1

st
AnnouncementofTrainingWorkshopon
DevelopmentofOrganicAgriculture,
CertificationandTradeinAfrica
June14,2010
Accra,Ghana
Demandforcertifiedorganicfoodsandproductshasbeengrowingsteadilyoverthepastdecade
inEuropeanandNorthAmericanmarketstoacurrentretailsaleslevelwellover46billionUSD
peryear.
Importedorganicproductsrepresentanincreasingpercentageofthesupplyandrepresenta
valueaddedopportunityforproducersandbusinessesinAfricatoexporttothesemarkets.
Accesstotheorganicmarketrequiresundergoingarigorouscertificationproceduretocomply
withthevariousorganicstandardsinplace.EffortsareunderwayinAfricatodevelop
opportunitiesfortradeoforganicproductsandtheircertification,supportedbytheAfrican
GrowthandOpportunityAct(AGOA).
ThisWestAfricanorganictrainingworkshopwillfamiliarizeinterestedpartiesinthebasicsof
organicagricultureandcertification,andprovidemoreindepthtrainingonthecertification
process,includinghowtodevelopacertificationbodyandperformgrowergroupcertification,as
wellasontheexportmarketopportunities,particularlyintheU.S.
WhoShouldAttend
Governmentagencyrepresentativesfromtheagricultureandtradesectors
Farmsandprivatebusinessesinterestedinexportingorganicproducts
bilityin

Individualsandorganizationsinterestedindevelopingorganiccertificationcapa
WestAfricathatwillmeettheU.S.NationalOrganicProgram(NOP)standards
Researchandeducationpersonnelinterestedinsupportingorganicagriculture
development.

WorkshopAgenda
Day1 Educationalsymposium:overviewoforganicagriculturebasics,
statusinWestAfrica,introductiontoorganicstandards,
introduc . tiontomarketopportunities.Opentoallinterestedparties
Track1IndepthtrainingonU.S.organicstandards(morning)and
theproce
Day2
ssofcertificationandaccreditation(afternoon).
Track2IndepthtrainingonU.S.organicstandards(morning)and
theorganicmarketplacetypesofproductsbeingsought,finding
buyers,logistics(afternoon).
Growergroupcertificationandinternalcontrolsystems(the
processusedtocertifymanysmallfarmersgrowingaproductthat
Day3
willbeaggregatedformarketing).
Discussionofnextstepsfordevelopingcertificationcapabilityinthe
regionandaregionalorganicsupportnetwork.Fieldtripto
certifiedorganicfarms,growergroupcertification,andthe
inspectionprocess.Closing.
Day4
InvitedSpeakers
Agriculture Hon.YawEffahBaafi,DeputyMinister(Crops),GhanaMinistryofFoodand
gram

Dr.OumarouBadini,WashingtonStateUniversityInternationalPro

Mr.MilesMcEvoy,DeputyAdministrator,USDANationalOrganicProgram
Mr.JonSeltzer,TheFoodIndustryCenter,UniversityofMinnesota
aturalResources, Mr.DavidGranatstein,CenterforSustainingAgricultureandN
A
WashingtonStateUniversity
S

Mr.RickMartinez,OrganicEducationSolutions,Florida,U
AgricultureNetwork
AgricultureNetwork
Mr.SamuelAdimado,GhanaOrganic
c

Mr.SamuelNdungu,KenyaOrgani

Mr.JamesColes,ElocFarms,Ghana
Mr.AlbertToose,AgroEco,Ghana
USDABorlaugFellowsforAfricaOrganicCertification
CostofAttendanceandSpaceLimitations
Thereisnochargeforattendingtheworkshopsessions,butnogeneralfundingisprovidedfor
travelorperdiem.SpaceislimitedonDays24tothosewithspecificinterestandneedsforeither
thecertificationtrainingortheexportmarkettraining.

SponsorshipandFinancialSupport
FinancialsupportisprovidedbytheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)Foreign
AgricultureService,OfficeofCapacityBuildingandDevelopment,BorlaugFellowshipProgram.
OthersupportcomesfromWashingtonStateUniversityInternationalResearchandDevelopment
Program(workshopconvener)andCenterforSustainingAgricultureandNaturalResources,
USDANationalOrganicProgram,GhanaMinistryofAgriculture,BNARI(Accra),U.S.Embassyin
Accra,USDAPostinLagos,GhanaOrganicAgricultureNetwork(GOAN),AgroEco,LandCare
InternationalBurkina(LCIB).

Venue
TheworkshopwillbeheldattheGaecConferenceCenter,BiotechNuclearAgricultureResearch
Institute(BNARI),6BoxLG80,LegonAccra,Ghana.Limitedlodgingandmealsareavailableon
site[contactlocalorganizingcommittee,KwaminaBansonatasskeroo@yahoo.comorTel.(233)
245358455)].
Registration
Spacewillbelimitedforthetraining.Ifyouareinterestedinattending,pleasesubmitthe
registrationformviaemailbyApril20,2010,toMaryWeitzmweitz@wsu.edu.Registrations
afterthatdatewillbeacceptedbasedonavailablespace.Pleaseclearlydesignateyourinterestfor
thedaysandthesessionsyouwishtoattend.

Questions
Ifyouhavequestionsabouttheworkshoportraining,pleasecontactOumarouBadini,Washington
StateUniversityInternationalPrograms,viaemailatobadini@wsu.edu.Youcanalsovisitthe
workshopwebsitehttp://www.ip.wsu.edu/ird/workshop/TradeinAfrica.shtmlformoredetailsand
relatedresources.
WorkshopRegistrationForm

DevelopmentofOrganicAgriculture,CertificationandTradeinAfrica

Name:___________________________________
___ Business/organization:_____________________________

Address:___________________________________________
______________ _____________________________

Email:________________________________

Phone:_______________________________

P thatdescribeyourrole(s): leasecheckthoseboxes

Agriculturalproducer

Agriculturalbusiness

Marketing/trade/exporter
anization
Governmentagency
org
rch
Nongovernmental
Educationorresea
Other:_____________

P chooseto
at
leaseindicatewhichaspectsofthetrainingyouwouldliketoparticipatein.Youcan
ets(Day1)
tendDay1only,orDay1plusoneoftheothertracks:
dards,mark
2,Track1)
Introductiontoorganicagriculture,overviewofsector,stan
theregion(Day
)
Developingorganiccertificationcapacityin
Exportopportunitiesfororganicproducts(Day2,Track2
Growergroupcertificationtraining(Day3)
Regionalorganicnetworkplanningandfieldtrip(Day4)

Brieflydescribehowyouanticipateusingtheknowledgeyougainfromthetraining:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
_

Pleaseemailthisform(orpasteitintoanemail)to:mweitz@wsu.edubyApril20,2010.