ClieNFarms online public policy workshop on climate neutrality and food security 

On 8 July 2022, the first ClieNFarms public policy workshop, organised by IFOAM Organics Europe, took place online. The workshop was about climate neutrality and food security in the context of the war in Ukraine. 

First, keynote speakers Alexander Müller (TMG Think Tank for Sustainability) and Nathalie Bolduc (IDDRI) took the floor. Alexander Müller stressed that short-term responses to tackle the 
current food affordability crisis should not put the urgently needed transformation of the food system at risk. Nathalie Bolduc highlighted that the Farm to Fork Strategy promotes a systemic approach to food system sustainability. Its targets are ambitious but coherent with the need to foster the resilience of our food system. 

First, ClieNFarms coordinator, Jacques-Eric Bergez (INRAE), presented the project after which a policy 
debate ensued with representatives from the EU Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), COPA-COGECA and IFOAM Organics Europe. 

In the discussion, Eric Gall, Deputy Director of IFOAM Organics Europe, pointed out how organic agriculture contributes to food systems’ resilience. Firstly, organic agriculture is less dependent on external inputs. Secondly, soil health is a cornerstone of organic farming and organically managed soils have a higher carbon content. Thirdly, organic agriculture fosters genetic diversity. And, finally, organic animal production has lower stocking densities than conventional.  

Furthermore, Eric Gall stressed that the organic sector is worried that carbon farming will only focus on carbon and carbon metrics instead of having a multi-dimensional approach. The organic movement is sceptical that farmers can benefit from carbon farming based on a market approach. Instead, farmers should be rewarded by public funding for favourable management approaches that increase carbon sequestration. 

Read the full report of the public policy workshop on the ClieNFarms website and watch the workshop’s recording. 

The Horizon 2020 project ClieNFarms tests solutions for climate-neutral farms. IFOAM Organics Europe is a project partner. It is responsible for the organisation of a series of public policy workshops to stimulate a dialogue between scientists and policy makers and raise awareness about the outcomes of ClieNFarms.  

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