EOC: Organic food and farming is part of the solution

High-level speakers from the European Commission, European Parliament and the German Presidency of the EU Council all sent the same message at the European Organic Congress 2020 (EOC): Our system is experiencing a biodiversity and climate crisis, and organic food and farming is part of the solution and way forward.

Jan Plagge, recently re-elected IFOAM Organics Europe President, stated: “What we heard from the speakers from the Commission is that they are serious about the target of 25% organic land by 2030 through an ambitious Farm to Fork strategy. As organic movement, we appreciate that they are putting organic at the heart of the transition to sustainable and fair food systems. But we still have much to do and no time to waste to make European food and farming more resilient after the Covid-19 crisis showed the food system’s weaknesses.” He continued: “A clear way to reaching 25% organic land at EU level by 2030 is for Member States to set national targets in their CAP Strategic Plans and to ensure that the policy rewards farmers providing public goods, going beyond the income foregone logic.”

Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein, Chairman of the German Association of Organic Farmers, Food Processors and Retailers (BÖLW), stressed that it is important for all organic actors to be agents of change and become a tool of that change to make the target for organic land a reality. “As German organic movement, we will take our responsibility working towards a sustainable agrifood system during The Council Presidency. He added “We expect the German Presidency to achieve an ambitious Council position on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), so that the policy gives a clear perspective to the sector and to society as a whole on how it will contribute to public goods.”

IFOAM Organics Europe (previously IFOAM EU) represents more than 200 member organisations in the EU-27, the EU accession countries and EFTA. Member organisations span the entire organic food chain and beyond: from farmers and processors organisations, retailers, certifiers, consultants, traders and researchers to environmental and consumer advocacy bodies.