News
EU Parliament AGRI Committee supports organic farming in vote on Organic Action Plan report
BRUSSELS, 31 MARCH 2022 – IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes ComAGRI’s vote on the Parliament’s Organic Action Plan (OAP) report. AGRI…
Political hotspot March 2022 newsletter
As Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to rage, the EU Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies, key parts of the…
EU Organic Awards - Applications opened at high level event
BRUSSELS, 25 MARCH 2022 – Today, Commissioner for agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski launched the applications for the first ever EU organic…
EU Parliament saves Farm to Fork’s integrity but concedes on Biodiversity
BRUSSELS, 24 MARCH 2022 – IFOAM Organics Europe welcomes the European Parliament’s support to the Farm to Fork Strategy as…
ClieNFarms project has started
Making farms climate-neutral is the aim of the ClieNFarms projects that started last January. The project will set up 20…
New project wants to make school meals part of transition to sustainable diet
The EU-funded “SchoolFood4Change” (SF4C) project aims to shift school meals and schools into a new paradigm of systemic change towards…
16/03/2022
GMOs
No risk assessment and labelling for eggs and hens of genetically modified origin?
Following an EU Commission statement, it can be concluded that eggs and laying hens that originate from genetically engineered hens…
The 7 key policy recommendations on sustainable food public procurement
The Food Policy Coalition’s policy recommendations on food procurement support procurement as a tool that contributes to the systemic transformation…
Statement of solidarity with Ukraine
The European organic movement expresses its solidarity with all people in Ukraine, with all those, including in Russia, who have…
Organic Movement calls for increased support for organic farming in CAP Strategic Plans to achieve Farm to Fork's targets
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 3 March 2022 – Today, the organic food and farming movement published its assessment of the support for…
European organic movement rejoices awards for organic
BRUSSELS, 18 FEBRUARY 2022 – Today, the European Commission, IFOAM Organics Europe, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European…
15/02/2022
Press release
New organic data: Growth continued in 2020 but policy support on statistics and CAP essential to reach EU targets
BRUSSELS, 15 FEBRUARY 2022 – Today, the Research Institute on Organic Agriculture (FiBL) published their yearly statistics on organic in…
02/02/2022
GMOs
New GMOs: What’s next for Europe & state-of-play legislative process
As covered in previous editions of our newsletter, the European Commission has been moving forward with plans to create a…
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)…
Sustainability labelling: Product Environmental Footprint not suitable for agri-food products
Sustainability labelling has to be one of the major food-related political topics of 2022. As the think tank IDDRI outlines…
Policy brief outlining key points for a “Carbon Farming Scheme”
In December 2021, the European Commission presented its Communication on ‘Sustainable Carbon Cycles’, which addresses how to increase carbon sequestration…
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…
Political hotspot December 2021 newsletter
On 23 November, the European Parliament approved the new CAP (2023-2027) Regulations. Now, Member States’ CAP Strategic Plans will be…
14/12/2021
GMOs
Commission event: Can New Genetic Engineering Techniques (NGETs) be sustainable?
The European Commission invited stakeholders, public officials, and politicians for a high-level event to discuss their plans to launch new…
Parliament approves disappointing new CAP - Organic needs environmentally ambitious national CAP Strategic Plans
BRUSSELS, 23 November 2021 – Today, the European Parliament’s Plenary adopted the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) (2023-2027) Regulation with…
EU releases soil strategy & plans legal initiative in 2023
On 17 November, the European Commission published the EU Soil Strategy for 2030 together with a proposal for a regulation…
Organic movement warns of insufficient ambition in CAP Strategic Plans
BRUSSELS, 18 November 2021 – Today, the organic food and farming movement published an evaluation of measures and budgets to support organic agriculture in Members States’ draft CAP Strategic Plans (CAP SPs). The analysis, based on organic farmers associations’ feedback…
Welcome note October 2021 newsletter
Dear readers, Autumn has reached Europe, and unlike nature at this time of year, our work is not slowing down.…
Political hotspot October 2021 newsletter
26 October marked the final day for final contributions to the Commission’s inception impact assessment (roadmap) on the Sustainable Food…
The Farm to Fork Strategy: An ambition to safeguard
It is a busy time for stakeholders active on the Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy. On 19 October, the European…
