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Discuss: Is Asia Ready to Go Organic?

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A woman passes Lohao City, Beijing's first organic health foods store on January 12, 2009. (Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images)
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A woman passes Lohao City, Beijing's first organic health foods store on January 12, 2009. (Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images)

Asia's organic food industry has surged in recent years, with a marked increase in both consumption and production. This growth can be seen as especially remarkable in a region where agriculture has to compete fiercely for land and other resources with the industrial and construction sectors.

The demand for organic food products in Asia may be attriuted to many factors. Consumers are increasingly increasingly worried about the safety of their food, and organic food is perceived as safer by consumers. Organic agriculture also offers a solution to environmental challenges, as a way to conserve water and capture carbon from the atmosphere.

On Wednesday, November 9, Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm joined Beth Keck, senior director of International Sustainability at Wal-Mart at the Asia Society in New York to discuss the organic food market in China, which is fast emerging as a new giant in production of organic food. Read about the program here.

Is China ready for the way it produces food, especially in light of recent food safety concerns? What effect would an "organic China" have on world markets and the world's climate?

Share your thoughts below: Is China—and Asia—ready to go organic?

Nick | 11:09:09 10:21am
Since agriculture already has to compete fiercely for land and other resources with the industrial and construction sectors, where do organic farms find the land, do they convert regular agricultural lands/farms and just make them suitable for organic farming?
meenakshi | 01:16:10 07:21am
Once the things are in the favour of organic farming, it will carve its own way out to success and will flourish like anything because organic farming is what we need.And moreover it depends upon the people to cooperate or not!
Ernesto | 11:08:09 11:26pm
I think the uneven quality of certification is an obstacle for Chinese organic food consumers. Until that issue has been resolved, then China wlll not be ready to go organic. Since China is more of a producer than consumer of organcic food, what are the international organic standards, and how are they enforced?
Peter | 11:08:09 11:19pm
I think China's market for organic food is mainly for the affluent communities right now but I'm not surprised that the organic food industry there is growing at a fast pace. Chinese consumers are beginning to be more and more concerned with leading healthy lifestyles. I think they'll be having their own "Whole Foods" megastore anytime soon.
Foodie in CA | 11:08:09 09:53pm
There has been a lot of food safety concerns in China in the past few years, is there some sort organic food certification program established there, or any organic food standards being followed?
Asia Society Online | 11:04:09 02:48pm
What are your questions for Stonyfield Farm CEO Gary Hirshberg regarding organic food in China?

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