We do the work for our members! They can find more information, instant messaging and visuals in our arguments database on the member extranet.

Organic movement resources

• The international organic movement’s position paper on GMOs and new GMOs (2017), the global safety & risk assessment protocol for New Genomic Technologies (June 2023) & our position papers
• Our video explaining new GMOs and the need to keep them regulated and traceable + version with German subtitles (July 2023)
• The European organic movement’s resolution in favour of a system-based approach of innovation and sustainability – Keep Organic GMO-free (June 2023)
• Our leaflet in all EU languages explaining why all techniques of GMOs must be regulated (June 2019)
• Young German organic farmers calling for their right to choose (in German – January 2023)
• IFOAM Organics Europe submission to public consultation – Legislation for plants produced by certain new genomic techniques (October 2021)

All our

• News articles on GMOs
• Press releases on GMOs
• Official letters on GMOs

Member only:

• Recordings of our member-only webinar: Upcoming EU proposal on New Genomic Technique (NGTs) (June 2023)
• Instant messaging and visuals on new GMOs in our arguments database on the member extranet
• Example letters to your national ministers

NGO resources

• Unmasking new GMOs briefing: Media Briefing by FoodWatch International and Friends of the Earth Europe on the risks of a deregulation for farmers and consumers’ right to transparency (May 2023) 
• How big agri ghost-writes the Commission’s proposal on new GMOs: Article by Friends of the Earth Europe (March 2023)
• New genome techniques (NGT) – A risky corporate distraction from real sustainable solutions: Questions & Answers regarding pesticide use and other impacts on agriculture by FoodWatch (January 2023)
• Educational materials for schools (2022)
• GMOs – An easy breakdown on common myths by Slowfood International (November 2022)
• Behind the smokescreen – Vested interests of EU scientists lobbying for GMO deregulation by the Green/EFA in the European Parliament (September 2022)
• Our participation in Slowfood Europe’s podcast about new genomic techniques in Slowfood Europe’s podcast (May 2021)

Scientific resources

Scientists’ and policy experts’ statement: Gene editing is not “precision breeding” and the term is misleading (September 2022)

NGO petition

Citizens have voiced their concerns about the safeguard for genetic resources free of genetic modification in a petition with more than 420,000 signatures from 17 countries. Citizens demanded policymakers to keep (new) GMOs strictly regulated and labelled, and instead of using GMOs, support proven sustainable agricultural practices, like organic and other agroecological farming methods.

Events

On 17 November 2022, we held the GMO-free Europe event at the European Parliament, together with Save our Seeds. The event was hosted in the European Parliament by Green/EFA Members of Parliament and united representatives of GMO-free Regions, scientists, farmers, producers, retailers, and consumers as well as NGOs, civil servants, and politicians to scrutinize the proposal and take a stand together. The event was a full success with more than 250 participants joining online and in person. Watch the full recordings in our dedicated YouTube playlist.

For more information on (new) GMOs and IFOAM Organics Europe’s work on this issue, please visit our website and contact helene.schmutzler@organicseurope.bio.

IFOAM Organics Europe members can find more information on the member extranet and background materials in the arguments database on the member extranet (main messages, arguments/FAQs, visuals & videos). Contact membership@organicseurope.bio for access rights (issues).

For information about what you can gain from being a member, read our membership page and contact membership@organicseurope.bio.

They make it possible

The post New GMOs – Key resources appeared first on IFOAM Organics Europe.

We will give these initiatives visibility on our webpage and our social media. Have a look at last year’s interactive map with initiatives (scroll down on our webpage). We hope we can update this map with even more initiatives for 2023! Once we have collected enough, we will start updating it.

Are you still unsure about what you will be organising? Or about what is a ‘good’ initiative? Find inspiration:

• In the recordings of our first member-only session on our member extranet > hot topics > EU Organic Day 2022;
• On the 2022 map of initiatives (you have to scroll down on the page a bit); or
• Or contact eva.berckmans@organicseurope.bio and communication@organicseurope.bio for questions.

For questions about or access to the member extranet, please contact membership@organicseurope.bio.

Do you have an initiative that is transforming food and farming, but isn’t centred around EU Organic Day? Consider submitting it to www.euorganic2030.bio, our website collecting initiatives that are transforming food and farming.

The post Let’s show the organic movement’s diversity on and around 23 September, EU Organic Day appeared first on IFOAM Organics Europe.

