IFOAM - Organics International

The panel will bring together a diverse group of organic farmers, agricultural experts, and policy advocates to explore how organic farming can serve as a sustainable solution that addresses these challenges while amplifying the inherent strengths of family farms. Discussions will revolve around practical strategies for overcoming obstacles, the economic and environmental benefits of organic practices, and how policy frameworks can support the growth of organic family farms.

🌏✨ The Organic World Congress is around the corner! Join us at the Pre-Conference "Organic and Regenerative: together towards the future and beyond?"🌿 📅 1 December 2024, 13:00-18:00 📍 Room C322, Organic World Congress, Taiwan IFOAM Organics Europe and ICEA - Istituto di Certificazione Etica e Ambientaleare thrilled to co-organise this thought-provoking pre-conference at #OrganicWorldCongress, exploring how organic agriculture can lead the regenerative movement while ensuring sustainability and avoiding greenwashing 🌱🤝 Programme highlights: 🔸 Keynote insights from Andrew Smith (Rodale Institute) 🔸 Panel discussions with global experts on: 🔹Synergies & distinctions between organic and regenerative 🔹Challenges for organic certification with rising demands for result-based outcomes 🔸Interactive workshops to co-develop a strategic declaration aligning organic and regenerative synergies Why attend? 💡Gain actionable insights on integrating and promoting organic principles within regenerative frameworks 💡Participate in drafting a declaration to influence future standards and policy 💡Get a unified understanding of outcome-based schemes using regenerative as concept (like CO2 footprints) and the future impact on processed based schemes as organic Learn more 🧐👉 https://ow.ly/MTTK50UfPEw #OWC2024 #OrganicsEurope #OrganicFarming #OrganicAgriculture #RegAg #RegenerativeAgriculture

🛫🛫 Are you arriving in #Taiwan from the Taoyuan International Airport and wondering how to find your way to the #OWC2024 venue? We got you covered! Follow this simple guide to arrive at your booked accommodation and the Congress venue comfortably 🔗 ➡️ https://buff.ly/3OsTDUt #OrganicWorldCongress #LuvOrganic

"Together, we can create a better future rooted in #organic principles", says our World Board Member Miyoshi Satoko. Miyoshi will be moderating the plenary session "A Global Strategy for a Diverse Global Organic Movement" where she is joined by 7 wonderful speakers from the global #OrganicMovement. Join her and other speakers — explore the programme now 🔗 ➡️ http://buff.ly/3Vmqhv9 #OrganicWorldCongress #LuvOrganic #Agroecology #Diversity

🌍 "Let's meet, discuss, and strengthen our #advocacy voices for sustainable food systems and healthy ecosystem," shares our World Board Member Fortunate Nyakanda 🌱 Fortunate will be moderating the plenary session of the #OrganicWorldCongress that discusses different pathways to market success. Meet her & other #organic experts at #OWC2024—explore the programme now 🔗 ➡️ http://buff.ly/3Vmqhv9 #OrganicWorldCongress #Taiwan #LuvOrganic #Agroecology #Biodiversity

🌱 "Our journey to a wonderful global farmers family and network started in 1982, more than 40 years ago, in Germany. Ten engaged people such as farmers, scientists, consumers and others had the vision to transform the chemical input driven agriculture into organic farming ," recalled Steffen Reese, General Manager of Naturland e.V. 👩🏽🌾 As we all gear up for the #OrganicWorldCongress in #Taiwan, we have the opportunity to talk to Steffen about our diamond sponsor Naturland's decades-long dedication to supporting the global #OrganicMovement. 📖 Read the complete interview here 🔗 ➡️ https://buff.ly/4i6vO2C #OWC2024 #LuvOrganic #Agroecology #SmallholderFarmers #CapacityDevelopment

🚨 The OWC 2024 Full Programme is LIVE! Ready to meet the global organic movement in #Taiwan? 🌱 Check out the full schedule of plenaries, workshops, pre-conferences, and more! 🗓️ Marks your favourite sessions on your calendar to make the most from the inspiring discussions and cultural exchange. 👉 Explore now: buff.ly/3Vmqhv9 #OrganicWorldCongress #OWC2024 #LuvOrganic 🌍

🌱 "From #smallholder farmers to large networks, we'll dive into the #diversity of organic agriculture and organic practices that drive change globally," shares our Vice President Choitresh Ganguly. Choitresh will be speaking at the plenary sessions of the #OrgancWorldCongress in #Taiwan. Check out the full programme now ➡️ 🔗 https://buff.ly/3Vmqhv9 #OWC2024 #LuvOrganic #Agroecology

