
Representatives of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will meet in Canada next month to assess the inclusion of animals and seaweed produced using aquaculture techniques in the Guidelines for Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods.
The meeting will be held between 9 and 13 May in the framework of the Thirty-Ninth Session of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards: Codex Committee on Food Labelling.
The FAO says the operation and management of aquaculture animals and seaweed, whether or not in confined systems, "must respect the principles of organic production" and that "the biodiversity of the aquatic environment and the quality of the surrounding water be maintained."
They also propose that aquaculture operators should apply an organic management plan to guide the operation and lower the impact on the environment, as well as monitoring it to ensure that the goal is met annually.
The FAO also states that "aquaculture facilities should be located in areas where contamination risks are minimized and where the sources of pollution can be controlled or mitigated."