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Conference Location: Nuremberg 
Conference
 Center
(NCC) 
Ost
,  
Level
 3 Room Shanghai


 .

NCC 
is
 located
 on
 the
 east
 side 
of 
the
 Nuremberg
 Messe

 grounds. 


For
 a
 map 
of
 the 
Messe
 grounds
 and
 NCC 
Ost, 
please 
visit:


 http://www.nuernbergmesse.de/en/company/exhibition_site/general_plan

Let the Good Products Flow!

For ten years, FAO, IFOAM and UNCTAD have worked in partnership to address and reduce barriers to trade of organic products resulting from the global proliferation of organic standards and technical regulations. At this high-level International Conference, the partners draw together a distinguished group of public and private sector leaders to examine the past, present and future of organic market access relative to systems of organic standards and conformity assessment. The conference looks at emerging issues, such as the potential for organic standards to promote the growth of organic agriculture vis-à-vis their potential to stifle growth. Developments and challenges for dominant and emerging exporting/importing economies and for still-developing countries are highlighted and discussed. Models of public-private and regional cooperation are considered as potential pathways for global solutions to the challenges.

In addition to four eminent keynote speakers, participants are afforded an opportunity to discuss key issues with distinguished government and private-sector speakers from Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, China, Great Britain, France, India, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka and United States. Representatives of intergovernmental and international organizations such as The European Commission, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, International Trade Commission, International Organic Accreditation Service and Pacific Islands Community will also contribute to the presentations and discussions.

Stay In Front of a Rapidly Growing Market

Recognizing that multiple organic standards, certification requirements and other regulations were major obstacles to organic trade, FAO, IFOAM and UNCTAD organized a Conference in February 2002 on International Harmonization and Equivalence in organic agriculture. In line with the needs identified during this conference and the readiness of participants to learn from each others’ organic guarantee systems and seek convergence, the three partners sought and developed solutions by organizing and leading the International Task Force on Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture (ITF). Results include two practical tools, an established networking among standard setters, regulators, and certification bodies and a common understanding of organic guarantee systems. Ten years later, this partnership continues to facilitate harmonization, equivalence and other forms of cooperation to enhance organic agriculture development worldwide. Working under the project title, Global Organic Market Access (GOMA) the partners announce a follow-up Conference in February 2012. This international Conference will assemble, on a global scale, key government and private sector actors to review the progress made in the last decade on organic guarantee systems, including outcomes of the ITF and GOMA, as well as envision strategies for the next ten years of public-private cooperation that are crucial for the continued growth of organic agriculture and markets.

Any questions or inquiries, please contact: goma-conference@ifoam.org