During this event, we will discuss which further recycled nutrient products might be appropriate for organic farming, based on practical examples. Participants are joining online, while moderators and panellists will be in Brussels.

To reach the target of 25% of organic land by 2030, debates on potential recycled nutrients products that could be accepted for organic farming are essential. Organic farmers should have the right alternatives available while maintaining the high level of requirements laid down by the Organic Regulation.

Register on eventbrite and consult the full event’s agenda on our event page. Here are the highlights:

• Summary of the RELACS project’s conclusions and outputs
• Status update on recycled nutrients materials and products in regulations
• Panel discussions

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

The work of IFOAM Organics Europe on this topic is co-financed by the LIFE programme of the European Union, under the Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). This page only reflects the views of the authors and its sole responsibility lies with IFOAM Organics Europe. The CINEA is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information provided.

The post Debate and discussion: Which recycled nutrients products could be suitable for organic farming?  appeared first on IFOAM Organics Europe.

In the framework of this partnership, our Director Eduardo Cuoco has released a short interview, presenting some of the most pressing issues on the political agenda urged to be considered by the organic movement. In particular, he focused on Green Claims, the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), and greenwashing when it comes to sustainability labelling. Interested? Have a look at the video.

Do you wish to visit NATEXPO on 22–24 October? Get your free visitor pass here and plan your journey to Paris!

Background information

On 22 March 2023, the Commission proposed a Directive on substantiating green claims, originally based on the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), a methodology that is not accurate for the environmental assessment of agri-food products and would ultimately lead to greenwashing. Our advocacy work has greatly contributed to adjusting of the Directive, namely by giving the biased PEF methodology a far less prominent place in it. The Green Claims Directive is echoing with another piece of legislation expected for 2023: the legislative framework for Sustainable Food Systems. As part of this framework, the Commission intends to create a sustainable labelling framework, therefore, these two Commission proposals could be heavily intertwined.  This is why the organic sector needs to remain mobilized to give accurate information to consumers regarding their food choices and prevent the PEF from becoming the default methodology for the European food market.

The post IFOAM Organics Europe partners with NATEXPO for a fairer and more transparent EU food system appeared first on IFOAM Organics Europe.

In July 2023, the European Commissions published its legislative proposal on “New Genomic Techniques”. We have the pleasure to announce the release of a video on new Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and so called “New Genomic Techniques” (NGTs). In our 3:30 minutes video, we explain what GMOs and new GMOs are. We also explain why it is important to regulate all these techniques at the EU level with the current legal framework as the baseline, following strict provisions on risk assessment, consumer labelling, and supply chain traceability.

The full video, as well as shorter video snippets, are available on IFOAM Organics Europe’s YouTube channel. A version with German subtitles has been made available by our member organisation Bioland.

Do you want to translate the subtitles in your own language? Contact helene.schmutzler@organicseurope.bio and communication@organicseurope.bio.

Our past & future work on this topic

We will continue communicating on this legislative proposal and its impact on the organic sector. We remain committed to diligently advocating for the interests of our members and the organic sector and movement, ensuring the core values of the organic sector are protected and safeguarded in all discussions.

For more information on GMOs and new GMOs and IFOAM Organics Europe’s work on this issue, please consult the section on GMOs on our website or reach out to helene.schmutzler@organicseurope.bio. Do note that we prioritise our members’ requests.

IFOAM Organics Europe members can find more information on the member extranet and background materials in the arguments database on the member extranet (main messages, arguments/FAQs, visuals & videos). Contact membership@organicseurope.bio for access rights (issues).

For information about what you can gain from being a member, read our membership page and contact membership@organicseurope.bio.

Summary of our video on new GMOs

The EU’s food system is broken, with industrial agricultural practices dominating food supply chains. But with many failed promises and disastrous environmental consequences, producers continue to rely heavily on the use of dominant seed varieties, increased synthetic fertilisers and pesticides use. The latest technological fix are the promises of genetically modified seeds, which fit well into these high-input systems. 

Traditionally, farmers and plant breeders got new varieties for seed production by crossing and selecting plants with desired characteristics. Over the years, science on breeding has developed, creating new techniques to modify DNA, such as CRISPR and Cas9, which do not necessitate the insertion of foreign genes. These technologies have proven to be very useful for researchers, especially for basic research and in medical domain. 

