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Goal 3 |
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The Potential of Organic Agriculture in regard of Social, Environmental and Economic Benefits is recognised
Organic Agriculture is an environment-friendly and sustainable
production system, which could offer benefits at diverse levels. The
reasons for people to convert their farm management practices to
organic vary. They include income generation, natural resource
conservation to food security.
Organic Agriculture is viewed as a system of food production and
consumption for the environment- and heath-conscious people of the
developed world. In Third World countries OA is often associated with
“export agriculture”. For many, especially for policy-makers in
developing countries, Organic Agriculture is associated to rigid rules
and complicated practices that allow marketing certified organic food
products.
In order to promote IFOAM’s mission (link), to enhance and to promote
organic farming worldwide, it has to develop position papers and a
strategy on the benefits of OA. A strategic lobbying concept has to be
developed and implemented to promote the potential of OA and its role
in food security.
IFOAM has achieved recognition of the benefits of OA for the
environment, and its role in income generation through exports. It
works closely with FAO, UNCTAD (on harmonisation issues) and IUCN (on
Biodiversity and Organic Agriculture). Many governments worldwide have
already developed or are in the process of developing national
regulations on OA. The main objective behind this effort is to
facilitate exports of organic products. The potential of OA concerning
food security for subsistence farmers who have no access to external
inputs (mineral fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, herbicides, etc.) and
sell only minor quantities of products primarily to local markets is
not sufficiently known to those who influence policies and development.
Therefore, the new I-GO Program will put more emphasis on this issue.
Collection, documentation and publication of good case studies on the
potential of OA with regard to food security will be done. This will be
one important tool besides the development of position papers and a
strategy to promote OA and its role in food security. Through the FAO,
national governments could be reached and eventually influenced to
include OA in their agricultural policy to improve food security.
Another target group consists of donor and development agencies.
Besides the national or multinational organisations, there are many
non-governmental organisations, which support partner organisations of
IFOAM in DCs. I-GO will disseminate position papers to those
organisations and conduct strategic lobbying activities. The objective
is that those organisations take up OA in their policy on food security.
Planned Activities
- Development of a strategy to promote the potential of
OA in its full diversity from income generation through biodiversity,
food security and rural development with focus on DCs.
- Development of relevant position papers for the strategy.
- Establish a participatory review of the “Principles of Organic Agriculture” (POA)
- Capacity building to advocate for POA
- Development and implementation of mechanisms to broaden recognition of POA
- Identification of and linking up with existing “organic” programs and networks
- Promotion of IFOAM’s mission & position at national and regional levels.
- Development and active use of IFOAM / I-GO PR material worldwide (posters, brochures, etc.).
- Collection, documentation and publication of good case studies about OA and food security.
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