News
07/10/2025
Plant health care
Complaint to the European Ombudsman: EU Commission deceives citizens with flawed figures on pesticide reduction
BRUSSELS, 7 OCTOBER 2025 – Three NGOs, PAN Europe, IFOAM Organics Europe and Global 2000, lodged a formal complaint before…
Five ways to boost intercropping in the new CAP
Intercropping is a powerful innovation that enhances resource efficiency and biodiversity while reducing reliance on synthetic inputs. By growing two…
17/07/2025
Plant health care
Beyond targets, driving pesticides reduction through market-based instruments
Since the rejection of the Sustainable Use of Pesticide Regulation (SUR) by the European Parliament in 2023, no new attempt…
04/06/2025
Water
Water Resilience Strategy recognises crucial role of organic but lacks ambition
BRUSSELS, 4 JUNE 2025 – IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes the European Commission’s Water Resilience Strategy, a necessary European response to…
20/05/2025
Plant health care
The EU must accelerate access to biocontrol: IFOAM Organics Europe publishes recommendations to improve the availability of natural substances
On 20 May, IFOAM Organics Europe published a position paper on biocontrol, calling for concrete actions to improve the availability…
16/05/2025
Water
Accelerating access to biocontrol in the EU: IFOAM Organics Europe issues recommendations
BRUSSELS, 16 MAY 2025 – Following the leak of the European Commission’s draft Water Resilience Strategy, IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes the…
30/04/2025
Plant health care
New report exposes the pesticide-heavy reality of no-till “regenerative” agriculture
Friends of the Earth’s recent analysis reveals that so-called “regenerative” no-till farming is responsible for one third of total pesticide…
22/04/2025
Plant health care
Spread the word to #StopHarm: Defending our health and environment from synthetic pesticides
Synthetic pesticides are damaging our soils, polluting our water, threatening biodiversity, and putting human health at risk. That is why we…
25/03/2025
Water
IFOAM Organics Europe calls for concrete action in the Water Resilience Strategy to reduce agricultural pollution and associated costs
BRUSSELS, 25 MARCH 2025 – IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes the European Commission’s intention, outlined in the Vision on Agriculture and…
EU should support farmers to reduce harmful pesticides
BRUSSELS, 28 JANUARY 2025 – IFOAM Organics Europe launches today a campaign to raise awareness of the social, economic and…
11/12/2024
Plant health care
50% pesticide reduction - Mission accomplished or time for a reliable indicator?
30 September 2024, online In a well-attended webinar GLOBAL2000 and IFOAM Organics Europe presented an alternative to the much-contested pesticides…
Soil Monitoring Law moving forward
The Council and the European Parliament have entered trilogues on the Soil Monitoring Law in October 2024. The first EU…
31/10/2024
Fairness & transparency
EU Agri-food Chain Observatory meets: Lack of agrifood data
On 15 October, the EU Agri-food Chain Observatory met for the second time in Brussels and online. Launched this summer,…
50% pesticide reduction - Mission accomplished or time for a reliable indicator?
In a well-attended webinar GLOBAL2000 and IFOAM Organics Europe presented an alternative to the much-contested pesticides measurement tool, the Harmonized…
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…
The EU has continent-wide Nature Restoration Law
Today, the Nature Restoration Law entered into force. The law’s objective is the long-term recovery of nature in the EU’s…
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…
08/05/2024
Fairness & transparency
Commission's proposed measures on unfair trading practices
In April 2024, the European Commission unveiled its non-paper Position of farmers in the food supply chain: next steps. In…
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…
Nature restoration in jeopardy – Member States’ Environment Ministers endanger another EU law
After reaching a trilogue agreement on the Nature Restoration Law last November, adoption of a piece of European Union legislation…
Organics Europe's stance on Member State's efforts to delay anti-deforestation law (EUDR)
Some EU Member States, spearheaded by Austria and endorsed by Finland, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden, are trying to weaken…
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…
Political Hotspot December 2023
With an eye on next year’s elections, the EU institutions have geared up work on many important dossiers. But rushing…
23/11/2023
Plant health care
European Parliament rejects Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR)
On 22 November, the plenary of the European Parliament voted to reject the proposal of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides…
Sprouting discontent: organic movement regrets European Parliament's failure to pesticides reduction
BRUSSELS, 22 NOVEMBER 2023 – IFOAM Organics Europe regrets the European Parliament’s inability to agree on a pesticides reduction regulation. …
IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes progress on pesticides reduction negotiations
BRUSSELS, 24 OCTOBER 2023 – IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes the vote today of the European Parliament Environment Committee on the…
Baking soda more dangerous than synthetic pesticides? - EU decision-makers on the brink of endorsing deceptive pesticide metrics
16 OCTOBER 2023, BRUSSELS, PARIS, BERLIN, VIENNA – As the Council opens negotiations today on ‘Targets and Indicators’ the European…
10/10/2023
Plant health care
Baking Soda more dangerous than Glyphosate & Co.?
Invitation to Online Press Conference 16 October 9:00 AM CEST Join us on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83162329706?pwd=WkRFOTFuRVFFYitEdkRzcFNoYTArZz09Meeting ID: 831 6232 9706Passcode: 284856 BRUSSELS,…
BIOFRUITNET project promoting cross-border knowledge exchange comes to an end
Over the past 3.5 years the BIOFRUITNET project has collected and synthesized existing practical and scientific knowledge on organic fruit-growing,…
Debate and discussion: Which recycled nutrients products could be suitable for organic farming?
On 18 September, 14:00-17:00, we are holding an online workshop on Recycled Nutrients for Organic Farming with the European Sustainable…
BIOFRUITNET project: Making stronger networks in organic fruit growing
Knowledge sharing is key for bringing together innovative ideas and identify new solutions in organic farming. The Horizon 2020 BIOFRUITNET…
New video on organic plant health care & updates on the SUR
We are happy to announce that we just published a new video on the organic approach to plant health care…
23/03/2023
Plant health care
The Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR), moving forward but slowly
The legislative process of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR) proposed by the European Commission back in June 2022…
Scientific study shows synthetic pesticides significantly more dangerous than natural ones
More organic farming means less pesticide use and risk BRUSSELS, VIENNA, 23 FEBRUARY 2023 – The European Green Deal’s targets of…
Online press conference: Conventional and organic pesticides compared, 23 February
“Organic farming is not what it claims to be. Organic farmers also spray poisons – and not too sparingly.” “Organic…
Innovative solutions in organic fruit production – BIOFRUITNET project's final conference - 2 March 2023, 9:15-13.30 (CET), online
Organic farming relies on knowledge and information flow and has a biodiversity-based approach to plant health. Sharing the available best…
Organic movement's recommendations on EU pesticides regulation (SUR)
IFOAM Organics Europe’s position paper gathering our recommendations on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR) is out. As our…
Save the bees and farmers hearing at the European Parliament
The official hearing of the European Citizens (ECI) Initiative Save the Bees and Farmers, which we are part of, take…
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…
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,…