However, these so called “New Genomic Techniques” are quite new and its consequences for human and ecological health are not sufficiently researched yet. So, the precautionary principle and high biosafety standards, enshrined in the current GMO legislation, should continue to apply to NGTs.

We are at a crossroads now, having to choose what kind of system we want for the future. One that takes a holistic approach to ensure sustainability, or one that uses technological fixes with false promises while continuing with business-as-usual.

The organic movement calls for a system approach in which prevention is better than quick fixes like NGTs, which are a distraction from the real solutions needed. It’s crucial to keep the current legal framework for GMOs as a baseline for dealing with new techniques and ensure their risk assessment, traceability for producers and farmers, as well as a clear labelling scheme for consumers. 

The post What are new GMOs and what’s at risk? Watch our new video appeared first on IFOAM Organics Europe.

Jan Plagge, IFOAM Organics Europe’s President, said: “I am proud to get to know the finalists of the EU Organic Awards. This year marks another inspirational selection of candidates who showcase the European organic movement’s contributions to the European Green Deal. The increasing number of heatwaves, droughts and heavy rainfalls show that the EU should prioritise farming methods that preserve the climate, biodiversity, soil and water. This new selection for the EU Organics Awards is an example of how individuals and companies in Europe are already making a change.”

Eric Gall, IFOAM Organics Europe’s Deputy Director, added that “The EU Organic Awards are an important ceremony to give visibility to farmers, companies and public authorities who are leading the transformation of our food systems with organic farming practices and principles. These transformative initiatives are relevant for all farming systems and demonstrate that opposing nature protection against agriculture is a mistake.”

The winners of the eight awards will be announced at the official awards ceremony in Brussels on 25 September, as one of a range of events and activities to mark the annual EU Organic Day on Saturday 23 September. Are you organising something on EU Organic Day? Share it with us and we might take it up on our website and in our online communication.

Ends.

Contact details

Eva Berckmans, Communications Manager
+32 2 416 27 62, eva.berckmans@organicseurope.bio
or visit www.organicseurope.bio

Background information

Meet the finalists in each category

Best organic farmer (female)

• Małgorzata Pucer (Pasiekapucer) – Barciany, Poland
• Céline Clenet (La Casseline) – Cassel, France
• Clara Benito Pacheco (Entrelobas) – Serrada de la Fuente, Spain

Best organic farmer (male)

• Roberto Giadone (Natura Iblea) – Ispica, Sicily, Italy
• Thomas Moschos (Moschos Farm) – Kastoria, Greece
• Mikhaylo Haliv (Tomelloso) – Ciudad Real, Spain

Best organic region

• Dordogne, France
• Centre-Val de Loire, France
• Burgenland, Austria

Best organic city

• BioStadt Bremen, Germany
• Hajdúnánás, Hungary
• Stadt Wien, Austria

Best organic “bio-district”

• Bio Região de S. Pedro do Sul, Viseu district, Portugal
• Idanha-a-Nova, Beira Baixa, Portugal
• Biodistretto della Via Amerina e delle Forre, Civita Castellana, Italy

Best organic food processing SME

• Fürstenhof GmbH – Finkenthal, Germany
• The Merry Mill – Vicarstown, County Laois, Ireland
• Ekološka kmetija Kukenberger – Trebnje, Slovenia

Best organic food retailer

• Valle y Vega Cooperativa Agroecológica de Granada – Churriana de la Vega, Andalucia, Spain
• Gut Wulksfelde– Tangstedt, Hamburg, Germany
• NaturaSì Conegliano – Conegliano, Veneto, Italy

Best organic restaurant/food service

• Luftburg – Kolariks Freizeitbetriebe GmbH – Vienna, Austria
• Trnulja Country Estate – Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Biohotel St. Daniel –  Štanjel, Slovenia

Further information about the candidates, the selection criteria, and the awards in general are available on the EU organic awards webpage. If you have any questions about the awards, please address them to the organisers responsible for each category:

• Best organic farmer (female) EUorganicawards@organicseurope.bio and best organic farmer (male) EUorganicawards@copa-cogeca.eu
• Best organic city, region, or bio-district: EUorganicawards@cor.europa.eu
• Best organic SME, food retailer, or restaurant: EUorganicawardsEESC@eesc.europa.eu

About this topic

Why these awards?

