PERSPECTIVES OF ORGANIC ONION PRODUCTION: THE DUTCH EXPERIENCE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR AN EMERGING MARKET ECONOMY AS CHINA

European policies focus on the conversion to integrated and organic production systems.
The market for organic produce has to become a mainstream on the European market, similar to the existing chain of the conventional products.
In the conventional horticultural industry much technical and organisational know-how exists to reach an effective and high production.
However, are farmers ready for these changes? Many stakeholders from onion seed to farm and from farm to consumer are involved in this process.
Each stakeholder has its own specific interest in the product, which aspects are discussed in this presentation.
Organic production has a high priority for the agricultural development in China.
Certainly the domestic market will be most important for the Chinese organic growers, however Japan also represents a potential export market for organic onions.
Ultimately, world wide, the market reflected by the consumers’ demand, determines the perspectives of the organic agricultural sector, and that will also be the case for China.

IV International Symposium on Edible Alliaceae

M.A. Beek

organic, biological, integrated production, conversion, onion, horticulture, the Netherlands, Japan

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2005.688.50