News
IFOAM Organics Europe and European Citizens' Initiative condemn "fake pesticide reduction"
Methodologies are a political choice: Harmonised Risk-Indicator (HRI-1) misleads EU citizens and harms organic agriculture BRUSSELS/VIENNA, 30 SEPTEMBER 2024 –…
16/09/2024
Plant health care
Task force on biocontrol starts its work
IFOAM Organics Europe’s new Task Force on Biocontrol will take up its work in September. The group will discuss this…
EU Organic Regulation updates: FAQ on organic rules & second list of compliant control bodies
The Commission has updated its Frequently asked questions on organic rules with new topics. It now also clarifies questions on:…
CDG meeting on organic farming: Agroforestry, plant protection & compliance
Organic stakeholders exchanged with the Commission on synergies between agroforestry and organic, plant protection products and the regulatory switch from…
Open webinar on biodiversity management in organic greenhouses
We are organising a series of free and open webinars relevant to organic farming as part of our involvement in…
31/05/2024
Plant health care
Policies should promote uptake of biocontrol
The European organic movement and international biocontrol manufacturers call on the European Commission to ensure faster registration and uptake of…
26/04/2024
Plant health care
IBMA and IFOAM Organics Europe call for policies to promote the uptake of biocontrol
IFOAM Organics Europe and the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association (IBMA) call for policies to promote the uptake of safe, environmentally…
Von der Leyen yields to farmer’s groups demands to shelve the Sustainable Use of Pesticide Regulation proposal
This week the European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen announced in a concession to farmers, after weeks of protests…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Review of events
On November 16, IFOAM Organics Europe and French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Eric Andrieu (S&D) co-hosted a webinar…
Read our new leaflet on plant health care in organic farming
Have you ever heard of all the preventive plant protection measures implemented by organic farmers to produce food without using…
29/11/2021
Plant health care
Sign by 3 December to stop toxic alliance between FAO and CropLife International
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently signed a letter of intent to formalize a partnership…
Organic’s approach to plant health: Webinar with MEP Eric Andrieu - 16 November 2021, online
On November 16, IFOAM Organics Europe and French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Eric Andrieu (S&D) co-hosted a webinar…
Last chance to register for the event on research and innovation for organic! 30 November-1 December, online
These are the last weeks to register for the Organic Innovation Days 2021, the only EU event on research &…
Join our webinar on the organic approach to plant health on 16 November, online
IFOAM Organics Europe and Member of the European Parliament Eric Andrieu (S&D group) are glad to invite you to their…
Preview of events
On 16 November, from 10:30-12:00, MEP Eric Andrieu (S&D) will co-host our website on the organic approach to plant health…
Save the date: Webinar on organic approach to plant health 16 November, online
On 16 November, from 10:30-12:00, MEP Eric Andrieu (S&D) will co-host our webinar on the organic approach to plant health…
Save the Date & Register now for the Organic Innovation Days 2021
Register now to attend this year’s Organic Innovation Days and discuss Better inputs for organic farming. TP Organics’ annual public…
Registration open: 6th European Conference on Copper in Plant Protection17-18 November 2021, online
Registration for the 6th European Conference on Copper in Plant Protection is now open! Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BÖLW), IFOAM Organics…
Watch RELACS’ new video about copper replacement in oil rose plantation
A new RELACS video explores the work and research currently pursued in the Rose Valley in Bulgaria. Organic farmers are…
12/10/2021
Plant health care
MEPs in COMAGRI made a first step to improve statistics on organic agriculture
On 12 October, the Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) adopted their report on…
Last Commission consultation before presentation revised Sustainable Use of pesticides Directive
On 5 October, Mathilde Calmels, IFOAM Organics Europe’s Policy Coordinator on Pesticides, Natural Inputs and Fertilisers, will be one of…