Organic products policy in Brazil

Abstract

Considering the environmental and social importance of organic food production and increased supply and demand for organic products in the world and in Brazil, the Brazilian Federal Government began a process of regulation of organic agriculture from 1999. In this sense, this article recovers the history of institutionalization of federal regulations pertaining to organic systems of agricultural production in the country, indicating relevant aspects and some changes during 17 years of evolution of this regulatory process. The methodology used was based on the analysis of 30 regulations regarding the organic production in Brazil, highlighting the four most relevant statutes (Normative Instruction 07 of 1999; Law 10,831 of 2003; Decree 6323 of 2007 and Decree 7792 of 2012). Papers were also used to discuss the relevance and the fundamentals of organic agriculture and agroecology; the Brazilian contradictions concerning agribusiness and sustainable agriculture; conflicts in the governmental sphere – highlighting positions of Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) and Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) and in the relationships established between different actors and institutions, focusing on Brazilian literature. The results indicate that these rules have contributed to the institutional strengthening of organic agriculture and agroecology in Brazil. Nevertheless, the budgetary resources destined to this type of public policy are pitiful compared to those destined for conventional agriculture. Its indicates that although some important advances on organic agriculture and agroecology public policies, the Brazilian government continues prioritizing agribusiness, featured pesticides and GMO uses.