The European Organic Congress, promoted by IFOAM Organics Europe, takes place in Budapest from 10 to 12 September. It has started with speeches by the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture, István Nagy, who highlighted the contribution of organic farming to making the world a better place every day and underlined its role as a leading model of sustainable agriculture, and the President of IFOAM OE, Jan Plagge, followed by high-level representatives of EU institutions and national ministries, who exchanged information on recent policy developments regarding the EU’s new political mandate to tackle the current social, environmental and economic crises.
Particularly important was the speech of South Tyrolean MEP Herbert Dorfmann, who also cited the positive experience of his region, and emphasised that organic farming needs its own space within the Common Agricultural Policy and more support, so that it can grow and develop thanks to market demand.
Among the central themes of the event were agricultural policies, both at the level of individual states and at the European level. Dorfmann emphasised that ‘the Common Agricultural Policy must favour sustainable and productive agriculture, including of course the organic sector, so that it can grow in a positive way’, which is particularly relevant considering the recent challenges in the sector. ‘I am convinced that the market for organic products will recover and stabilise after the difficulties of recent years. – said the MEP – South Tyrol’s experience shows that organic products are not just for a niche audience, but can play an important role in large agricultural sectors. A significant part of our apple, milk and dairy production is organic and successful on the market’.
Dorfmann also emphasised the importance of organic production for the entire agricultural sector: ‘It gives a fundamental impulse to the development of agriculture in Europe. – He said – Promoting organic agriculture and its development is an investment in the future. In this regard, it is important to emphasise that EU agricultural funding is not a goal in itself, but aims to secure our livelihoods in the long term. To do this, the Common Agricultural Policy also aims to bring young people into agriculture or to keep them in the sector. Organic farming plays a crucial role in this challenge’.
Source: IFOAM OE/Agricoltura.it
