The Eighth Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom) meeting is being attended by organic stakeholders from the Pacific region and is discussing the development of a robust governance mechanism for organics in the region.
14 December 2010: The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO) are convening the Eighth Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom) meeting in Nadi, Fiji, from 13-15 December 2010, with a focus on development of a robust governance mechanism for organics in the region.
The meeting is being attended by organic stakeholders from the Pacific region. According to Stephen Hazelman, SPC, the meeting is working “towards establishing a regional organic organisation and developing robust group certification schemes and internal national control systems.” Pacific countries have committed to developing their local and export markets and work towards establishing a Pacific organic brand with high international demand.
According to SPC, the Pacific Organic Standard (POS) that has been developed by POETCom outlines the requirements for organic production. It covers plant production, animal production, bee-keeping, collection of wild products, aquaculture and the processing and labelling of products derived from these activities. POS does not cover procedures for verification, such as inspection or certification of products.
The FAO is providing support as part of the technical cooperation project to develop a governance framework for POETCom and an organic guarantee system for the region. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) also provided assistance for the development of the Pacific Regional Organic Strategic Plan, 2009-2012. [SPC Press Release]