The European Commission identified organic as playing a key role in achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork strategy and the Biodiversity strategy. For this reason, the Commission has defined a target of 25% of EU agricultural land under organic farming by 2030 and a significant increase in organic aquaculture. In support of that target, the Commission adopted the Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production in March 2021. This Action Plan takes the approach that, to stimulate organic production, consumer demand for organic products should grow. This requires, amongst other things, increased public awareness of the characteristics and benefits of organic production.

For this purpose, the Action Plan includes the launch of annual awards recognising excellence in the organic value chain. They aim to reward the best and most innovative organic actors, contributing to the reduction of agriculture’s impact on the environment and climate, and to the achievement of EU Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies. It will be awarded for the first time in 2022.

How did we go about?

Entries were invited from any actor or institution along the organic value chain with an excellent, innovative, sustainable and replicable project contributing to greater accessibility and affordability of organic products in the EU. The jury will select the winners in each category by judging their projects against the horizontal award criteria and also considers the organic principles of health, ecology, fairness and care.

The awards are jointly organised by the Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions, COPA-COGECA and IFOAM Organics Europe. The jury for the awards consists of representatives from these organisations, as well as representatives from the Council of the EU and the European Parliament.

Useful links

• All information about the EU Organic Awards is available on the EU Commission’s website and IFOAM Organics Europe’s website
• EU Organic Awards – Finalists press release published by EU Commission
• www.euorganic2030.bio – Initiatives transforming food and farming (not the same as the EU Organic Awards, broader in scope)

Do you have an initiative that does not fit the awards but is transforming EU food and farming? Consider submitting it to Organics Europe’s www.euorganic2030.bio, showing initiatives that are transforming food and farming.

IFOAM Organics Europe is the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming. With almost 200 members in 34 European countries, our work spans the entire organic food chain and beyond: from farmers and processors organisations, retailers, certifiers, consultants, traders, and researchers to environmental and consumer advocacy bodies.

The post EU Organic Awards – Get to know this year’s finalists appeared first on IFOAM Organics Europe.

Ends.

Contact details

Eric Gall, Policy Manager, +32 491 07 25 37, eric.gall@organicseurope.bio
Eva Berckmans, Communications Manager, +32 2 416 27 62, eva.berckmans@organicseurope.bio
or visit www.organicseurope.bio

Background information

About this topic

Organic farming delivers multiple benefits for the climate and biodiversity, including increased carbon sequestration in soils, lower energy input, 30% more on-farm biodiversity and increased resilience of the farming system. These are highlighted in a document on the benefits of organic farming published by IFOAM Organics Europe.

Transforming how we produce food can make a big difference in mitigating climate change, help farmers to adapt and to become more resilient, and to contribute to biodiversity protection. Organic farming offers a systemic approach for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and increasing soil carbon sequestration while sustaining healthy soils and protecting biodiversity.

Organic consumes less energy and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

• Instead of being dependent on external fossil-fuel intensive fertilizer or pesticide inputs, organic farming relies on establishing closed nutrient cycles and minimizing nitrogen losses. This can reduce global agricultural GHG emissions by around 20%;
• Refraining from synthetic fertilizer use reduces nitrous oxide emissions from soil by 40% per hectare in organic systems;
• Animals in organic systems have access to free range areas, allowed to graze as much as possible and 60% of the feed has to come from the farm or the same region. The reduced number of animals and grassland-based systems reduce emissions and improve carbon stocks in soil;
• Organic agriculture often uses improved manure management such as manure composting which can reduce nitrous oxide and methane emissions from manure by 50% and 70% respectively;
• Organic agriculture has a higher energy efficiency and a lower energy use per hectare. It consumes around 15% less energy per unit produced compared to conventional agriculture.

Organic sequesters and stores more carbon

Many common practices in organic farming, such as crop rotations including legumes or reduced tillage, help to improve soil quality and fertility and contribute significantly to increased carbon sequestration of additional 450 kg C/ha per year compared to land under conventional management.

Organic protects species and habitat diversity

By prohibiting synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and using biodiversity-enhancing practices, such as diverse crop rotations with legumes, landscape elements or reduced tillage, lead to on average 30% more species and 50% more individuals in organically managed areas.

Organic supports ecosystem functions

Organic farming promotes soil health and reduces soil erosion by 22%. It protects water bodies by reducing nitrate leaching by 28-39%. Organic also has a positive impact on crop pollination and it increases natural pest control.

