The
IFOAM World Board. From the left to the right: Mathew John (India); Roberto Ugas (Peru); Matthew Holmes (Canada); James Benjamin Cole (Ghana); Andre Leu (Australia); Manjo Smith (Namibia); Frank Eyhorn (Switzerland); Eva Torremocha (Spain); Gabi Soto (Costa Rica); Volkert Engelsman (Netherlands).
IFOAM Executive BoardNew Executive Board Members (the full list and biographies of the new IFOAM World Board members will be published soon)
President: Andre Leu, Australia
Andre
Leu is Chair of the Organic Federation of Australia. Its role is to
develop the Australian organic sector into a major component of
Australian agriculture that delivers benefits to consumers, producers
and the Australian environment. The major activity has been working
with the Australian Government on a regulatory system for organic
products. This system will allow the organic sector control over
standards setting with the regulators enforcing it. Andre was the Chair
of the Far North Queensland Lychee Growers Association.
Andre
is an organic farmer, growing tropical fruits in Daintree, Queensland.
He has over 36 years of experience in all areas of Organic Agriculture
from growing, pest control, weed management, marketing, post harvest,
transport, grower organizations, developing new crops and education in
Australia and in many other countries.
Vice President: Gabi Soto, Costa Rica
Gabi Soto is leader of the National Organic Farmers Association (ANAO) in Costa Rica for over 10 years promoting trainings in organic farming at all levels and developing national regulations on organic certification. She dedicated her life to support and live from Organic Agriculture from many different perspectives: certification, research, training, farming, marketing and policy making.
She became an organic inspector in 1993 and learned from organic farmers all over Latin America. She later became inspector trainer for the Independent
Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) and transmitted and trained
many inspectors in the region. With a team of colleagues, she also developed Costa Rica's National Certification Agency (EcoLOGICA), of which she has been the
president for over 12 years.
With the organic movement in Costa Rica
(MAOCO), the government has declared organic farming as the as state
priority for development, with a strong regulation to promote organic
farming.
Vice President: Roberto Ugas, Peru
Roberto Ugas is a
Peruvian agronomist with studies in Peru,
The Netherlands and Japan.
He is lecturer and researcher in horticulture at Universidad Nacional Agraria
La Molina, as well as a consultant in rural development, agroecology,
agrobiodiversity and organic agriculture.
Roberto is main advisor to Peru's National
Association of Ecological Farmers (ANPE) and a member of the National Commission
for Organic Products (CONAPO), the advisory board that drafted the first
organic regulation in the country. He acts as representative of La Molina for
several national and international agreements, including those with ANPE and
Slow Food. He is a member of several scientific societies, including ISOFAR and
SOCLA, and of EducAndes, which promotes education for sustainable development,
and has served in the board of SEPIA, a think tank dealing with agriculture and
economy. Roberto is a member of GALCI, IFOAM's regional group in Latin America and for 15 years was involved with IFOAM's
Accreditation Programme and, later, with IOAS, having been chair of the
Accreditation Committee. He was also a member of the task force that drafted
the principles and the definition of organic agriculture.
Every regular General Assembly elects ten World Board members.
Candidacies must be received at least three months before the regular
General Assembly and must be endorsed by five members. A presentation
of the candidates must be sent to the members at least 60 days before
the General Assembly.
The World Board chooses an Executive Board (see §8) from amongst the
elected members before the end of the General Assembly. The World
Board may co-opt up to three further World Board members. The World
Board may elect additional Executive Board members and replace them as
appropriate during the term.
World Board
The World Board decides all issues not yet determined by the General
Assembly. The World Board establishes rules of procedure for the World
and Executive Board and the General Assembly, which are to be approved
by the General Assembly. The World Board may set up Working Groups,
Committees, and regional or thematic task groups. It may also delegate
specific tasks to such bodies or to individuals. The World Board takes
decisions by simple majority with at least half of the members present
and by open vote. On the request of three World Board members a meeting
is called with six weeks notice.
Executive Board
The Executive Board is constituted by three to five members of the
World Board: The President and two to four Vice-Presidents. The
Executive Board represents the Federation, executes the decisions of
the General Assembly and World Board, decides on issues not yet decided
upon by the General Assembly or the World Board, reviews the
organization performance and initiates the remedy of short-comings.
Executive Board decisions are taken by simple majority with at least
half of the members present and by open vote. IFOAM is legally
represented by two members of the Executive Board acting jointly.
