EU: Increased Controls on Certain Organic Products
The European Commission, together with the Group of Experts on Organic Production, has assessed the information in the Organic Farming Information System (OFIS) and concluded that increased control and reporting measures are necessary for certain imported products.
The additional control measures will be applied to the following organic products (among others) from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024:
| Country | Product | CN code | Sampling percentage |
| China | Peanuts | 1202 42 00 | 10% |
| Egypt | Peanuts | 1202 41 00
1202 42 00 |
10% |
| Tunisia | Dates | 0804 10 00 | 10% |
| Vietnam | Cashews | 0801 32 00 | 10% |
USA: USDA Announces Two Investments to Strengthen Specialty Crops Sector
On January 29, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced two investments designed to support the American specialty crops industry, which includes fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops. The Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) initiative will provide US$65 million for projects that will help the specialty crop sector increase global exports and expand to new markets. Additionally, US$72.9 million in grant funding will be available to support the specialty crops industry through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), which will fund innovative projects designed to bolster the competitiveness of the expanding specialty crop sector.