The organic agriculture industry is calling for more adequate regulation of the trade to ensure growth and sustainability.
The industry leaders, including farmers, processors, exporters and consumers say there are some people who intentionally produce and sell to the public products they purport to be organic whereas they are not.
This affects the credibility of the industry which otherwise is increasingly recording high demand locally and on the export market, according to the National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda -NOGAMU.
Chariton Naluwoza, the Executive Director at NOGAMU, says in supermarkets there are products labeled organic when actually they are not, which calls for stricter regulations.
He was speaking ahead of the National Organic Week to take off early next week in Kampala. Organic farming is a practice where food and other crops are grown and processed using ecologically-based processes and a variety of natural inputs, rather than chemicals, to sustain the health of soil, ecosystems, and people.
Uganda has about 404,246 certified organic farmers, biggest number in any country apart from India.
However, Naluwoza says there are many farmers who want to be certified organic farmers and are practicing without chemicals, but that the process of certification is too expensive and rigorous for most.
He says that there is need for government to support such farmers to meet the requirements, including a traceability system.
He says that Uganda is increasingly becoming visible on the international organic agriculture market, including in Europe, USA, and South Africa where the populations are more concerned about food health.
Zahra Muhammed, a Ugandan food exporter says the demand for organic food is overwhelming, and adds that more farmers need to be taken on and certified.
However, she adds that there is need for cooperation amongst the producers so that they can produce enough to sustain the market.
Muhammed also calls for a culture locally in which everyone prefers consumption of the best food instead of reserving quality only for the export market.
The theme of the week is, “Organic Agriculture: Pathway to CAADP (Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme) Implementation and Trade Integration in Africa and Beyond.”
CAADP supports organic agriculture through its emphasis on sustainable land management, climate-resilient practices, and inclusivity. It generally encourages member states to implement national policies that incorporate organic principles for resilient and environmentally friendly agrifood systems.
Sunday Bob George, a Senior Agriculture Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, adds that the populations the world over are becoming more selective when it comes to food.
This means that the market will continue to grow and so will the demand for better quality.
George however stressed that in all innovation, the environment should be protected.
On the calls for regulations of the industry, George agrees that the industry needs stricter regulation l to ensure that what is organic remains organic and prevent unqualified products from being on the market.
This will include the review of the now “aged” National Organic Policy, and a comprehensive law which will include regulation of agriculture inputs.
One challenge for the market is that it is hard for an ordinary person to tell whether a product is organic or not, though this is being helped by the building of markets that are specifically for organic products.
Ramadhan Nkuutu, a software engineer and Innovation and Product Development Officer at the Makerere Innovation and Incubation Center, has spearheaded the development of “Kebera” app, which can detect any form of synthetic substance in food.
The week’s events which will feature farmers, processors, exporters, policymakers, researchers, consumers and civil society, has also attracted import and distribution companies from several countries in Africa, Europe and America, according to NOGAMU.
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