Organic Certification Agencies Worldwide Forge Strategy for Global Dominance of Organic Agriculture
	November 01, 2006 Organic Certification Agencies Worldwide Forge Strategy for Global Dominance of Organic Agriculture
	From November 15th to 17th in Rome, Italy, the world’s organic certification agencies, private and governmental accreditation bodies and others engaged in ecological and social certification will converge upon the University degli Studi Roma Tre for the 1st IFOAM Conference on Organic Certification to improve the performance of organic certification for the booming $30 billion organic sector.
	This conference will prepare the world of organic certification to conquer agricultural production globally. With a booming market worth over $30 billion annually and consistent double-digit growth rates, and given the complexity of and demands for organic certification, the organic sector needs to develop a unified global strategy for organic certification and move forward in a systematic way. IFOAM’s first Conference on Organic Certification aims to: Foster dialogue among stakeholders involved in organic certification issues Establish and reinforce networks Set the future direction of organic certification and harmonization For over 30 years, IFOAM has been at the center of international organic certification issues, and through its Basic Standards for Organic Production and Processing and subsequently the IFOAM Accreditation Criteria, IFOAM has solidified an international framework for standards development, and fosters dialogue among certification agencies worldwide. 56 presentations by key players in organic certification from all over the world will cover a wealth of experiences and challenges. Mr. Gunnar Rundgren, Chief Executive Officer of Grolink AB, one of the founders of the organic movement in Sweden, and former IFOAM President, will give the opening keynote speech, outlining his vision for the future of organic certification, sparking dialogue between certification experts and other interested parties. Who should attend the IFOAM Conference on Organic Certification? Organic certification bodies worldwide, both government and private Organic Accreditation bodies, both government and private Other government supervision and control bodies Consultants Conference Registration The cost for a complete registration package is 350 Euros for members and 440 Euros for non-members. Register online via the IFOAM website: http://www.ifoam.org/events/ifoam_conferences.php You may also register by filling out the registration form and faxing it to the Head Office. Tours On the 15th of November, a tour will take you to the farm Agricoltura Nuova, a pituresque organic farm near Rome. The tour includes a delicious organic lunch, and will last approximately three hours. Address: Via Valle di Perna, 315 00129 Roma . See www.agricolturanuova.it for further information. Conference Venue The conference will be held at the Università degli Studi Roma Tre in Rome, Italy.  Roma Tre University was established in 1992. Address: Via Ostiense, 159, 00154 Roma. See www.uniroma3.it for further information. Sponsorship Program Companies and organizations are invited to participate as sponsors of the first world conference on organic certification. The sponsors will receive a host of benefits according to the level of sponsorship. Sponsorship Levels Platinum Sponsor – 20,000 Euros (US$24,000) Gold Sponsor – 10,000 Euros (US$12,000) Silver sponsor – 5,000 Euros (US$6,000) Bronze sponsor – 1,000 Euros (US$1,200) Exhibitor – 500 Euros (US$600) Current sponsors Partner: University Roma Tre Sponsors Global Organics, Bioflora Fibl Epopa Bioagricert s.c.r.l. TOS - The Organic Standard E-Cert IOAS Provincia di Trento Food Sponsors La Selva Colle dell'Acero - soc. coop. a r. l. In-Kind Sponsors Provincia di Modena Italian Ministry of Agriculture AIAB ICEA For more information, contact: Gabriele Holtmann Member Relations and Events Coordinator Charles-de-Gaulle-Str. 5 53113 Bonn, Germany Tel: +49-228-92650-12 Fax : +49-228-92660-99 Email: g.holtmann@ifoam.org
	© IFOAM - International Federation of Organic Agriculture