Brasília, March 8, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Organic products exported by Brazil will earn the country over US$ 15 million. This estimate, made by the Export Promotion Agency (Apex), is based on transactions concluded at the Biofach, the world's most important organic products fair, which was held in Nuremberg, Germany, from February 19-22. Among the organic products that Brazil will sell the most over the course of the year are coffee, sugar, cashew nuts, honey, fresh fruit, fruit pulp, juices, cereals, and legumes.

The production, which currently provides employment and income for more than 3.3 thousand families, especially farmers and cooperatives, is totally certified by internationally recognized companies and is carried out in compliance with a series of requirements that make it possible to identify the origin and the system used in the production.

"This search for food that is increasingly safe, chemical-free, and focused on environmental issues is what is turning the sector into one of the most dynamic on the international market," explained Apex manager for the area of Organics, Liliane Rank.

According to Rank, world demand for organics currently stands at US$ 30 billion, annually, and should increase 30% each year. "It is a market that is growing, very visible, and positive for the country," she said.

In Brazil, the government estimates 15% annual growth in exports, chiefly to markets in the United States, Europe, and Japan, considered the biggest consumers. "Everything points to advantages for the sector. As well as having quality products, Brazil already has the image of a country with huge natural reserves and large arable areas, increasing our business prospects even more," she said.

45 Brazilian companies, the majority of them small and medium, currently operate in the sector. The annual production of organics in Brazil is estimated at US$ 100 million. (DAS)