Organic Agriculture: Live it. Capmaing in Catalonia

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) is organizing the Second Week of Organic Agriculture in Catalonia. Catalonia accounts 20% of manufacturers and marketers of organic products that operate in Spain.

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) on Friday launched the second week of Organic Agriculture in Catalonia, an initiative to promote such food products among the public, retailers and the food industry.

Catalonia is an autonomous community leader in the development of organic food. According to the Observatory of Food Consumption and Distribution, under the MAPA, about 30% of the Catalan population claims to have consumed organic products.

Catalonia in 2006 increased by 4.6% in the number of processors and marketers are already 386 – over previous year. This makes 19.8% of manufacturers and marketers working in Spain, in Catalonia.

ADG Organic Agriculture and Agri-Food Quality MAPA, Clemente Mata, filed on Friday in the restaurant Hofmann II Week of Organic Agriculture in Catalonia, an initiative that is part of the National Campaign Information and Promotion of products from organic agriculture. The campaign, funded by the European Union and the MAP (50%) began in November 2006 with a development period of two years.

II Week of Organic Agriculture

The Second Week of Organic Agriculture aims to promote the consumption of products from organic agriculture.

This will develop actions between Friday 1st and Saturday June 9th in Catalonia, Basque Country and Valencia. This will begin a media campaign (television, national and local general press) as well as encounters with the media.

Actions will be carried out with the industry, with distribution in the channel HORECA and the general public. Thus, some guides will be distributed to consumers under the name "25 Reasons to live the organic agriculture" and a directory of manufacturers in order to make society think about the benefits of organic agriculture, as well as facilitate the distribution channel and HORECA contacts necessary to include organic products in their menus.

In Hofmann School of Hospitality, there will be held that an activity is the development by students of different ecological stages, every day will deliver free of charge to customers, and communication materials for teaching.

The information campaign and promotion of the products from organic agriculture

The objective of this initiative is to spread awareness of this type of food among the Spanish population, encourage consumption and stimulate domestic demand for them. Currently, it is estimated that around 70% of the Spanish population does not consume organic products due to ignorance, or are not easily found.

The campaign, which is the first of its kind in Spain, started in November 2006 with the organization of the "I Week of Organic Agriculture", which included a program of promotional activities aimed at Spanish families, the business professionals and teaching, as well as consumer associations. In addition to media advertising campaign, this initiative included the installation of "thinking points" in various centers of power, as well as editing materials and information guides.

Under the slogan "Organic agriculture: Live it", the MAPA also wants to support the sector of the Spanish production, boosting domestic demand, while offering citizens a choice of consumption that in Europe has a large acceptance. To support this work, MAPA has launched a website with information on the qualities and the use of food production, where you can also find specific information on actions to be developed in this Second Week of Organic Agriculture.

The Ministry works closely with the industry on this and other initiatives. Therefore, in designing and monitoring the actions of the Campaign, the MAPA has the invaluable assistance, through representatives chosen by unanimous vote of the Autonomous Communities, the sector (CCPA) and the Spanish Federation of Business Products (which is a founding member APECPAE).

Organic agriculture in Spain

Spain, according to statistics collected by the MAPA in 2006, has an organic agricultural area of over 900,000 hectares, and involves over 19,000 operators.

Although Spain is the second country in Europe and eighth largest in the world with organic crop area, it is estimated that around 70% of Spanish production of such products are mainly exported to Europe, especially Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom and France, where they arrived on fresh produce. The consumption of products from organic agriculture in the domestic market still represents a small expenditure on food of the Spanish.

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