“商机无限”的中国有机食品产业——访中国有机农业产业发展联盟主席杜相革先生

<正> 十年来,中国有机产业蓬勃发展的态势令世人瞩目,但快速发展的同时,也存在着产品单一、深加工产品缺乏、生产规模小、销售渠道窄等问题。如何让中国的有机产业逐渐成熟,走上健康发展的道路,既需要全行业的携手努力,也需要相关行业协会的指导与帮助。中国有机农业产业发展联盟(CFOAM)由中国农业大学有机农业技术研究中心发起,联合国内外多家有机产品生产和销售企业,充分利用政府机构、高等学院、有机生产企业、流通企业等多项资源,于2007年在香港注册成立。

China organic food industry full of potentials

China Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (CFOAM) was found in April 2007, which aims to provide technical services to CFOAM enterprises; establish quality guarantee system and market system; provide market supply and demand information; as well as establish good credibility in domestic and foreign market. Under the double pressure of economic downturn and food safety incidence, is China organic food industry seriously impacted? Recently, the journalist of China Food Industry Magazine has been talking with the president of CFOAM, Mr Du Xiang-ge. The current economic crisis is impacting on many respects of society, especially on the export and high-end market, so what China organic food enterprises should do in face of the challenge? Since the crisis broke out, the price of organic products is overall going up in global market, because the import volume of main importing countries is shrinking. As for China, the organic industry is not impacted severely. Because the export volume of China organic products is small, and mainly targeting at southeast Asia. And the organic industry is reducing the independence on export and turning to domestic market. In 2000, 90% products were exported, but much less than half now. With Chinese life style changing, organic market in China is becoming more active which is the key support to China organic industry getting through the crisis. How do food safety incidents impact the organic food industry in recent years? Whether the reduction of consumer confidence in food safety will affect their trust on organic products? Recently the occurrence of food safety incidents makes consumers re-position food safety and start to pay much attention to organic food, so there is a new potential opportunity for organic industry. For example, after the outbreak of melamine incident in 2008, a corporation does tea business sold organic tea products successfully, and the proportion to total sales value increased from 30% increase to 60%. Particularly, organic products market is especially booming before Spring Festival of this year, and more and more consumers begin to choose organic products as gifts. What significance does organic agriculture has for the improvement of China's food safety? At present, China's food safety regulatory system overrelies on the final product inspection. In fact, it is monitoring the source and processing that is basic to guarantee food safety. Organic industry is the integration of the target management and process management. The whole process from cultivation to manufacturing must meet the requirements of "organic". In addition, organic agriculture is also friendly to the environment. Compared with industry pollution, our society has not paid much attention to agricultural pollution. However, only combine agricultural production with environmental protection, can we create good living and safe production environment, and ensure the food safety from the source. At present, consumers have not been aware of organic food, and they are often confused by such concepts as "Organic", "Green" and "Pollution-free", how do you think about this phenomenon? Organic food, Green food and Pollution-free food all meet the basic national food hygiene standards, and then all of they can be called safe food. However, they do have differences. Take the residue of pesticides and chemical fertilizers for example, pollution-free food only has to comply with the basic standard. Green food production reduces 50% of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.And the organic products' pesticide residue should not exceed 5% of the national standard. In other words, the safety of organic food is 10 times of green food and 20 times of the pollution-free food. In fact, there is another very popular concept affecting people's understanding of "organic" that is "whole natural". Now China has set the related regulations, forbiding the vague and unstandardized concepts in label, which will provide advantageous circumstance for organic food industry development.