The objective is to facilitate international trade and access of developing countries to international markets.

More specifically, the Task Force will:

1. Review the existing organic agriculture standards, regulations and conformity assessment systems including:

• Their impact on international trade in organic agriculture products;
• Models and mechanisms of equivalency and mutual recognition;
• Extent of international harmonisation.

2. Build on the recommendations of the IFOAM/FAO/UNCTAD Conference on International Harmonisation and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture (2002), and on the reviews mentioned above, to formulate proposals for the consideration of governments, Codex Alimentarius Commission, relevant bodies of FAO, UNCTAD and IFOAM and other appropriate organisations on:

• Opportunities for harmonisation of standards, regulations and conformity assessment systems;
• Mechanisms for the establishment of equivalence of standards, regulations and conformity assessment systems;
• Mechanisms for achieving mutual recognition among and between public and private systems;
• Measures to facilitate access to organic markets, in particular by developing countries and smallholders.

These proposals will take into account their impact on production systems, their relevance to consumers and the need for transparency.

3. Advise stakeholders and provide information on developments following discussions of the above proposals

The Organic Guarantee System. The need and strategy for harmonisation and equivalence

Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture, IFOAM, Bonn, 229pp, 2004, available from the ITF Secretariat, M.Fecht@ifoam.org
Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture, Vol. 1, presents the first results of the International Task Force (ITF) on Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture. Organized by the FAO, IFOAM, and UNCTAD, the ITF is seeking solutions to international trade challenges that have arisen as a result of the numerous public and private standards and regulations for organic products that now prevail worldwide. This volume features four background papers that describe the current situation in organic regulation and trade, and offers some models that could apply to potential solution. A Terms of Reference for the ITF and reports of the first two task force meetings are also included