.

Our producers are not competitive on the foreign market on the one hand, because they produce small quantities of products that can not be placed on the market that require stable delivery of products in appropriate quantities and of equable quality, and on the other hand the lack of information on market requirements and conditions. The value of exports of organic products has increased more than 6 times in the last 6 years reaching a value of 23.2 million euros in 2017.

The value of exports of organic products in milions of euros

Year Export value in millions of euros
2012 3,74
2013 10,7
2014 11,2
2015 19,6
2016 18,9
2017 23,2

Source: Customs Administration

You can see the publication about organic sector in Serbia on English language

]]> “Organic News” https://serbiaorganica.info/en/organic-news/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:10:25 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9307

“Organic News” is a unique newsletter and information service on organic sector movements, where all information can be found in one place and keeps track of current affairs from the country and the world. The Organic News Bulletin has been following the most important trends in the organic sector in the country and the world since 2010 in order to improve communication, increase the awareness of all participants in organic agriculture and  to promote the organic sector. It is designed to include: news from the organic sector in the country and the world, current events such as fairs, conferences, seminars, innovations in organic production and processing, market needs and requirements, as well as an overview of changes to the standards accompanying organic production, in addition to its informative and educational character, in the wider sense it deals with the promotion of organic production and its members as well as the activities that the Association itself conducts.

]]> The database of organic producers and processors of organic products https://serbiaorganica.info/en/the-database-of-organic-producers-and-processors-of-organic-products/ Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:09:32 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9303

Unified producers and processors with data on the types of primary and processed organic products, their quantities, the standards for which they are certified, and other important information will be the content of the databse of organic production in Serbia at which Serbia Organika started to work, with the support of the USAID Project for Competitive economy. The database will be placed under the new Serbia Organics website, which will be set up with the base by the beginning of the next year.

The goal of creating the base is networking of manufacturers and processors, encouraging their business cooperation which will result in:

  • Targeted planning of primary production,
  • Improving production and sales
  • Improving the quality of raw materials

By connecting producers and processors and improving their cooperation, we want to:

  • Help sell and compete with primary organic products,
  • Encourage domestic primary organic agricultural production,
  • Increase the competitiveness of exports of organic primary and processed products,
  • Through the planning of agricultural production in accordance with the needs of the processing industry, to reduce the import of organic raw materials needed for the processing industry,
  • Increase the visibility of the Serbian organic industry.
]]> Soybeans from Ukraine: Genetically modified and undeclared https://serbiaorganica.info/en/soybeans-from-ukraine-genetically-modified-and-undeclared/ Wed, 30 Jan 2019 00:02:12 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9276 In Ukraine, genetically modified soybeans are cultivated illegally on a large scale and marketed without declaration. This is shown by studies conducted by the Romanian environmental organisation Agent Green.

This year, Agent Green had drawn 60 samples of soy fields in six Ukrainian regions. Half of the fields were planted with GM varieties. This is illegal, writes Agent Green, as the cultivation of GM plants in Ukraine must be entered in a public register. However, not a single crop is listed in the register. The Austrian Federal Environment Agency examined 12 of the 60 samples; it found genetic material from GM varieties of Bayer subsidiary Mosanto, in particular the glyphosate-resistant line MON 40-3-2. “The results show that this is not contamination, but deliberate cultivation,” says Agent Green founder Gabriel Paun: “The question arises as to how the GM seeds reached the Ukraine. The situation in Ukraine is out of control “as it was in Romania 20 years ago”.

Leading representatives of the global agricultural movement have called for a stop to all releases of gene drives.

The majority of Ukrainian beans is sold to the EU. Agent Green points out that according to the association agreement between the EU and Ukraine, the latter must have implemented the EU release directive by the end of 2019. This is likely to be difficult, estimates Paun, as most of the infrastructure is already contaminated with GM soy. As a result, companies exporting GMO-free goods would have to spend more on quality assurance. In his statement, Agent Green also quotes the representative of the Donau Soja Organisation in Ukraine, who expressed his concern and offered the country help in solving the problem. Donau Soja promotes GMO-free, sustainable and regional protein supply in Europe.

Agent Green’s report puts this year’s total soybean acreage in Ukraine at 1.7 million hectares. The most important EU consumer countries for soybeans and soy meal from Ukraine are the Netherlands with imports worth 70 million euros, Italy with 56 million euros and Greece with almost 36 million euros. Germany imported 14 million euros worth of soya from Ukraine.

The warnings against illegal GM soy from Ukraine are not new. As early as 2016, the US Department of Agriculture and the German Thünen Institute reported on large-scale cultivation of GM soy. (organic-market)

]]> Aldi Germany: Strategy against packaging waste https://serbiaorganica.info/en/aldi-germany-strategy-against-packaging-waste/ Wed, 30 Jan 2019 00:01:14 +0000 http://serbiaorganica.info/?p=9272 At the German discount food stores Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, packaging material for private labels is to be reduced by 30 percent by 2025. The discounters also want to make 100 percent of private label packaging recyclable by 2022.

Aldi wants to expand unpacked assortment

Aldi plans to reduce packaging volumes particularly for fruit and vegetables as much as possible, taking into account product quality and food losses. At the same time, the range of unpackaged products is to be constantly expanded. Since 2017, Aldi has used reusable crates for transporting fruit and vegetables as far as possible, which, according to the company, has saved more than 120 million cardboard boxes and thus around 50,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Soon no more disposable bags at Aldi

Aldi is the first major food retailer in Germany to discontinue handing out disposable bags. From the end of 2018, Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd will exclusively offer reusable carrier bags to their customers. Aldi also announced that various disposable plastic articles are to be replaced by more environmentally friendly alternatives or reusable variants.

Aldi’s initiative to phase out disposable bags and replace them with reusable alternatives marks a significant step forward in waste management practices within the retail sector. By prioritizing sustainability and environmental responsibility, Aldi sets an example for other food retailers to follow, demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of transitioning away from single-use plastics.

Furthermore, complementing such efforts with accessible and efficient waste management solutions, such as wheelie bins for businesses, can enhance the effectiveness of waste reduction initiatives. Providing businesses with appropriate bins for sorting and disposing of recyclable materials reinforces the importance of responsible waste management practices and encourages participation in recycling programs.

Aldi UK: Pledge to tackle plastic pollution

Following a survey of customers, in March 2018 Aldi UK presented a ten point pledge to tackle the issue of plastic and packaging pollution.

Aldi UK’s plastic and packaging pledges:
  1. By 2022 Aldi aims for 100% of all own label packaging to be recyclable, reusable or compostable (where it does not have a detrimental effect on product quality or safety, or increase food waste).
  2. By 2025 Aldi aims to achieve 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging across all products (where it does not have a detrimental effect on product quality or safety, or increase food waste).
  3. By 2025, Aldi aims to reduce packaging by 50% (relative to 2015 baseline).
  4. By 2025 Aldi aims for 50% of its packaging to be made from recycled material.
  5. Aldi will publicly report on its packaging progress annually starting in 2019.
  6. Aldi will educate customers on the importance of waste reduction (reduce, reuse, recycle) through its community programmes.
  7. All single-use plastic bags will be scrapped by the end of 2018.
  8. Aldi will work in partnership with other retailers to reduce its dependence on plastic.
  9. Aldi will establish a Packaging Task Force with its Buying Teams and external experts to deliver these goals.

In principal Aldi supports a Deposit Return Scheme for plastic bottles and is conducting a feasibility study into how it could implement such a scheme. (organic-market)

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