Animal husbandry & grazing management in organic farming – Effects of the new EU Organic Regulation
On 10 June, the symposium on animal husbandry and grazing management in organic farming took place, organized by the Austrian Rural Network in cooperation with the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, our member Bio Austria, the umbrella organisation of control bodies and the agricultural research centre Raumberg-Gumpenstein.
More than 500 participants from a total of 13 EU member states attended the online event. In addition to numerous farmers, representatives from associations, politics, control, advice and research also took part. Our President Jan Plagge was there too, presenting the perspective of the organic sector.
The aim of the event was to present the opportunities and challenges linked to the implementation of the new EU organic regulation in Europe from the point of view of practice, advice and control, to shed light on areas of interpretation of the new legal provisions and to show possible solutions and perspectives for practice.
Attendees listened to specialist lectures on further development of organic agriculture on the European market in accordance with the EU Green Deal and Organic Action Plan. They also attended a panel discussing practical solutions in line with the EU law and considering regional conditions.
The online symposium made brought together the right people to talk about possible implementation strategies for the future of organic farming and, in particular, point out viable options on grazing management. Speakers clearly emphasised the need for a regionally adapted implementation of European legal requirements with company-specific flexibility. The well-being of humans and animals and creating fair competitive market opportunities are essential factors for successful development of organic agriculture in Europe.
Presentations and video recordings from the event are available on the organisers’ website. For a few insights in the discussion, check our Twitter thread and follow us at @OrganicsEurope.
Background
In its EU Green Deal, the European Commission committed to the making the EU’s agriculture more environmentally friendly. A crucial objective is increasing the EU’s share of organic land to 25% by 2030. At the same time, the new Organic Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and its implementing provisions will come into force on January 1, 2022. In EU Member States, adjustments to the legal provisions for organic production are required at the national level, the implementation of which is associated with opportunities and challenges, especially with regard to organic animal husbandry.