Our world’s food and farming systems are currently facing multiple challenges ranging from increasing hunger, climate change, and biodiversity loss to farmers and food workers not earning a decent income. Though organic agriculture is growing around the world, the challenges created by unsustainable farming practices continue to prevail and negatively impact our environment and biodiversity.
Sustainability in agriculture is key to the future; agroecological farming aims to create stable food production systems that are resilient to environmental and climate change. As many countries have felt the need to have sustainable production and consumption of organic agriculture, they are looking forward to the organizations that could bring agroecology and organic agriculture to the mainstream, facilitating them to make the transition toward sustainable agricultural systems. To foster the broad adoption of truly sustainable agriculture, value chains, and consumption of organic agriculture, IFOAM – Organics International unites organizations globally to promote organic agriculture.
With more than 750 member organizations from 116 countries, IFOAM – Organics International has mobilized organic advocates worldwide, raising awareness to attain agro-ecological farming practices, promoting organic on advocacy and policy levels, and training more than 250 future organic leaders around the world.
“We must invest more in agriculture for the survival of humankind…business as usual is no longer an option for our planet.”- Dr Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development.
IFOAM – Organics International: Advocating for Organic
IFOAM – Organics International envisions nurturing the organic movement in different countries, using its full diverse cultural, economic and ecological context. The organization aims at upholding the principle of organic to support both human life and ecology, improving the conditions of farmers, laborers, and other marginalized groups. Moreover, IFOAM – Organics International is actively working towards advocacy, assisting the governments and government agencies to formulate comprehensive policies on organic agriculture in their respective countries. To further assist farmers to understand the benefits of organic production, processing and marketing, IFOAM – Organics International facilitates the adoption of ecologically, socially and economically responsible agricultural systems. Much of their work in recent years has focused on building capacity to transform farming systems in the global south.
Today, IFOAM – Organics International aims to provide an effective pathway for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and delivering the 2030 Agenda. IFOAM – Organics International has engaged formally with the UNFSS, (UN Food System Summit) and other like-minded partners and organizations to work in collaboration and promote agroecology and regenerative agriculture procedures.
According to IFOAM – Organics International’s principles of organic agriculture, it refers to the application of the science of ecology to the study, design, and management of sustainable food systems, the integration of the diverse knowledge systems generated by food system practitioners, and the involvement of the social movements that are promoting the transition to fair, just, and sovereign food systems. Moreover, organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and a sustainable and fair food system.
The principles of organic agriculture have inspired the organic movement in its full diversity. They guide IFOAM – Organics International’s development of position papers, programs and standards. The principles consist of the principle of health, the principle of ecology, the principle of fairness and the principle of care. The sustainable management of our planet’s natural resources reinforces the abilities of the countries to achieve the goal of transforming their agriculture and food systems with a broader perspective.
The work that IFOAM – Organics International does worldwide is only possible because of the work that its members do on the ground. The organization continues to represent the organic community worldwide through various programs and strategies, for instance, facilitating the creation of organic standards and systems. It is impressive to see how an organization created by organic advocates has grown to represent organic on the global forum.
The beginnings of IFOAM – Organics International
IFOAM – Organics International traces back to an important meeting that took place in Versailles, France in 1972. Roland Cheviot of Nature et Progrès envisioned the need for organic agriculture movements to coordinate and share their scientific and experimental data on organic to cross borders. To promote his vision among other leaders, he invited organic pioneers from around the world. They include Lady Eve Balfour, a founder of the UK Soil Association, Kjell Arman from the Swedish Biodynamic Association, Pauline Raphaely from the Soil Association of South Africa, and Jerome Goldstein from the Rodale Institute (USA) to join him in Versailles to set the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, which is now called IFOAM – Organics International.
In 2017, the IFOAM – Organics International GA approved the motion on Organic 3.0 with the following features:
A Culture of Innovation
The culture of change has inspired the farmers with conversion and adoption of best sustainable farming practices. Organic 3.0 proactively combines the best traditional practices with modern innovations along with providing knowledge of innovation and also creating awareness regarding the risks and hazards the farmers might face.
Unceasing efforts by farmers to bring improvement
The farmers and operators are encouraged to make constant efforts that will improve organic values, allow them to understand the science of organic farmers, hence enhance the standards for organic farming. Continuous improvement covers all dimensions of sustainability: ecology, society, economy, culture and accountability.
Diversity of ways to ensure transparent integrity
The principle of fairness is one of the guiding principles of organic agriculture. It specifies that organic agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness about the common environment and life opportunities. This implies fairness and transparency should be maintained along the supply chain. The farmers and workers should be paid fairly: value and power are equally distributed across the system. To broaden the uptake of organic agriculture beyond third-party certification, trust needs to be inculcated along with transparency and integrity in introducing new business models and building the organic market. To achieve this goal, the state should work on issues such as unfair trading practices, true cost accounting and build market transparency.
Presence of wider sustainability interests
The organization and the state should proactively build alliances with the many movements and other organizations that have complementary approaches to truly sustainable food and farming. Significantly, the organization should practice sustainable agriculture systems to preserve their natural resources and improve livelihoods for their rural population.
Empowerment from the farm to the final consumer
The organization needs to know the interdependence and real partnerships along the value chain and the territorial basis. It particularly acknowledges the core position of small-scale family farmers, gender equality and fair trade.
True value and cost accounting
This implies the organization and the state to internalize costs and provide transparency to consumers, policy-makers and the farmers as partners.
Shaping the future of organic together!
Despite all the success that IFOAM – Organics International had over the years, it needs more global assistance to continue its position advocating for organic, spotlighting organic farmers’ voices, showing the international community the significance of organic farming, growing domestic organic markets and empowering small-scale farmers.
