Organic Bulgaria

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Organic industry in Bulgaria has strong progress since 1990, when the return of land and substantial change in the political situation. After 2000, a more demand for products and information on healthy lifestyles.

The interest return is: seam is formed by the buyers of "green" consciousness, driven by health considerations, ecology, prestige. These people, who prior to believe that they live in Switzerland, Japan and Scandinavia, and now we see in our country.

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For buyers is a group of enterprising farmers, who earn on the market products produced by organic means. Now this market is seen as completely normal component of the public economy, something current and high export opportunities.

To be produced organically, ie without the use of chemical fertilizers and detergents, actually is the normal practice of millennia now. It was very quickly forgotten because of the facilities of mass agriculture, aiming at extracting the maximum yield per unit area and achieve high levels in other "commercial" settings (of course - a quick profit).

After 1990 started the process of returning land to its owners. People - the heirs - into the ownership of small plots. If the small area is part of a larger block, which produces inorganic, organic farming conditions there even if the owner wishes - chemical fertilizers and preparations are carried easily in the soil. In hilly areas where the distances between the land areas are higher, respectively, and opportunities for organic farming are better.

More interesting in the process of returning the land, the property went to people as jumbled deck of cards in class (professional and educational) respect for socialist industrialization. Now there is a greater chance of a person with entrepreneurial thinking and become a recent owner of the land and make a step towards the production of refusing chemistry.

Hostility to new things suspicion that promise profits, but no guarantee is a property of national psychology. The most common explanation for the lack of new crops and methods of production result in uncertainty for the new products will find a buyer and the buyer will return each year.

European Union and the Government of Bulgaria, now promote the transition to organic farming, and grant subsidies to farmers and food manufacturers to switch to it. Since the introduction of the SAPARD (Special Accession Program for Agriculture and Rural Development), farmers may receive financial support and also in "quarantine": three-year transition period required to allow farm products to be certified as organic.

According to experts, most organic farms in Bulgaria are very small and are located on less than one hectares. They often depend on the investments and supply contracts with foreign companies. Currently, 90 percent of organic food produced in Bulgaria is exported to richer countries.

Bulgarian organic foods are mainly fruits (apples, peaches, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, grapes for wine), nuts (walnuts and almonds), herbs and spices (fennel, anise, lavender and many others) and organic vegetable oils, tobacco, vegetables. The market has organic lamb and beef meat and organic jam and honey.

In addition, large areas of wild land are certified organic and as they gather wild fruits, herbs, mushrooms. It is believed that approximately 60% of the raw products come from the collection in the wild. Organic rose oil, tobacco, wine, fruit with great potential for the country as German specialists. Organic farming in Bulgaria is very promising because of natural conditions.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture certification for organic production have received nine manufacturer supplying dried and frozen herbs, spices, seeds (wild) fruits, vegetables, honey and rose oil.

This year the ministry will support organic farming and food production with € 12,6 million goal is to strengthen the local market and to new zavzeme share of European market. The plan to set out in 2013 that 8 percent of agricultural land will be cultivated by organic method (0.3% in 2005). At the national level lies 3% of products sold in the country to have an organic nature.

In addition, this should improve the legal framework, awareness, education and research, and certification in organic farming. The Bulgarian law on genetically modified organisms (GMO) is extremely restrictive and places priority on organic farming and help to avoid conflicts between organic and non-organic farming.

Bulgaria as a producer has a huge potential for organic foods. Bulgarians also as a consumer - green idea reaching more minds and hearts. But the Bulgarian case, buyer and user are two different things. In Bulgaria, the potential of the internal market is more questionable than in the capital and several major cities: Bulgarians are used alone to produce better health and "rural" food instead of buying organic food stores.

Incidentally, it is much better option in comparison with the economy of the jars, which the Bulgarians entered the international sociology. To produce food alone is an idea far a number of experts on "Food of the developed Western Europe. United Nations Development Program is another story.

Last but not least, economists and sociologists, looking away, consider that the future will be hosted around the house in a much greater degree than some corporation. Therefore, food production at home even in the city is undeveloped mine. In this area of Bulgaria has great natural advantages.