I, Georgina Komsoon, was greatly honoured to participate as a representative for Africa within the IFOAM-INOFO delegation at the UNSCF. My expectations were very high and the presentation and results of Rio + 20 show that ORGANIC Farming and the way of life has a future. This gives me hope. For me, my family, my sisters and brothers (not only) in Africa.
I will try my very best to transmit the lesson learned as soon as possible and to as many farmers as possible here in Ghana and especially to the groups of women to whom I cooperate. Only our common efforts on the working level can bring the necessary bottom-up change. And if the political level participates, it is even better.
To accelerate the organic movement we have to engage in a stronger way women and young people. Especially the young people believe that their future is in the urban areas and not in the rural area.
May I introduce to you one member – Akua Siedu – of the women group I work together with and who is now the supervisor in the processing of the organic shea butter. Few years ago she could not even afford to pay her children’s school fee. But today, due to the economic progress the group has made within the project, she is able to put up the livelihood for her family and herself. And this is not common for the Muslim communities in the rural areas in northern Ghana. She never went to school (which is also common in the rural area and especially for a girl) but she can write and read. She was trained as much as possible and today she understands the principles of organic farming and the importance of sustainable agriculture.
Akua Siedu: Georgina explained to us the targets of RIO+20. Even if Brazil is far away, we in the rural area of the northern Ghana will be affected by the results of this conference. For communities like ours, living in a subsistence economy, it is important if the results are positive or negative. The information we got concerning food security, improving local seeds for better food, improving the production and the conservation of local food for more health and nutrition were very helpful for us. It will also contribute to the improvement of the environment.
Georgina Koomson
IDEAL Providence Farms
As the European umbrella organization for organic food and farming, we take on the hard work of lobbying for the inclusion of organic ideas and solutions in mainstream agricultural policy. The European institutions see us as a key contact for matters of agriculture, environment, research and health issues. Our wide network at the institutions and alliances with like-minded civil society organizations and NGOs, enable us push through amendments to EU regulations and weigh in on decisions of importance for the organic industry.
“IFOAM EU is not just a regional group for me: the important decisions on agricultural policy and as a consequence agricultural practices are taken in Brussels. If we want to work for a better agricultural future, Brussels is therefore the place to be. In the organic industry our hearts and minds are set on being the leader in sound solutions for the challenges humanity is facing, so we must have a strong representation in Brussels. Join me in sponsoring the good work of IFOAM EU!” 
Many of the creation legends of the Pacific islands involve our lands being ‘fished up’ from the vast oceans – or conversely torrents of trapped waters being released and dividing people into separate islands creating the ‘ocean of islands’ in which our diverse peoples live: a population of around 9.5 million people scattered across an ocean area of approximately 30 million square kilometres of which less than 2% of this area is land. Some of our islands lay low in the water – less than a metre above sea level, and we are aware everyday that our survival in this great ocean continent is dependent on our protection of the small amounts of land we have.
The work initiated and supported by IFOAM to develop the Pacific Organic Standard plus the formation of the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETcom) in 2009 to present a united voice for organic practitioners and stakeholders of the region has created considerable impetus in the region and organic agriculture is now included in the national development plans of almost all our Governments or Ministries of Agriculture. Increasingly organics is being recognised by our policy makers for the solutions it can offer and were greatly encourage by our Pacific Island leaders including support for organic agriculture in their submission to the Zero Draft.
Bangladesh is the ranks eighth most populated country in the world and is the fifth such country in Asia. Agriculture plays a very important role in populated countries like Bangladesh. The conventional agriculture of Bangladesh after the green revolution depended on chemical compounds that had a negative impact on soil, human health and the environment.
