Hopes pinned on new organic law in Poland

A new law on organic farming in Poland promises to step up the development of eco-friendly farming and boost exports of Polish organic food to Western Europe, reports Polish newspaper The Warsaw Voice.​ The law launches a new system for the control and certification of organic food. The report states that even though Poland offers favourable conditions for organic farming, this segment of the national food market is still in its infancy, largely due to the extended absence of a comprehensive legal system governing production, processing and trade of health food. The new law, the paper continues, offers a chance for a rapid increase in the production and export of organic food. Under the new law produce labelled as organic must have been grown using organic farming methods. The certifying body, such as Agrobiotest, Bioekspert and the Polish Society of Organic Farming, will carry out the necessary inspections annually and then issue or revoke a certificate. Poland is not yet a member of the European Union and so EU countries do not recognise the Polish certificates and inspect Polish organic produce. Polish exporters also have to apply for EU certificates. Under the new law, organic food imported to Poland from the EU will also be subject to inspection until Poland becomes a member of the EU.