Elena Espinosa reports on the Plan of Ecological Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Elena Espinosa, reported yesterday in the House of Congress, the actions and objectives that the Plan provides for the promotion of organic agriculture.
According to the Minister, the Government claims that the actions of the plan has all the links of the production: primary production and livestock farming, processing, marketing, distribution and consumption, as well as training and research.
Elena Espinosa has said that support for the promotion of organic agriculture has always been a policy priority for her Government, which has resulted, among other actions, in signing agreements with various associations in the implementation advocacy and information, in the preparation of studies and the protection of the organic term.
The Minister also recalled that has signed a partnership agreement with the Institute of Foreign Trade, with the objective of promoting foreign trade and has encouraged the participation of the organic sector in various exhibitions, nationally and internationally. Elena Espinosa has said that all these initiatives need to be included in a Comprehensive Plan for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture.
As to the Plan, Elena Espinosa has said that the administrations have participated and the whole industry, and its main objective is to establish a global strategy to confront successfully the new challenges and opportunities.
Elena Espinosa referred to establish actions to promote their development, such as better characterization of the sector and disseminating information to stakeholders, measures relating to training, research and technology transfer, increase the number of sector operators and the area devoted to this production. Also, to enhance awareness and promote the consumption and marketing. This will provide promotion of domestic and external, and others dedicated to strengthening the partnership structures to achieve a greater concentration of supply.
In addition, the Minister has opted to enhance institutional collaboration, resource management and the structuring of the sector as a pathway essential for the development of organic agriculture in Spain.
On the other hand, Elena Espinosa has indicated that the achievement of these objectives will be accomplished through 19 core actions and the total budget amounts to 35,800,000 euros in the period 2007-2010, subject to the Autonomous Communities to include organic agriculture in their rural development programs.
Finally, the Minister presented this Plan and has assured that it will be a good tool to promote an emerging sector with good prospects.