Organic increases the resilience of farming systems

The improved soil structure in organic farming reduces erosion, supports plant health and makes organic more resilient to changing weather conditions. Organic farming does not rely on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which makes the organic system less dependent to external inputs. The enhanced biodiversity in organic systems favours stable yields during drought periods and adaptation to future environmental conditions

Useful links

• Organic agriculture and its benefits for climate and biodiversity
• Organic farming and biodiversity
• Plant health care in organic farming
• What we do on biodiversity, soil & water and climate change

IFOAM Organics Europe is the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming. With almost 200 members in 34 European countries, our work spans the entire organic food chain and beyond: from farmers and processors organisations, retailers, certifiers, consultants, traders, and researchers to environmental and consumer advocacy bodies.

The post Nature restoration law adopting gives hope for food & farming systems appeared first on IFOAM Organics Europe.

Jan Plagge, IFOAM Organics Europe’s President, said: “Exempting certain NGTs from risk assessment, traceability and labelling is a step backward for biosafety and consumer information, and is unlikely to bring any benefit for sustainability. Rather, this proposal is a massive accelerator for a lucrative business model from the biotech and chemical industry. It seems that the European Commission unfortunately followed misleading industry promises and their business interests before closing the dangerous loopholes in the patent rights framework. This is a bad day for the European model of a diverse farming and breeding sector. Now, the organic movement calls on the Council and Parliament to at least maintain traceability for NGTs all along the production chain, a legal basis for measures to ensure co-existence, as well as consumers information.” 

He added: “Consumers want to know how their food is produced, and expect that organic production is done without genetic engineering. In terms of sustainability, organic agriculture has been at the forefront of transitioning our agricultural systems to practices which are good for biodiversity and planetary health.  But the success of our movement depends on consumers trust, and traceability and labelling of all GMOs are essential to protect the organic market and the reputation of organic products.” 

IFOAM Organics Europe regrets that the proposal on genetic engineering does not support an evidence-based and systematic approach to agriculture. It rather seeks to sacrifice the precautionary principle to make way to technological fixes with unproven benefits and potential unintended effects and risks. 

While the proposal explicitly prohibits NGTs from organic production – in line with the position of the organic food and farming sector that NGTs should not be used in organic production – it does not provide a clear basis to protect GMO-free and organic production with co-existence measures, nor to ensure a fair distribution of risks and burdens. 

Marian Blom, IFOAM Organics Europe’s Board Vice President and Knowledge & Innovation Project Leader at Bionext said: “In terms of consumer information and their freedom of choice, the Commission seems to have decided to address citizens’ skepticism by either eradicating end-product labelling for Category 1 NGT plants, so that consumers cannot know whether a product contains GMOs or not, or giving the industry the possibility to add voluntary additional information for Category 2 NGT plants. This lack of labelling and reliance on optional statements will decrease transparency, enable greenwashing, and confuse consumers even more.” 

Dora Drexler, IFOAM Organics Europe’s Board Vice President and Managing Director of the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKI), warned: “This proposal on NGTs is a threat to the European model of innovation in breeding. NGTs will contribute to monopolising patents on genetic material in the hands of just a few companies. As long as there is no prohibition in EU law of patents on traits and genetic resources that can also be obtained by traditional breeding, traceability is essential to protect breeders and farmers from patents on seeds and to safeguard the possibility for a more systemic and truly sustainable approach to plant breeding. 

Bernard Lignon, IFOAM Organics Europe’s Board member and Regulations and Organic Product Quality Project Lead at Synabio, added: “The Commission’s proposal on “New Genomic Techniques” (NGTs) is a step back from Europe’s ambitious environmental goals in the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork and the EU Biodiversity Strategies. The process leading up to the publication of this proposal was guided by misleading, empty industry promises of sustainability “potential”, at the cost of the precautionary principle, biosafety, and transparent information for both producers and consumers.”  

The proposal comes a few days after the European organic movement adopted a resolution to keep organic GMO-free in favour of a system-based approach of innovation. In its resolution, the movement re-affirms the demand of organic breeders, farmers, processors, certifiers, traders, and retailers to preserve their freedom of choice to remain GMO-free, including GMOs derived from New Genomic Techniques (NGTs).  

