News
23/12/2022
Food policy
Large share of EU funds available to promote sustainable agriculture in 2023
On 16 December 2022, the European Commission has adopted the 2023 Annual Work Programme on the promotion of agricultural products.…
22/12/2022
Biodiversity
What the Global Biodiversity Framework means for agriculture
Two years later than initially planned, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, world leaders adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).…
GMOs – An easy breakdown on common myths
Global grassroots organization Slow Food International has recently published a short myth-busting article with the most common, but wrong and…
Member States call for ‘new impact assessment’ on the Pesticides Regulation (SUR), delaying strict EU pesticide regulation
On 19 December, Member States1 voted in favour of requesting complementary data to the existing impact assessment the Commission carried…
16/12/2022
Plant health care
EU pesticides regulation (SUR) under attacks from Member States & industry
The EU Pesticide Reduction proposal SUR has been under attack by lobbyists. They developed a strategy to delay and possibly…
Promoting recycled fertilizers in Europe: IFOAM Organics Europe position paper & outcomes policy workshop on closing the nutrients’ cycle
On 28 February, IFOAM Organics Europe has published a new position paper on the Commission’s Integrated Nutrients Management Action Plan…
November newsletter: SUR, GMO-free event, and more!
Two weeks ago, we published our November newsletter and it’s rich in updates and information on the hottest organic topics!…
Agreement on new deforestation law
EU consumption is responsible for around 10% of global deforestation. In the beginning of December, the Council and European Parliament…
06/12/2022
Plant health care
Bold pesticide reduction plan faces attack on Saturday
BRUSSELS, 6 DECEMBER 2022 – EU plans to cut pesticide use and risk by half and protect the most sensitive…
Green claims: better methodologies to assess environmental performance of food & textiles products
BRUSSELS, 29 NOVEMBER 2022 – IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes news about the Commission’s decision to postpone the publication of the…
Press conference: EU pesticide reduction under fierce attack
In June 2022, the EU Commission presented a legislative proposal on the “sustainable use of plant protection products” (SUR), which…
24/11/2022
Plant health care
Political Hotspot - November 2022
The legislative process of revising the EU’s pesticide legislation, the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR), is full of hurdles,…
Welcome note November 2022
Dear reader, I am happy to welcome you to this year’s last edition of our newsletter. I am proud to…
1 million EU citizens knock on EU’s door: No synthetic pesticides to save bees & farmers
Over 1 million EU citizens are asking to restore nature, provide healthy food, healthy soil and clean water. On Friday 25…
‘Way forward in organic plant health care strategies’ Conference, 17-18 November 2022, online
On 17 & 18 November, IFOAM Organics Europe, BÖLW and JKI Institüte organised an online conference on the ‘Way forward…
09/11/2022
Plant health care
Commission's fertiliser communication, short term fixes, no long-term solutions
In its Communication on ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers, the EU Commission postpones necessary changes to achieve more sustainable food systems by…
03/11/2022
Plant health care
Organic movement asks for higher environmental ambition in the upcoming Fertiliser Communication & digitalization of pesticide use data in SAIO’s implementing act
Upcoming Fertilizers Communication of the Commission On 24 October, we co-signed a joint letter with 9 NGOs calling on the…
Sustainability labels, ”sustainable or not? That’s the question!”
In the current food environment, labels are crucial to provide consumers with information to help them make the sustainable choice.…
29/09/2022
Food policy
Political Hotspot - September 2022
September is the month of the first informal meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture in Prague, Czech Republic. The Czech…
Welcome note September 2022 Newsletter - EU Organic Day and EU Organic Awards
23 September was a day of celebrations! Besides the autumn equinox, it was the second edition of EU Organic Day.…
Updates on pesticides and recycled nutrients: Regulation (SUR), statistics and data
IFOAM Organics Europe welcomed the Commission’s proposal on the revision of the Sustainable Use of pesticides Regulation (SUR). It could…
23/09/2022
EU Organic Day
Celebrating organic practices throughout the supply chain - Winners of the EU Organic Awards
BRUSSELS, 23 SEPTEMBER 2022 – Today, on EU Organic Day, representatives of a pan-European collaboration handed out the first EU…
Watch the EU Organic Awards ceremony, tomorrow 23/9, 10:00
Tomorrow, Friday 23 September, there will be the second edition of the EU Organic Day, established by the European Commission…
14/09/2022
Biodiversity
European Parliament adopts position on deforestation-free products
The European Parliament has voted on its position on the Commission proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products. On 13…
09/09/2022
EU Organic Day
EU Organic Day in two weeks – Join us (online) on 23/9
In two weeks, the European organic movement will have its time to shine at the EU Organic Day. Let’s use…
20/07/2022
EU Organic Day
