Symposium on pro-poor organic certification

Symposium in China on Pro-Poor Certification Systems for Green and Organic Produce

6-10 June 2005, Nanchang (Jiangxi Province)

The UNESCAP Poverty Reduction Section, in collaboration with the China Green Food Development Center and the China Green Food Association is preparing a symposium on pro-poor certification systems for green and organic produce. This symposium will cover three important areas of rural poverty: income and employment, access and participation, and sustainable development. Approximately 65 Chinese participants and 15 international participants from 8 countries in Asia and the Pacific will attend. Participants will represent civil society, government, academia and the private sector. The objectives of the event are to:

• Review constraints faced by poor farmers in obtaining domestic and international certification of green and organic produce;
• Document existing good practices to help farmers overcome these constraints;
• Identify how the existing good practices can be incorporated into domestic and international certification systems;
• Determine how UNESCAP can assist in disseminating and enhancing the adoption of these good practices in the Asia-Pacific region.

The symposium will create opportunities for the various actors involved in the production and certification of green and organic produce, to promote knowledge sharing and networking in response to the needs of the rural poor.

Relevant links:

Provisional programme

Aide memoire