Organic Farming in Bulgaria preparing to face new challenges
The sixth International Conference during AGRA 2020 Fair, with special participation from the Netherlands, will take place on February 20th in Plovdiv.
International Conference
Farmers, producers and traders in organic foods, Bulgarian and foreign experts and scientists, as well as representatives of state institutions and municipalities are meeting at the international conference "Bulgarian Organic Farming – Can We Reset the System?" on February 20, in Plovdiv, during the AGRA 2020 International Agricultural Exhibition, organized by the Foundation for Organic Agriculture BIOSELENA jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the Bulgarian Association BIOPRODUCTS and AGRO TV.
The conference will be opened by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Chavdar Marinov, and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Bea ten Tusscher. The Netherlands is special guest at this sixth edition of the forum.
Organic sector and circular agriculture in the Netherlands
The Kingdom of Netherlands, being nearly one third the size of Bulgaria, and having a population nearly three times as large as Bulgaria, is a world leader in agricultural technologies, including organic farming. 75,000 hectares (4%) of the country's agricultural area are organically cultivated. Both the size of the organically cultuvated area and the number of certified bio companies are steadily increasing. The share of organic products on the market was increased by 4.3 last year. The Dutch organic producers are the only ones in the European Union who do not receive funding for organic production. This is an experience valuable for the Bulgarian organic producers, which will be shared at the conference along with another important topic - the ambition of the Netherlands to become leader in circular agriculture within ten years. The country has already developed a vision and an action plan, and the Dutch producers and food processors are encouraged, in order to "close" the circle on their farms, to search for partners in other countries, one of which could be Bulgaria.
Bulgarian organic sector
The conference " Bulgarian Organic Farming – Can We Reset the System?" is held at a crucial moment for the Bulgarian organic sector. One of the major challenges Bulgarian organic producers are facing, is that the market continues to outpace production. Following some turmoil, regulatory changes and several years without financial support, 2020 is expecting to see a new intake of funding for organic producers – EUR 40 million earmarked for organic farmers over the next three years – however, under additional conditions. A new regulation on organic production published by the European Commission will come into force in 2021. One of the objectives of the Farm-to-Table strategy, details on which are expected to be provided by the Commission soon, is intended to increase organic production. IFOAM, the International Federation of Organic Farming Movements, insists that this objective should be bound with specific measurable indicators, such as 20% of EU farmland being organic by 2030 (7.2% in 2017).
Program of the conference
The conference will discuss the new developments in the legislation and regulations to support Bulgarian organic producers, good bio-practices, modernization and innovations, new products and opportunities for their realization, as well as the latest results from scientific tests in organic farms. Special attention will be paid to the "success stories" of the best Bulgarian bio brands.
Presented will be the results of successful projects implemented in Bulgaria: "Common Agricultural Policy to the Benefit of All of Us", and the pan-European initiatives "Relacs" and "Liveseed", under which we have three Dutch partners. One of the special speakers at the conference is Marian Blom, Project Manager at “Knowledge & Innovations” - BIONEXT, an organization which bands together three major bio-associations in the Netherlands: farmers, processors and traders. The market trends and marketing opportunities for organic products will be presented by the Dutch company Tradin Organic, a leading trader of organic seeds and fruits for the food industry.
Tasting of organic products from Bulgarian producers is also envisaged.