EU Organic Awards - Get to know the finalists
BRUSSELS, 20 JULY 2022 – Today, the finalists for the first annual EU organic awards have been announced. 24 are…
Welcome note June 2022 Newsletter
Dear readers, Summer has arrived all over Europe and harvesting season is upon us. Summer mood is not slowing down…
EU Organic Day approaches: Share your initiative, we will give it visibility - 23 September 2022
EU Organic Day is just around the corner, and we are looking forward to celebrating its first fully fledged edition…
28/06/2022
Plant health care
Got pesticides in your body? It’s your last chance to find out
Pesticides threaten our food and farming systems.They kill pollinators like bees, reduce the quality of soils, endanger the health of…
23/06/2022
Food policy
Delving into public consultations: The sustainable food system framework initiative and the EU school scheme
July will be a hot month! In part because of deadlines to public consultations geared at transforming the European food…
They make it happen! Green public procurement in Copenhagen’s public kitchens
Organic contributes to promoting and delivering healthy and sustainable diets. This is part of our Vision 2030 set out and…
ClieNFarms public policy workshop on climate-neutrality and food security, 8 July, online
On 8 July 2022, IFOAM Organics Europe is organising the first online public policy workshop of ClieNFarms on climate-neutral farming…
20/06/2022
Plant health care
Contribute to the Commission’s consultation on the future EU integrated nutrient management action plan (INMAP)
The Commission is preparing an Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan (INMAP) as announced in the EU Biodiversity and Farm to…
Environmental NGOs and organic movement call on Commission to develop a new indicator to measure progress towards the Farm to Fork pesticide reduction target
BRUSSELS, 9 JUNE 2022 – The organisers of the European Citizens’ Initiative Save Bees and Farmers (signed by 1.2 million…
09/06/2022
Plant health care
Do you have pesticides in your body? Join the pesticide check-up and find out
Pesticides are a serious threat to our food and farming systems. On the field, they kill pollinators like bees and…
06/06/2022
Plant health care
Agreement on agricultural statistics (SAIO)
On Thursday 2 June, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the new EU…
Alternatives to contentious input in organic - Heritage of RELACS project
The RELACS project developed and researched alternatives to contentious inputs in organic crop production – copper and mineral oils, nutrient…
Welcome note May 2022 Newsletter
Dear readers, I would like to thank you for the enthusiasm and the support you have given IFOAM Organics Europe…
16/05/2022
Food policy
Public consultation on the Sustainable Food System law: stakeholders invited to provide feedback!
On 28 April, the European Commission opened its public consultation for the sustainable food system framework initiative. All stakeholders, including…
IFOAM Organics Europe’s roundtable on organic canteens gathers torchbearers for fruitful exchanges
On 28 March, IFOAM Organics Europe organised a roundtable on organic canteens, bringing together relevant actors in the field to…
10/05/2022
Food policy
Opening of a public consultation on EU school fruit, vegetables, and milk scheme
On 5 May, the European Commission opened its public consultation for the revision of the EU school scheme, that supports…
06/05/2022
Food policy
European Commission’s promotion policies: 157 projects submitted in 2022
The European Commission has recently published the results of its call for tenders under the 2022 edition of the promotion…
04/05/2022
Food policy
European Parliament report on the organic action plan published
On 3 May, the European Parliament’s Plenary voted on its own initiative report on the Commission’s organic action plan (OAP).…
Wrapping up the RELACS project: Policy roadmaps, videos & other publications
The RELACS project, which aims at finding alternatives to contentious inputs in organic farming, came to an end on 29…
Sustainable nutrient management: our contribution to the European Commission’s public consultation
In Europe, surplus nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the environment are already exceeding safe planetary boundaries – for N…
EU Parliament AGRI Committee supports organic farming in vote on Organic Action Plan report
BRUSSELS, 31 MARCH 2022 – IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes ComAGRI’s vote on the Parliament’s Organic Action Plan (OAP) report. AGRI…
25/03/2022
EU Organic Day
EU Organic Awards - Applications opened at high level event
BRUSSELS, 25 MARCH 2022 – Today, Commissioner for agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski launched the applications for the first ever EU organic…
Applications for European Organic Awards now open (until 8 June)
In concomitance with the first-year anniversary of the European Organic Action Plan, the submission period of the European Organic Awards…
EU Parliament saves Farm to Fork’s integrity but concedes on Biodiversity
BRUSSELS, 24 MARCH 2022 – IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes the European Parliament’s support to the Farm to Fork Strategy as…
Policy instruments & voluntary initiatives for reducing contentious inputs in organic farming
The RELACS project released a new scientific paper by Varga et al., 2022, analysing existing policy instruments and voluntary initiatives in…