Organic Agriculture and Distribution Channels of Organic Food in Spain: A Case in Valencia

Abstract

Organic Agriculture in Spain developed rapidly in these two decades and now boast the largest organic farming area in Europe. Because 70% of organic products are exported into EU countries the distribution channel through agricultural cooperative established and organic agriculture certification resume has implemented along with EU organic criteria. To cope with this situation, organic agriculture dissemination organization and certification authorities had founded.

Nevertheless access to domestic consumers for organic food was not broad demand of organic food gradually increased along with the consumer’s consciousness of food safety and good health.

This paper focused on the diffusion of organic agriculture, certification authority and the situation of organic farming and marketing to clarify the characteristics of organic food distribution channels in Valencia. The findings of the paper are as follows;

1)In the case of export oriented cooperative, they acquired not only certificate from EU standard but also from individual certification authorities. Though they gave various kinds of service to the member organic farmers, it became difficult to keep proper profits from their organic business.

2)In the case of broad distribution corporation, they switched their marketing channel from export market to domestic market and changed their business body from cooperative to corporation simultaneously. They sell organic foods to the collaborative consumers group like Japanese Teikei.

3)In the case of local distribution channel, a farmer changes his marketing channel from through cooperative to direct marketing channel. In his case, he does not need to acquire an organic certification anymore because he grasps consumer’s trust.