News
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!…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Organic Innovation Days 2022: Living labs & lighthouse farms in organic, 11-12 October 2022, Rumbeke-Beitem & Brussels, Belgium
After two virtual editions of the Organic Innovation Days, this year’s edition will once again take place as a physical…
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…
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 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…
23/03/2022
Plant health care
Commission delays proposal for Regulation on the sustainable use of pesticides
On 23 March, the European Commission was supposed to publish a proposal for a Regulation on the Sustainable Use of…
Expert on recycled fertilisers? Join our Task Force on Recycled Fertilisers
IFOAM Organics Europe’s Board created a Task Force on Recycled Fertilisers. This decision comes in the context of the “Integrated…
Open letter to MEPs regarding EP resolution on food security
In view of the current discussions in the Parliament on the impact of the war in Ukraine on food security,…
Soil Health Law: Organic movement’s contribution to public consultation
60-70% of soils in the EU are not healthy and the EU still lacks a comprehensive soil protection policy. In…
Statement of solidarity with Ukraine
The European organic movement expresses its solidarity with all people in Ukraine, with all those, including in Russia, who have…
Latest IPCC report: Agroecological practices support food security
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published its latest report Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. The…
EU organic movement calls on Member States to provide reliable data on organic and other Farm to Fork targets
BRUSSELS, 2 FEBRUARY 2022 – As the first trialogue on the Regulation on Statistics on Agricultural Inputs and Outputs (SAIO)…
Trialogues on Regulation on Statistics on Agricultural Inputs and Outputs to start
On 10 December, the Council of the EU approved its mandate for negotiations on the Regulation on Statistics on Agricultural…
Revised Directive for a Sustainable Use of pesticides expected on 23 March
The indicative calendar of the European Commission for the first half of 2022 mentions the launch of a “Nature restauration…
New tools and practices for organic dairy sector from the NEFERTITI project
Looking for inspiration for improving organic dairy farming? Check out the new videos from the NEFERTITI project that showcase tools…
19/01/2022
Animal welfare
Feedback to the public consultation on animal welfare
The European Commission launched a public consultation on the revision of the EU legislation on animal welfare. IFOAM Organics Europe…
18/01/2022
Plant health care
Join pan-European testing for pesticide residues during #GoodFoodGoodFarming action month in October 2022
In the bodies of farm workers and city inhabitants, in people’s bedrooms and children’s playgrounds – pesticide residues at harmful…
First online edition of Organic Innovation Days was a success! 24-25 November, online
On 24-25 November 2020, TP Organics, the European Technology Platform for Organic Food and Farming, held its annual Organic Innovation…
13/11/2020
Plant health care
RELACS project on track despite Covid-19: First digital annual meeting - 10-12 November, online
The RELACS project’s third annual meeting took place digitally 10-12 November. It demonstrated that research in all work packages is…
How will the EU Green Deal change Europe’s food prices change? Join our colleague Silvia online to get an idea!
On 12 November from 15:30-17:00, Silvia Schmidt, our food policy officer, will take part to the online event “The Green…
Organic Innovation Days – register now! 24-25 November, online
You can now register for the Organic Innovation Days 2020, the only EU event on research & innovation for organic,…
Save the date for ‘Improving sustainability and welfare in organic poultry and pig production’, an online conference - 25-26 January 2021
It is with great excitement that OK-Net EcoFeed announces its final project conference bringing together four research projects: OK-Net EcoFeed,…
Members can re-watch farmers’ workshop on CAP, animal welfare label & access to land - 2 October 2020, online
With crucial CAP negotiations ahead, starting discussions on an EU animal welfare label, and IFOAM Organics Europe’s ongoing work within…
Save the date: Organic Innovation Days 2020: A cooperation of TP Organics & LIVESEED, 24-25 November 2020, online
For this year’s Organic Innovation Days, TP Organics is partnering with the LIVESEED project, coordinated by IFOAM Organics Europe. Bringing…
Replacement of copper in organic farming – First results of RELACS experiments conducted by ÖMKi
Copper is currently used as a plant protection product (PPP) and/or leaf fertilizer in organic and conventional farming in several…
Smaller, greener, healthier? Sustainability of livestock farming in Europe
On Wednesday 9 September, Kurt Sannen, Chair of IFOAM Organics Europe’s Interest Group of Organic Farmers, participated in the online…
Farm gate nutrient budgets in organic agriculture
The RELACS project partners issued practical guidelines informing farmers about assessing the main nutrient flows in and out of their…
04/08/2020
Plant health care
Request for proposal: Conducting research on pesticide contamination in the environment and pesticide residues in organic food
IFOAM Organics Europe (IFOAM OE) is the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming. We fight for the adoption…