As China’s organic sector has been going through great changes since 2012 when the new organic regulations came into force, for European and other international organic producers and traders that are interested in this potentially big market, a good way to have an understanding of the Chinese organic market is to come to BioFach China, currently the only organic exhibition in China, either as exhibitors or trade visitors. The fact that BioFach China is the only truly organic fair in China means it is a ‘gateway to the Chinese organic market’.

Last year the three-day exhibition attracted 15,963 trade visitors while in 2011 this figure was 14,613. According to BioFach China, ‘more than 300 exhibitors and 16,000 visitors are expected’ this year.

Many domestic organic producers will be present during the three day fair which will be held for the 7th time on the 23-25 May this year at INTEX Exhibition Centre in Shanghai. During the exhibition, you can meet the Chinese organic counterparts to ask questions about their products and business and see what is on offer and what is missing or needed in the market. It is a great opportunity for networking and you will also be able to have a taste of the food culture which is also important for entering the market. During the exhibition, some seminars will be organised to talk about certification issues, market, and broad organics related topics, with many certifiers are present for the exhibition. This year a comprehensive organic tour will be organised for foreign exhibitors and trade visitors, which will bring you and organic stakeholders in China together. The tour will take place in Shanghai and Beijing, currently the two biggest organic markets in China.

China has had three different labels regarding food production which have often been confusing, i.e. hazard-free food, green food and organic food. All inputs that are not permitted in organic food production are permitted in Green food and hazard-free food production though their applications are restricted to different levels. Green food label is integrated crop management system and its standard is higher than Hazard-free label with the latter focusing on basic food safety. Genetically modified organisms are permitted in food production under both these two labels. BioFach China has been the solely organic exhibition in China as all exhibitors’ organic certificates are checked while neither green nor hazard-free labelled food products are admitted; therefore in comparison to all the other claimed organic exhibitions in China, it is the only 100% organic exhibition.

As the strict new organic rules have forced many organic producers in China and China itself has not have many processed organic products, based on the food culture and the need for processed organic food products, following organic products have the potential for the Chinese organic market as no particular efforts are needed to market them since they are known to the Chinese consumers. These products include organic baby formula,organic baby food, organic extra virgin olive oil, certain organic spices/dried herbs, organic herbal teas, organic biscuits/cookies, organic sugars, organic jams, organic vinegars, organic beers/wines, organic dried yeasts, organic butter, organic chocolate, and organic chocolate spread. Such imports by China are necessary before these products and more processed organic products can be manufactured either by joint ventures or local producers in order to reduce the environmetnal impacts of imports.

As there is no organic equivalent agreement yet between EU and China, all organic products imported into China need to be certified by a Chinese organic certifier so they can carry the organic label, otherwise they will have to be sold as conventional products. If a product has a short value chain, it is technically not complicated to have it certified, for instance, a baby food producer which has all raw materials from its own farms and has its own the production, it will be quite straightforward to have its products certified by a Chinese organic certifier, thus to carry the organic label both in English and Chinese. The known certifying bodies are OFDC (www.ofdc.org.cn) and COFCC (www.ofcc.org.cn).  Currently the German company Topfer and Italian Alce Nero have obtained the Chinese organic certificates for their products sold in the Chinese organic market.

More information and updates about the exhibition and the organic tour which will be organised by BioFach China (together with www.organic-market.info) can be found on BioFach China website.

http://www.biofach-china.com/en/default.ashx