LEGISLATION ON ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN LEBANON

The law on Organic Agriculture was drafted in 2005 and reviewed by a national committee formed of organic experts, under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The draft law was submitted to the Board of Ministers and is still waiting for discussion and approval, to be then referred to the Parliament.

This draft law foresees the establishment at the Ministry of Agriculture of a Unit responsible of Organic Agriculture. Until then, issues related to organic agriculture are being followed at the ministry by the Directory of Rural Development.

The organic law has been drafted to be in compliance with EEC Regulation 2092/91, with the objective of potential export to European countries and others.

The application of EEC Regulation 2092/91 in Lebanon is posing some technical difficulties at the farming level. Some organic inputs are only available in limited quantities, such as certified organic seeds and local organic manure.

This puts a financial burden on organic producers who are forced to import these products at a high price. The import of organic inputs at a cheaper price and the development of local technical expertise are seen as important to improve the situation.

Organic labeling appears as a priority in the development of the sector in Lebanon. It is the right of consumers to be informed about the origin of the food product, and the way it was prepared. The organic certification as an organic guarantee is also an important concept to be popularized among consumers, to avoid fraud.

Protection against genetically modified organisms, at both the policy and practical levels is required to prevent cross-contamination of organic lands.

LEBANESE STANDARDS FOR ORGANIC FARMING

The Lebanese Standards for Organic Farming were drafted by Green Line Association with the support of GTZ, reviewed by a technical committee at the Lebanese Standards Institution “Libnor” and approved by Libnor’s Board in March 2004.

The Lebanese Standards for Organic Farming are divided into four parts:
(1) Plants and plant products, livestock and livestock products, food processing and beekeeping.
(2) Aquaculture.
(3) Forest management.
(4) Accreditation criteria for bodies certifying organic production and processing.

The book “Lebanese Standards for Organic Farming” – Arabic version is available free of charge at Green Line Association and ALOA.

ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

The last two years witnessed an important development of the organic sector in Lebanon. Organic certification has started to be performed by two local certifying bodies: IMC-Liban and LibanCert. IMC-Liban works under the umbrella of IMC Italy; LibanCert works in partnership with Bio.Inspecta Switzerland until achieving international accreditation.

This awaited establishment of local organic certification bodies foresees an increase in organically certified businesses in Lebanon and the region. Provision of services and expertise has now become more cost-effective, language barriers have been removed, and monitoring and control are more frequent.

Despite an initial suspicion that local consumers might have in regards to local certification, the coordination with international certification bodies, and the acquirement of an international accreditation are expected to give more credibility and trust in local certification. Local prices are also expected to slightly decrease with the acquirement of certification at a lower cost, and the emergence of more competition.