Strategic Plan for Organic Farming in the Azores begins public discussion in March 2018, announces João Ponte
The Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry, João Ponte, announced today the public discussion on the Regional Strategy for the Development of Organic Farming and the action plan for the production and promotion of organic products in the Azores by the end of March 2018.
"This plan will set the course of organic farming in the Region for the coming years. It is being developed with the collaboration of partners using this method of production," said João Ponte. He spoke after a meeting with the Board of the Association of Organic Farming Producers and Consumers of Faial Island - Trybio on Faial Island.
The government official explained that organic production in the Azores still has a "residual weight." Nevertheless, it has been growing in recent years due to the entrepreneurship of producers, especially in the area of horticulture.
The announcement of the organic milk production and the intention of producing organic beef will also create a new cycle of growth regarding this production mode in the archipelago.
"These initiatives and projects give us a very positive perspective on the future," João Ponte said, stressing that the Azores, due to their natural features, "have all the conditions to lead the way in this mode of production."
The number of producers grew in the Region from 22 in 2005 to 84 in 2016, corresponding to an area of 68 hectares that increased to 660 hectares in the same period.
For the Regional Secretary, organic farming is an emerging subsector. It values the environment, certifies food quality, promotes agricultural diversification, rewards soil sustainability and preserves biodiversity.
"In its recent communication on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2020," the European Commission gives positive note and reinforces the role that organic farming will play in the future," said João Ponte.
In the document submitted yesterday to the Minister of Agriculture, with contributions from the Azores to the revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2020, the Regional Secretary for Agriculture and Forestry stated the importance of measures for the reinforcement of organic farming.
"We are all working towards the same path, that is, towards the sustainable growth of organic farming," stressed the Regional Secretary.