Organic farming offers farmers in Kosovo an opportunity to improve business profitability, bio-diversity and sustainability within agriculture generally, as well as within rural communities. Consumer interest in organic food is growing, and being involved in organic production can help re-connect farmers and consumers.

Of the many different reasons why consumers choose increasingly to buy organic food, the most significant is a general concern to protect and enhance the environment. Buying and eating organic food reduces the use of pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilisers. This, in turn, reduces the risk of consuming contaminants and pesticide/herbicide residues.

Increased consumer awareness and environmental concerns have contributed to the growth in organic farming over the last few years. Although it represented only around 3% of the total EU utilised agricultural area (UAA) in 2000, organic farming has developed into one of the most dynamic agricultural sectors in the EU. The organic farm sector grew by about 25% a year between 1993 and 1998. Since 1998, is estimated to have grown by around 30% a year.

In some Member States, however, this growth seems to have reached a plateau. In 2005, in the EU of 25 Member States, around 6 million hectares were either farmed organically or being converted to organic production. This marks an increase of more than 2% compared with 2004. Over the same period, the number of organic operators grew by more than 6%.

Organic farming is a holistic approach to food production, making use of crop rotation, environmental management and good animal husbandry to control pests and diseases.

Organic farming has to be understood as part of a sustainable farming system, and a viable alternative to the more traditional approaches to agriculture. Since the EU rules on organic farming came into force in 1992, tens of thousands of farms have been converted to this system as a result of increased consumer awareness of, and demand for, organically grown products.

The sustainability of both agriculture and the environment is a key policy objective of today's common agricultural policy i.e.

Sustainable development must encompass food production alongside conservation of finite resources and protection of the natural environment so that the needs of people living today can be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable development must encompass food production alongside conservation of finite resources and protection of the natural environment so that the needs of people living today can be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

This objective requires farmers to consider the effect that their activities will have on the future of agriculture, and how the systems they employ shape the environment. As a consequence, farmers, consumers and policy makers have shown a renewed interest in organic farming.

Under European law, all food sold as 'organic' must be produced according to European Regulations on organic production. These Regulations require food labelled or sold as 'organic' to come from growers, processors and importers who are registered and approved by organic certification bodies, which are in turn registered with a control body in an EU Member State.

Organic certification bodies appoint inspectors who visit farms to check that no fertilisers or pesticides have been used that are not approved for organic production, and that land has been farmed organically for the conversion period (normally two years) before food is sold as 'organic'. Labels of food sold as 'organic' must indicate the certification body with which the processor or packer is registered.

Processed organic foods must use ingredients that were produced organically. However, it is not always possible to make products entirely from organic ingredients because not all ingredients are available in organic form. Manufacturers of organic food are therefore permitted to use specific non-organic ingredients provided that organic ingredients make up at least 95% of the food. Only a limited number of additives are allowed to be used in the production of organic food.

A new Regulation to facilitate the development of Europe's organic food sector was adopted in 2007, and will apply from 1 January 2009: (Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labeling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91).

The new Regulation on organic production and labeling is simpler for both farmers and consumers. The new rules set out a complete set of objectives, principles and basic rules for organic production, and include a new permanent import regime and a more consistent control regime.

The use of the EU organic logo will be mandatory, but it can be accompanied by national or private logos. The place where the products were farmed has to be indicated to inform consumers. Food will only be able to carry an organic logo if at least 95% of the ingredients are organic.

If the product contains between 70% and 95% organic ingredients, they can be mentioned only in the ingredients list, and a clear statement must be given on the front of the label showing the total percentage of ingredients that are organic.

The use of genetically modified organisms will remain prohibited. It will now be made explicit that the general limit of 0.9% for the accidental presence of authorised genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will also apply to organic products. There will be no changes in the list of authorised substances for organic farming. The new rules also create the basis for adding rules on organic aquaculture, wine, seaweed and yeasts. In the second part of this revision exercise, and building on the new regulation, the existing strict detailed rules were transferred from the old to the new Regulation.

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