The organic movement calls for MEPs and Member States to make sure that principles of risk assessment, traceability, and consumer labelling are applied to all GMOs, including crops derived from gene editing. 

Technical details

For ‘Category 1 NGT Plants’, mandatory traceability along the entire production chain is eradicated and replaced by insufficient provisions for a public registry and seed labelling, which only provide minimal transparency at a breeding and farming level. This fails to deliver real co-existence measures, which depend on mandatory traceability from operator to operator until the end consumer.  

The transparency provisions for these crops would place the economic and administrative burden of ensuring GM-free production, including additional identification, controls, and tests, fully on the operators who do not wish to use them, without providing the proper basis to do so. 

A further concern is that for both Category 1 and Category 2 NGT plants, national opt-outs are prohibited, taking away the possibility for Member States to decide what is cultivated on their territory. Especially for Category 2 NGT plants, where Member States are obliged to come up with national co-existence measures, this is a striking contradiction.   

Ends. 

Contact details

Eric Gall, Policy Manager and Deputy Director 
+32 491 07 25 37, eric.gall@organicseurope.bio 
And 
Helene Schmutzler, Policy Assistant on GMOs and Organic Textiles 
+32 2 416 52 32, helene.schmutzler@organicseurope.bio 
And 
Eva Berckmans, Communications Manager 
+32 2 416 27 62, eva.berckmans@organicseurope.bio 
or visit www.organicseurope.bio

Background information

Positions 

• European organic movement’s resolution on new GMOs 
• Global organic movement position paper on Compatibility of breeding techniques in organic systems

Other materials 

• Watch our video and learn about the issue with novel genomic techniques 
• Read our leaflet and learn why all techniques of genetic modification must be regulated – available in in all European official languages: [BG] [CZ] [DA] [DE] [EL] [EN] [ES] [ET] [FI] [FR] [HR] [HU] [IT] [LT] [LV] [MT] [NL] [PL] [PT] [RO] [SK] [SL] [SV] 
• New GMOs – Key resources, living article which is updated periodically 
• Young German organic farmers calling for their right to choose (in German – January 2023) 
• Our webpage on old and new GMOs 

What are the issues our food system is facing? How does the industry’s empty promises only focus on fixing symptoms instead of the causes of these issues? And why do we need a system-based solution and strong regulation? Learn more in our new video. 

Watch the video on the GMO-free Europe event. During this event, participants discussed GMOs from the scientific, economic and political perspective. 

The post NGT proposal a step backward for biosafety, freedom of choice and consumers’ information appeared first on IFOAM Organics Europe.

IFOAM Organics Europe’s President Jan Plagge stresses: “To make our food systems truly sustainable, we need to transition away from input-intensive, short-term fixes, which include the promotion of specific technologies with unproven benefits and potential unintended effects and risks. Genetic engineering with its currently still empty sustainability promises, and a narrow focus on specific genes or traits, ignores the complexity of interactions in a given agroecosystem. For decades, the organic movement has been a main driver for nature-based regenerative systems of agroecological innovation. To safeguard this holistic approach to agronomic innovation, EU legislation must protect GMO-free and organic production from contamination, through mandatory traceability all along the production chain and consumers labelling, which are the only way to envisage a real “coexistence”.”  

Jan Plagge also warned about the impact of patents on plants and animals associated with NGTs: “New GMOs will contribute to monopolising patents on genetic material in the hands of just a few companies. Traceability is essential to protect breeders and farmers from patents on seeds – a common concern shared by many farmers organizations across the board – and to safeguard the possibility for a more systemic and truly sustainable approach to plant breeding, that fully considers the complexity of agroecosystems. 

The resolution of the organic movement in favour of a system-based approach of innovation and sustainability – Keep organic GMO-free was adopted with an overwhelming majority (97.69% of votes in favour, 2,31% against) at IFOAM Organics Europe’s General Assembly in Brussels on Wednesday 21 June 2023. 

Summary of the IFOAM Organics Europe resolution

The resolution re-affirms the demand of organic breeders, farmers, processors, certifiers, traders, and retailers for the preservation of their freedom of choice to remain GMO-free, including GMOs derived from New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). Organic producers also want to fulfil their commitment towards consumers to guarantee a GM-free production process. For that reason, the principle of labelling and traceability enshrined in the current legislation, which allows for the identification of GMOs throughout the supply chain, must be maintained and applied to all NGTs. 

