At the last IFOAM General Assembly motions instructing the IFOAM World Board to develop position papers on the primordial role of smallholders and family farmers in the context of food sovereignty and on the use of organic seed and propagation materials in organic agriculture were adopted.
The first draft of the IFOAM Position on Smallholders and the second draft IFOAM Position on Seedsare now available for comment.
The deadline for feedback for both papers is September 22nd 2010.
Please send your comments to: organic@ifoam.org
Call for Nominations of Members to the IFOAM Standards Requirements Committee and IFOAM Standard Committee
Following the approval of the new IFOAM Organic Guarantee System last month, we are now starting its implementation.
Two new OGS committees will be formed in the coming months: the Standards Requirements Committee (SRC) and the IFOAM
Standard Committee (SC). IFOAM is now calling for members and other interested stakeholders to apply (as individuals)
to become member of these committees. Deadline is September 12, 2010.
Read the complete call here. One Earth, Many Minds: The IFOAM 2009 Annual Report is Published
The title of this report, ‘One Earth, Many Minds’, reflects the belief that the global organic movement is propelled by the many minds – brilliant and bold, pioneering and traditional, humble and visionary – that are part of the organic movement.
For IFOAM, 2009 was indeed a year of challenges and change, marked by a strategic redirection. Nonetheless, achievements were made, and our sincere thanks go to all those who, through their commitment towards IFOAM, supported us in our mission: Members, Associates, Supporters, Strategic Partners, Donors and Volunteers.
We invite you to browse through this Annual Report and enjoy the snapshots of what many minds, together, can achieve.
Happy reading!
IFOAM at the UN Climate Negotiations in Bonn (August 2 – 6)
IFOAM had a strong presence at the UN climate negotiations in Bonn. The IFOAM side event ‘People before Commodities’ encouraged delegates to put the needs of the poor ahead of those of commodity markets – especially the new carbon market which is likely to incentivize and green-wash industrial scale projects at the expense of smallholders, sustainable agriculture and local food accessibility.
Click here
for a full update on IFOAM'S High Sequestration, Low Emission, Food Secure Farming Campaign activities in Bonn including the IFOAM Briefing Paper, Downloads of the side event presentations and other information to bring you right up to date.
GOMA (Global Organic Market Access) Project calls for Tender
Qualified
consultants are invited to submit proposals on study and recommendations for developing Regional Organic Standards in Asia. Proposals should be submitted electronically to
GOMA Project Manager, Diane Bowen, d.bowen@ifoam.org
by 22 August.
For detailed information, please click here.
IFOAM's Membership votes "Yes" on the new OGS Proposal
In the membership vote of 18 July 2010 on the IFOAM Organic Guarantee
System (OGS), 134 Members (out of 667 members, voter participation of
20%) cast their votes on the question:
‘Do you agree with the political direction of the presented OGS
and do you give the World Board the mandate to start offering the five
proposed services to potential clients and to report progress to the
next General Assembly 2011 in Korea?’
125 Members (93%) answered 'Yes, I agree' and 9 Members (7%) answered 'No, I disagree'. 2 votes were invalid.
The suggested Organic Guarantee System is now decided and the IFOAM
World Board has the mandate to start implementation of the new system,
while observing IFOAM’s procedures and policies. The IFOAM World Board
will report to the General Assembly 2011 in Korea.
For the full announcement, please click
here.
For background information on the OGS Revision process, please click here.
Special Announcement: IFOAM invites its Membership to Comment on the Revision of GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard
GOTS has opened the first round of the revision input system regarding the revision of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) 2.0 and the corresponding Manual. The first revision draft of GOTS 3.0 and the corresponding Manual for the Implementation of GOTS are open for a 60 day comment period, starting 24th of June. IFOAM invites its membership and other selected stakeholders to send IFOAM their comments. Comments received by IFOAM before the 12th of August will be compiled and channeled to GOTS, possibly in the form of an IFOAM position.
For downloading related documents and to read more, click here.
Organic Agriculture contributes to biodiversity by prohibiting the clearance of primary ecosystems, integrating high levels of natural and
agricultural biodiversity into the farming system and by avoiding toxic chemical inputs. The campaign will:
bring
attention to the impacts of industrial agriculture on biodiversity and on
the local people who rely on biodiversity for their livelihoods
make
the biodiversity stewardship role of the world’s small-holder farmers who
produce over 70% of the world’s food more visible
raise
awareness of how the independence, livelihoods, biodiversity and climate
resilience of the world’s small-holder farmers can be affordably and
sustainably strengthened through the eco-intensification of their farming
systems
encourage
organic farmers to submit short videos showcasing eco-intensification
Celebrating Seed Diversity: The Green Foundation, India
The 11th edition of The World of Organic Agriculture documents recent developments in global organic agriculture.
The purchase of the book includes free download of the pdf version, access to excel sheet with selected data and powerpoint presentations. Organic faming is practiced in more than 150 countries and 35 million hectares of agricultural land are managed organically. The global sales of organic food and drink reached 50.9 billion US dollars in 2008.
Click on More below to see a preview or here to order a printed copy.
The Organic Business Guide
This guide is written for those who are actively engaged in setting up or managing organic businesses with groups of smallholders. It provides practical know-how and essential information for planning, managing and expanding such a business.
Click on More below to see a preview or here to order a printed copy.
IFOAM Guide to Biodiversity and Landscape Quality in Organic Agriculture This guide is designed to provide practical working examples and suggestions for farmers and advisers who are aiming for real positive change on farmlands world wide. Proven innovations from a wide variety of farms, traditions and agro-ecological zones are described, along with the underlying ecological and agricultural principles that make them effective. The more we all understand of the potential benefits and synergies of enhanced biodiversity and landscape quality within any and all types of agriculture, the more effective and appropriate the solutions that arise in our own contexts will be. This Guide provides a start for that process on which we can build, within the traditions of Organic Agriculture, but applicable for all rural land use.
