In order to support organic leadership, IFOAM offers a course for people assuming present or future responsibilities in the organic world. Through the Organic Leadership Course, IFOAM provides a space for learning and experience, and for developing innovative strategies and strong networks.

The course is targeted at present and future leaders of the organic movement. During the course of one year, it will provide an intensive, on-the-job learning process that empowers them to actively assume greater responsibility in pushing the world towards increased sustainability.     

The Courses - General Information 

Eligibility
Eligible participants are women and men, committed to the principles of Organic Agriculture, who wish to achieve personal development and leadership within the Organic Agriculture movement. Typical participants may have their background in:

• Farmers' organizations or national organic movements;
• Organic companies;
• Organic producers, processors, traders or retailers;
• Organic certification bodies;
• Consumers' organisations;
• Organizations campaigning for sustainable rural development;
• Research, extension, education or rural development institutions;
• Government institutions (e.g. ministries of agriculture, development or environment);
• Development agencies.

Learning Objectives
The training will broaden participants' knowledge and develop their skills. After the course, participants will be able to:

• Analyze situations holistically and draw conclusions in line with the principles of Organic Agriculture;
• Design strategies and lead people and organizations in an effective and ethical way;
• Develop organizations and manage projects - this includes planning, fundraising, implementation, monitoring and evaluation;
• Build relationships, networks and cross-sector alliances;
• Master convincing communication inside and outside of their institutions and influence organic advocacy targets;
• Make their value chains more sustainable and competitive;
• Use services from the organic sector, including the IFOAM Organic Guarantee System to develop the organic movement;
• Access research, advise and train.

Core Competencies Acquired by Participants
The Organic Leadership Course is organized on a regional level. It follows a holistic approach, allowing participants to develop:

1. Knowledge, e.g. facts about Organic Agriculture,

2. Skills, e.g. sound management know-how;

3. Attitude, e.g. a leader's personality.

It is geared towards enabling and supporting concrete action. A variety of methods are used to facilitate learning at different levels (action, reflection and theory), as well as learning with and from each other.

Tuition

Two highly intensive residential modules are complemented by periods of online learning. During these periods, the trainees study the materials provided on the learning platform at their own pace and meet on a regular basis in webinars (web-based seminars), consisting of lectures and discussions with subject experts. In this phase, trainees have the opportunity to apply the lessons from the first intensive course to a project of their own choosing, on which they then report and receive feedback from the group.

In total, the course offers 150 hours of intensive training, 16 days in person in a class of 20-25 participants and 10 half day webinars in the same group.

Required Input

Participants are expected to actively engage in all residential trainings, webinars and individual tasks. They will have to implement a project of their own and perform a public appearance (e.g. as a conference speaker or in an interview in the mass media).

Learning success depends on the trainee's attitude - readiness to share experiences and openness to build relationships with peers and other learning process stakeholders is vital to achieve the course objectives.