Welcome note February 2022 newsletter
Dear Readers,
I would like to welcome you back after the winter break and take this opportunity to wish you a healthy, caring, and organic new year. As 2022 has already made its first steps, we are looking forward to the opportunities and challenges it will bring for the European organic sector and movement.
Guidelines for the EU Organic Regulation
Following a long revision, the new EU Organic Regulation (EU) 2018/848 officially entered into application on 1 January 2022. To aid organic producers, traders, competent authorities, and control bodies navigate the new and complex legal framework, IFOAM Organics Europe has developed dedicated regulation guidelines. Our EU Organic Regulation guidelines will help you read and interpret the basic regulation and its 24 secondary regulations that contains many cross-references.
The beta version of this tool is online for our members – for free and they will find login details on our member extranet. Do note that we are currently finalising the guidelines and the final version will be online in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted!
More about the main changes the EU Organic Regulation brings is also available further in this newsletter.
Celebrating the Year of Organics on many occasions!
Besides the entry into application of the new EU Organic Regulation, 2022 will be an important celebratory year for organic movement.
We are celebrating our 20th anniversary, our colleagues at IFOAM – Organics International their 50th and IFOAM Organics Asia their 10th! Throughout 2022, we are planning a joyful year and celebratory year with special events. These will be the perfect occasion to reflect on relevant developments and thank farmers, processors, retailers, certifiers, and other organic stakeholders who have been and continue creating a more sustainable, effective, and healthy food system. Without you it would have been impossible! Please save these dates in your planners already:
- 26-29 July: BIOFACH 2022, Nuremberg, DE
- 31 Aug-2 Sep: European Organic Youth Event 2022, Frick, CH
- 29-30 Nov: Organic Innovation Days 2022, Brussels, BE
We reserved the spring season, the moment where everything starts to bloom and grow, for a celebratory event in Brussels. For this event, we will invite our members, sponsors and EU policy makers who assisted and guided us during all these years. Do not worry if you cannot be there, there will be many other events at which we will get to celebrate together!
Should you feel inspired, please do share your birthday wishes and our shared accomplishments as text and/or video with [email protected] (EU) and [email protected] (global). They might get a place in our communication about #OrganicsEurope20 and the #YearOfOrganics on our online platforms and live events. Because, without you, we would not have succeeded!
Putting the spotlight on organic youth
One of the celebratory event we are organising is with FIBL Switzerland and Bio Suisse. Together we are realising IFOAM Organics Europe’s Youth Event (#OEYE2022) in August. We will welcome young farmer, your entrepreneurs, start ups, , students, and (young) interested actors from the value chain to network, discuss and develop knowledge and awareness on organic amongst youth.
The event will be the first of many in the coming years, and the Year of Organics will be the best occasion for involving and connecting new generations with the benefits of organic food and farming.
We invite you to keep an eye on our website and social media (@OrganicsEurope on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn & soon to start Instagram) for updates. We look forward to celebrating our anniversary with many of you digitally and/or in person!
Remember, the future and 2022 are organic!
Eduardo
IFOAM Organics Europe Director