Speaking at the opening ceremony, Steffen Reese highlighted the importance of advancing research and production in the organic sector while strengthening the credibility of organic products among Chinese consumers. He also stressed the importance of understanding and communicating the holistic approach behind organic farming as a basis for encouraging more sustainable consumption.
"Every single mu* that is converted to organic farming is a success story. The credibility of organic products in the Chinese domestic market can make an enormous contribution to environmental health in China," said Steffen.
Strengthening farm-to-table management
The conference brought together around 500 participants on-site and 1,000 online and was co-hosted by the China Vegetable Association and the Erhai Lake Basin Agricultural Green Development Research Institute. International experts from Italy, the United States and Spain joined Chinese researchers, agricultural officials and sector representatives to exchange knowledge and perspectives on organic vegetable production. Discussions focused particularly on strengthening farm-to-table management of organic vegetables, including reducing external inputs, ensuring full-process traceability and improving cold-chain logistics. During the conference, the Organic Vegetable Technical Committee of the China Vegetable Association was established.
A rapidly developing organic sector
The discussions took place against the backdrop of a rapidly developing Chinese organic sector. According to FiBL's annual global statistics, China is the world's third-largest organic market by retail sales, after the United States and Germany. Organic vegetable cultivation in China has reached around 1.2 million mu* (80,000 hectares), with a production value of 8.6 billion yuan (approximately €1.1 billion). However, organic production still accounts for only around 0.3 % of the country's total vegetable cultivation area, while consumer demand continues to exceed domestic supply.
The conference underlined the potential of organic farming to support China's transition towards more sustainable agricultural practices, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions. FiBL's participation provided an opportunity to contribute its expertise in organic agriculture and engage in international knowledge exchange on how research, production and market development can support the further growth of the sector.
* A mu is a traditional Chinese unit of measurement for land area. One mu equals 666.67 square meters.
Further information
Contact
Link
fibl.org: FiBL Europe in Brussels