What levers actually change food systems? We know more about the relationships between fungi and bacteria underground impacting food systems than we know about the relationships among human actors that can drive change in food systems. As part of a panel (with Susanne Padel & Kirstine Hartvig Mahler) on bringing together science and practice I shared what I think is missing in research on organic food & farming. This was part of the Organic Food Quality & Health conference in Copenhagen, covering about everything outside of specifically agricultural research: https://lnkd.in/d9usXr9b The key themes were great: ➡Impact of organic farming and processing for nutrient density ➡Organic Districts ➡Consumption, markets and value chains ➡Public procurement of organic food ➡Organic as part of transition to healthy diets ➡Organic policies ➡True Cost Accounting Speaking on behalf of IFOAM - Organics International, and sharing my own views, I shared what’s missing. Most importantly, research into the primary levers of food systems change—levers that actually makes things happen!: 💡 What critical elements make political ecosystems more positive towards organic policy? (What collaborations, alliances, approaches, stakeholder platforms…….) There is no research today that can explain why some nations develop broad organic policy frameworks, and others have none. 💡 What critical elements make market ecosystems work for organic success? There is no significant research today that can explain why organic market development has been so strong in countries like Denmark, and not in others. That’s a problem. 💡What critical elements make the farming ecosystem more positive towards organic farming? What motivates farmers to transition to organics? 💡 Finally, we have to go back 20 years to find much research on organic organizations. Yet organic associations are key catalysts in the above three ecosystems and levers of change. So why not study them? We need to document and spread best practices in all of these areas! We also need more research in: 💡 Nutrient density specific to organic. 💡 Organic entrepreneurship as a driver for organic food & farming, particularly among women & youth in the global south. 💡 Models for integration of outcomes metrics into organic certification as basis for company ESG reporting, including approaches combining practice-guarantees like organic as science-based proxies for outcomes. 💡 Models for true cost accounting elements to create more level playing fields in the market e.g. fees on pesticides & synthetic nitrogen, lower VAT. 💡 Research on effective strategies for market access for smallholder farmers, particularly in the global south (Participatory Guarantee Systems, grower group models, cooperatives). 💡 We also need greater coordination and capacity building in organic research globally and greater interaction with organic sector actors about research needs in efforts like TP Organics. Photo: Coop Danmark

Philanthropy can play a catalytic role in transforming farming for major gains for climate, biodiversity and food security. But the area is new to many funders. That was the background for a virtual gathering of funders in Environment Funders Canada yesterday for a session on: Transforming agriculture from a Climate and Biodiversity Problem to a Solution in Canada. Excellent presentation from Gillian Flies, regenerative organic farmer and co-founder of The New Farm Centre for Climate Action (Canada). Gillian revealed some highlights from a recent synthesis of research on what an upscaling of Canadian organic farming can do for carbon drawdown, biodiversity and farm incomes. And showed how regenerative organic farming practices on her own farm has improved life in the soil, reduced flooding, enhanced biodiversity and raised both yields and income. Great update on the exciting work of Farmers for Climate Solutions and Canadian Organic Growers, and a sneak preview of some key priorities in the soon to be published Organic Action Plan for Canada. We have been working on the plan for over a year……look forward to this! 😊 My part, speaking for IFOAM - Organics International, was sharing lessons and examples from Denmark, the EU and globally about what kind of investments have been catalytic in accelerating transition to organic farming and agroecology. I also shared policies driving farm transition, public procurement and market access and incorporated findings from the Global Alliance for the Future of Food about what level of investments are needed and some key recommendations for philanthropic action. Among the points I brought to funders were: ✅ Fund systemic solutions with multiple SDG outcomes like organic farming and agroecology—develop the “ambitious edge” in farming. ✅ Invest in advocacy to address policy lock-ins, repurpose subsidies and leverage public dollars. ✅ Direct funding to frontline farmer-led, indigenous & local organizations as catalysts for change on the ground in farming, mindsets, policy & markets   => scaling change. ✅  Support collaboration among stakeholders creating national & regional action agendas centering leadership & needs of farmers, land stewards, and indigenous communities ✅  Identify high-impact near-term catalytic opportunities ✅  Leverage private investment and market actors by targeting viable, well-defined market pathways like organic ✅ And support work to integrate organic farming and agroecology into national climate and biodiversity strategies, using handy tools developed by WWF and by Biovision Foundation https://lnkd.in/d6Z4TmSf Big thanks to Nancy Bradshaw, ENDSWELL FOUNDATION, who provided both the spark for the event and acted as moderator. #organic #agroecology #organicfarming