Costa Rica will be able to continue exporting its organic vegetables with a free route to the European continent. In January, the European Union (EU) informed the authorities of the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) that the country approved the audit of the Organic Agriculture Accreditation and Registration Unit (ARAO).
The success in the tests allows the country to enjoy the recognition of “Third Country”, which means the EU recognizes the certifications granted by the SFE authorities, which facilitates trade and lowers the rates producers must pay to get their products into the European community.
The field visits were made during 2016 to the areas of Talamanca, Sarapiquà and Cartago, where the products with the highest export volume are grown (fresh and processed bananas and pineapples).
The Europeans analyzed the supervision of SFE personnel in the processes carried out by the certifying agencies, the follow-up of inspection records, and the documentation generated by these processes, among other aspects.
According to the SFE, the European Union corroborated the application of Regulation No. 392-2013 of the European Commission that determines the level of risk of the processes and requirements of organic products according to national regulations.
The SFE informed that in 2017 Costa Rica exported 16,325,597 kilos of organic vegetables to the European Union.