IFOAM EU Group looks back on ten successful years

“Making Europe More Organic” is the motto that the IFOAM EU Group proclaimed on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. It reflects the successful work in the capital of the EU in recent years, and also highlights the vision pervading the work that IFOAM will continue in the next decade. In total, around 15O IFOAM members and guests took part in the wide-ranging jubilee event. The three-day programme offered excursions to political hotspots in Brussels and a series of committed statements, discussions and workshops on current issues of agricultural policy. On the third day, visions of the future were centre stage. Read our summary and watch the video interview with the director of the IFOAM EU Group Marco Schlüter.

(Picture: European Parliament)The excursion to the European Parliament, the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development and the NGO House Mundo B made it very clear just how complex the structures in Brussels are. An estimated 30,000 lobbyists attempt to influence the decisions of the 766 parliamentarians from the 28 member states, with big firms, associations and organizations being able to draw on an extensive superstructure and think tanks. When the IFOAM EU Group began its work in Brussels ten years ago, Marco Schlüter was a lone voice, whereas today there are 15 people in the young team that gets lots of initiatives up and running. That’s a personal success story for Marco Schlüter too. This was emphasized again and again when we were welcomed and also in the speeches. (Picture: Marco Schlüter with his team)

(Pictures: Excursion to the EU-Parliament)



One of the major political tasks in Brussels is networking. The IFOAM EU Group has managed in just a few years to move from being an organization representing organic agriculture in Europe that at first many people did not take seriously to today’s well connected organization. Boards, committees and important decision-makers among the MEPs hear the proposals and demands of IFOAM. Collaboration with some of the 30 NGOs is particularly good – they have their offices in the Eco-building Mundo B - especially as many of the issues they deal with overlap with those of the IFOAM EU Group. For example, the focus themes of Friends of the Earth Europe, that counts BUND as one of its members, include genetic engineering, environmental protection and the campaign "No Food for Fuel". The organization Corporate Europe Observatory fights for more transparency in lobbying and in politics. (Picture: The eco-building Mundo B provides an adequate infrastructure for around 30 NGOs)

Back to the IFOAM anniversary. On the first evening, officials and guests met in the Ateliers de Tanneurs to look back over the last ten years and to discuss all that has happened. There was much praise from many quarters for the IFOAM EU Group – from insiders and co-founders like Francis Blake, Soil Association (GB), who was the president of the group from 2000 to 2009. He summed up by saying: “The biggest benefit we derived from establishing the IFOAM representation in Brussels is making people aware of issues in organic agriculture, our concerns and our wishes. Co-founder Pierre Ott from Ecocert (left in the picture, talking with Juan Pablo Sciurano, ICEA) is convinced that the EU legislation will keep IFOAM on tenterhooks for a long time yet. He said that it was, however, clear that in the last ten years some visions of the organic movement had been turned step by step into reality, changing the world for the better and, when having to compromise, not losing sight of its objectives.

(Pictures from left: Bavo van den Idsert, Bionext, NL and Alexander Gerber, Demeter Germany)




He said that now it was a question of creating visions and perspectives for the future: “It’s our responsibility to get the agro-ecological future we want.” Francois Hulot, the predecessor of João Onofre, who is head of the organic unit in the DG Agriculture, explained that he had quickly made contact with Marco Schlüter and had learned a great deal about organic farming in his cooperation with the IFOAM EU Group. (Pictures: Podium “Seen from the inside” and “Seen from the outside”)

On 7 and 8 November, the premises of Baden-Württemberg’s representation was the venue for the anniversary event. Wolfgang Reimer, head of department in Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of Rural Affairs run by Alexander Bonde (Greens), emphasized in his welcome speech the many positives that IFOAM had achieved in the past. He said that agriculture had indeed become greener and more sustainable. Now it was a question of promoting organic farming in such a way that production could keep pace with the steadily rising demand. Reiner’s view: "We have to do everything in our power to avoid putting obstacles in the way of organic farming. On the contrary, it’s the task of the EU to take appropriate action to stimulate production.” (Our earlier Report). (Picture: Wolfgang Reimer expressed the organic industry’s concern regarding the plans for the revision of the EU Organic Regulation)

From his perspective, there is no need for a complete revision of the existing EU Organic Regulation that has become well established. Reimers proposed closing the gaps in the regulation - for example, growing crops under glass, stock keeping and third country regulations. He advocated optimizing the control systems but warned against changing from a process control to a product control. He appealed to the Commission to come to an understanding with EU organic actors and to join forces in the search for solutions. “We want to see a sense of proportion and consultation with the people affected." He said organic farming had answers to many current issues, from maintaining soil fertility and climate change to upgrading rural structures. (Picture: IFOAM-EU-member Fabian Breisinger, All Organic Trading AOT, Germany)


(Pictures: Plenty of opportunity in the breaks for discussion and networking)




In his enthusiastic speech, Bioland president Jan Plagge dealt with the fact that the plans of the DG Agriculture for the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) and rural development, so far as they are known, give reason to fear that they are going in the wrong direction. For example, we must not find ourselves in a situation where organic farms suffer financial disadvantage because of the decisions taken in Brussels or where glyphosate (Roundup Ready) or GM soya beans are used for the cultivation of protein crops on compensation areas of land. “We need a system change that doesn’t adopt a one-size-fits-all approach and in consequence isn’t sustainably future-oriented.” (Picture: Bioland president Jan Plagge and João Onofre, DG Agriculture, were not in agreement on the implementation of the CAP)

However, the Portuguese João Onofre (picture), responsible for the organic unit at the DG Agriculture, defended the current strategy and the CAP as a revolution in terms of greening. “Have some patience – we’re on the right track. The solutions we have found are very smart,” declared Onofre. “My current job is making Europe more organic, but politically we can’t put all demands into practice.” He said the Commission was well aware that the organic sector was no longer a niche market but was developing rapidly and that agricultural production could not keep pace with demand. However, they had to be careful to maintain the trust of consumers and, for that reason, it was a question of adapting regulations and creating a new Framework (Onofre gave the examples of exports, certification, controls and training). He added that the draft would be presented at the beginning of 2014.

(Pictures: Panel discussion of the various aspects of the CAP)



In the workshops in the afternoon, the subject was the implementation of the CAP and the revision of the EU Organic Regulation. At the evening event, long-serving members of the IFOAM EU Group and sponsors of the anniversary were honoured (picture). The party that followed was a chance to have a real celebration!