12/10/2021
GMOs
Participate in Commission Public Consultation to keep (new) GMOs regulated and to protect organic
As covered in the last edition of the newsletter, the Commission is considering a new legal proposal for so-called “New…
The future of organic food: Ten take-aways of the Organic Food Conference 2021
Our Organic Food Conference 2021 was a success, and we are happy to share the ten key take-aways. The European…
28/09/2021
GMOs
Public consultation for new legal proposal upcoming
On 29 April 2021, the European Commission published a study on the status of New Genomic Techniques under Union law…
Organic movement welcomes new EU Organic Day on 23 September
BRUSSELS, 23 SEPTEMBER – Today, the three EU institutions – European Parliament, Council of the European Union and European Commission…
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…
Upcoming vote on the Regulation on Statistics on Agricultural Inputs and Outputs (SAIO) in AGRI Committee
On 2 February 2021, the Commission published its proposal for a Regulation on Statistics on Agricultural Inputs and Outputs (SAIO),…
Vote on European Parliament’s Farm to Fork Strategy report: mostly positive on organic
The Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, published in May 2020 with a view of holistically transitioning towards more sustainable food…
08/09/2021
GMOs
The debate about new GMOs in Europe: Our Policy Coordinator in conversation with Slow Food Europe
In their podcast series on European food and farming policies, Slow Food Europe brings together experts to discuss hot matters…
Have your say! IFOAM Organics Europe provided feedback to the Commission’s EU School Scheme roadmap
As announced in the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, the Commission will “review the EU school scheme to enhance its…
How can EU policies consider organic farming’s benefits for biodiversity?
IFOAM Organics Europe recently published a new report highlighting the contribution of organic farming to protecting Europe’s biodiversity. By setting…
New report highlights need for increased support to organic farming in future CAP plans to reach EU 25% target
BRUSSELS, 29 JUNE 2021 – A new report by IFOAM Organics Europe highlights how much of the national CAP budgets…
Organic movement's preliminary statement on CAP negotiations
“This CAP deal is a missed opportunity to engage European agriculture in an ambitious transition towards sustainability. We need action…
Comics showing why industrial agriculture is broken
In May 2020, the EU released its Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies as part of the European Green Deal.…
21/06/2021
Biodiversity
CAP
Climate change
EU Green Deal
Events
Farm to Fork
Food policy
Organic regulations
Ten take-aways of the European Organic Congress 2021 - 16-18 June, online, live from Lisbon
Following a successful edition of the hybrid European Organic Congress 2021, we are happy to share the ten key take-aways…
21/06/2021
Biodiversity
CAP
Climate change
EU Green Deal
Events
Farm to Fork
Food policy
Organic regulations
More than 660 discussed transitioning to more sustainable food & farming systems at European Organic Congress - 16-18 June, online, live from Lisbon
This year’s edition of our European Organic Congress took place online and live from Lisbon on 16-18 June 2021. More…
09/06/2021
GMOs
European retailers take a strong stand against deregulating new GMOs
On 26 May 2021, European retailers took a strong stand against deregulating new GMOs in a joint resolution. One of…
19/05/2021
GMOs
New GMOs in Europe? Slow Food Europe podcast with our Policy Coordinator
Slow Food Europe just launched a podcast series dedicated to European food and farming policies, gathering experts to discuss hot…
Welcome note May 2021 newsletter
Dear readers, It is spring, a period I associate with birth and budding blossoms, the energetic execution of gardening plans…
05/05/2021
GMOs
Political hotspot May 2021 newsletter
On Thursday, 29 April, the Commission released their long-awaited in-house study on the ‘status of new genomic techniques under Union…
Organic movement raises red flag on assumed benefits deregulating new genomic techniques
BRUSSELS, 29 APRIL 2021 – The organic food and farming movement criticises the Commission’s plan to work on a new…
22/04/2021
Farm to Fork
Ten NGO priorities for the European Parliament report on the Farm to Fork strategy
On 20 April, IFOAM Organics Europe was one of 24 non-governmental organisations to co-sign “10 priorities for the Farm to…
Civil society, farmers and business organizations: Vice-President Timmermans, don't deregulate GM crops & animals
BRUSSELS, 30 MARCH 2021 – Today, a large coalition of 162 civil society, farmers and business organisations calls on Vice…
Welcome note March 2021 newsletter
Dear readers, On behalf of the European organic movement, I would like to welcome the new European Organic Action Plan…
Political hotspot March 2021 newsletter
The new action plan for the development of the organic sector was published on 25 March 2021. IFOAM Organics Europe…