The World of Organic Agriculture – 2024
A COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY FIT FOR THE FUTURE – The vision of the organic movement for the CAP post 2027
The European Union’s agricultural and food system is in urgent need of transformation to improve environmental sustainability and farmers’ economic well-being, while remaining competitive. IFOAM Organics Europe calls for an ambitious reform of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), that will enable an agroecological transition of the agri-food system benefiting all actors of society, farmers and […]
Practical guidelines: how to avoid GMOs contaminations – Recommendations for farmers, food & feed processors
From the very beginning, the Organic Sector has taken a strong position: GMOs and their derivatives have no place in organic food and farming systems. Still, the risks of contamination are high in Europe. To remain GMO-free according to its standards and not to undermine consumers’ trust, the Organic Sector must take measures to avoid […]
Sustainability in organic breeding – Improving the entire system or adjusting some genes?
The briefing provides an overview of the organic food and farming movement’s understanding of sustainability in crop breeding. As IFOAM Organics Europe, the European organic umbrella organisation and voice of organic with the EU institutions, we wrote this document to assess and counter the European Commission’s narrow and problematic approach to sustainability traits in plant […]
Presence of pesticides in the environment, transition into organic food, and implications for quality assurance along the European organic food chain – A review
The use of synthetic pesticides is not allowed in organic production, but traces of synthetic pesticides are regularly detected in organic food. To safeguard the integrity of organic production, organic certifiers are obliged to investigate the causes for pesticide residues on organic food, entailing high costs to the organic sector. Such residues can have various […]
Plant health care in organic farming – The role of natural substances in a biodiversity-based system approach
One of organic agriculture’s defining traits is its approach towards plant health care, relying mainly on preventive and indirect measures within the agroecosystem. As a last resort, organic farmers can combine these with direct measures, if these are based on the use of natural substances. The principles of organic agriculture seek to prevent the introduction […]
Pesticides in conventional and organic farming – Fact check
Organic farming is not what it claims to be. Organic farmers also spray poisons – and not in short supply. Whether synthetic or natural is irrelevant. This is what the advocates of an industrial model of agriculture are increasingly claiming, thus damaging the reputation of organic farming. Reason enough for a fact check. The negative […]
Sustainability in organic breeding – Improving the entire system or adjusting some genes?
The briefing provides an overview of the organic food and farming movement’s understanding of sustainability in crop breeding. As IFOAM Organics Europe, the European organic umbrella organisation and voice of organic with the EU institutions, we wrote this document to assess and counter the European Commission’s narrow and problematic approach to sustainability traits in plant […]
Sustainability in organic breeding: Improving the entire system or adjusting some genes?
This briefing provides an overview of the organic food and farming movement’s understanding of sustainability in crop breeding. As IFOAM Organics Europe, the European organic umbrella organisation and voice of organic with the EU institutions, we wrote this document to assess and counter the European Commission’s narrow and problematic approach to sustainability traits in plant […]
Vitamin E supplementation – revised recommendations for organic dairy cow production
Vitamin E is essential , and supplementation to the diet is often needed to meet the requirements of cows . Current supplementation recommendation s may be overestimated in forage -based systems where grazing or grass -clover silages are the basal diet, with low to moderate levels of concentrate feed. An update of the requirements and […]
