Some Policy Suggestions for Promoting Organic Agriculture in Asia

Abstract

The benefits of organic agriculture have not been realized to their full potential, even though the organic market has been steadily expanding due to rapid economic growth and increasing environmental and health concerns in Asia. Organic agriculture has largely been promoted under the umbrella of low-chemical and environmentally friendly agriculture with different countries at different stages of establishing their own certification systems. Although overall benefits are expected from a harmonized certification system, Asian countries need to tailor their national organic promotion policies to suit diverse national circumstances and to improve their technical and institutional capacity to implement such policies.