Intereco, the association of Spanish public authorities overseeing organic agriculture, will soon launch a guide to support the sector's international expansion, especially in Asian markets. This initiative follows the rise in tariffs in the United States, the main market outside the EU for Spanish organic products.
Speaking to EFE, Regina Monsalve, the president of Intereco, stated that annual sales to the U.S. were around 50 million euros, with key products including olive oil, wine, and almonds. She also highlighted the country's potential, which has the world's highest organic consumption, despite less than 0.5% of its agricultural land being dedicated to organic farming, compared to 20% in Spain.
Amidst the uncertainty caused by trade negotiations with Washington, the sector has shifted its focus more toward the Far East, a growing market that is already central to its strategy. In this context, the EU and Japan have extended the organic certification equivalence agreement for wine by five more years, benefiting about 3,500 Spanish wineries.
The new Organic Export Guide, set to be published by Intereco at the end of the month, will provide practical information on entering markets such as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Monsalve, who became president of Intereco in March, emphasized viewing organic agriculture as a model that considers the countryside "as an ecosystem" and explained that it cannot compete on price with conventional farming, which is more industrialized.
She also warned that implementing the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur will pose challenges for organic farming because many Latin American certifications, such as those for regenerative or sustainable agriculture, allow the use of chemical fertilizers, which conflict with European regulations. "EU regulation is a global benchmark that we must uphold and protect," she stressed. She also mentioned the ongoing debate surrounding the future CAP, describing it as "the most political so far."
Source: eleconomista.es