IFOAM Committees
A Committee is a permanent or long term organ of the Federation set up by the World Board to carry out a task at the global level. Decisions of a Committee that are taken within the scope of its mandate are binding for IFOAM.

The Organic Guarantee System (OGS) Committees

The three IFOAM OGS Committees, the Norms Management Committee, the Standards Committee and the Criteria Committee play an essential role in the development and continuous improvement of the Organic Guarantee System.  For further information about the OGS Committees please visit the OGS Committees Section of this Website.

IFOAM Task Forces

A Task force is convoked by the World Board or Executive Board for a limited time to give it advice on a specific issue. Task forces may make proposals and recommendations, but they do not make decisions that are binding for IFOAM.

Good Governance Task Force

At the 2008 General Assembly IFOAM members expressed their clear wishes to improve IFOAM’s structures and policies related to overall performance of the organization, governance performance and structure, representation of members and membership categories, as well as general concerns of democratic process within the scope of activities of IFOAM. In response the IFOAM World Board has created a Good Governance Task Force, assigned World Board member Jacqueline Haessig Alleje to chair the task force, and approved Terms of Reference.

In October 2009 the World Board approved the following members of the GGTF:
  1. Jacqueline Haessig Alleje, WB members, Chair, Philippines
  2. Fabio Piccioli, World Board member, Italy
  3. Victor Ananias, Bugday, Turkey
  4. Joy Daniel, IIRD, India
  5. Christian Eichert, University Hohenheim, Germany
  6. Patricia Flores, IFOAM Latin America coordinator - GALCI, Argentina
  7. Alessandra Galie, Italy/Syria
  8. Sebastian Saragih , Organic Alliance, Indonesia
  9. Marco Schlueter, Director IFOAM EU Group, Brussels, Belgium
  10. Alastair Taylor, Louis Bolk Institute, Uganda
  11. Markus Arbenz, IFOAM ED, Head Office
  12. Thomas Cierpka,  Sr. Manager, IFOAM Head Office


The GGTF regularly undertakes webinars to cover the intense work programm. Three subgroups have been established:
1. To elaborate a SWOT analysis and propose the definition of 'Principles of Good Governance for IFOAM'
2. To assess the relationship between IFOAM and its Internal Bodies and propose changes to the existing concept and policy
3. To assess the IFOAM organigram/governance structure and propose changes to the WB.

The outcome of the GGTF consulations will be presented to the WB in autumn 2010 for consideration and decision.

To read more please visit the Member Web.
IFOAM - International Federation of Organic Agriculture | info@ifoam.org