Further, the resolution stresses the importance of considering the negative impact of the NGT proposal on patents on plants, seeds, natural traits, and genetic information as a threat to the European model of breeding. The resolution subsequently voices support for the EU policies like the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork, and the EU Biodiversity Strategies which rightfully put organic farming at the core of a transition to sustainable food systems. This is because a sustainable food system depends on a prospering flora and fauna, which depends on the application of the precautionary principle, and the principle of care, health, ecology, and fairness. Thus, the resolution calls for the promotion of resilient agroecological systems, taking into account the complexity of interactions in nature, rather than relying on short-term technological fixes with unproven benefits and potential unintended risks. Moreover, the resolution presents its severe concerns about the potential exemption from the EU legal framework on GMOs of so-called “conventional-like” NGT crops. Lastly, the resolution demands that the burden of ensuring GM-free production must not fall on GM-free operators. 

Ends. 

Contact details

Eric Gall, Policy Manager, +32 491 07 25 37, eric.gall@organicseurope.bio 
And 
Helene Schmutzler, +32 2 416 52 32, helene.schmutzler@organicseurope.bio 
And 
Eva Berckmans, Communications Manager 
+32 2 416 27 62, eva.berckmans@organicseurope.bio 
or visit www.organicseurope.bio

Background information

Useful links

Positions 

• European organic movement’s resolution on new GMOs 
• Global organic movement position paper on Compatibility of breeding techniques in organic systems

Other materials 

• Read our leaflet and learn why all techniques of genetic modification must be regulated – available in in all European official languages: [BG] [CS] [DA] [DE] [EL] [EN] [ES] [ET] [FI] [FR] [HR] [HU] [IT] [LT] [LV] [MT] [NL] [PL] [PT] [RO] [SK] [SL] [SV] 
• New GMOs – Key resources, living article which is updated periodically 
• Young German organic farmers calling for their right to choose (in German – January 2023) 
• Our webpage on old and new GMOs 

Watch the video on the GMO-free Europe event. During this event, participants discussed GMOs from the scientific, economic and political perspective.

The post European organic movement resolution: No hidden GMOs, system-based approach to innovation appeared first on IFOAM Organics Europe.

Following his re-election, IFOAM Organics Europe’s President Jan Plagge said: “It is my honour to be re-elected as the European organic movement’s President. These are challenging times, as the reduction of pesticides and the protection of biodiversity have become highly politicised and polarising issues, and many organic producers are facing a difficult market situation. Yet the transformation of our food system is more needed than ever and organic farming remains a crucial policy tool to green our agriculture and revitalise rural areas in Europe.” 

“With the resolution adopted today,”, Jan Plagge continued “the organic movement clearly re-affirms its support to the EU Green Deal and to the Farm to Fork strategy. It emphasises how important it is to safeguard the possibility for a systemic approach to innovation, which is more efficient than short-term technological fixes to transition away from that an intensive high input agriculture model. For these reasons, and to protect the European model of breeding from patents, the vast majority of organic producers wants the organic production process to remain free of GMOs, including New Genomic Techniques (NGTs)”. 

Dora Drexler, re-elected Vice-President, and Director of ÖMKI, the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, continued: “It is crucial to stick to an evidence-based approach to continue developing organic. If we want to reach the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies’ targets, policymakers should reinforce the EU’s research efforts dedicated to organic and other agroecological approaches.” 

Marian Blom, re-elected Vice-President, and Knowledge & Innovation Project Leader at Bionext, said: “I am proud that the European organic movement gave me their confidence and re-elected me as Board member. I believe there is no simple and reductionist solution to the challenges we’re facing. We need indicators that measure sustainability in all its dimensions including biodiversity protection, pesticide use and climate change. Organic offers a systemic solution to complex problems.” 

Immediately after their election, the Board conveyed these messages to Commissioner Wojciechowski, who was the first official guest at the Organic House. 

Ends. 

Contact details

Eva Berckmans, Communications Manager 
+32 2 416 27 62, eva.berckmans@organicseurope.bio 
or visit www.organicseurope.bio

Background information

At today’s IFOAM Organics Europe General Assembly, 41 members from 19 countries joined – online and in person. Read our new Board members’ biographies in our media corner and have a look at the overview. 

Jan Plagge was re-elected as President of Organics Europe. He is the President of Bioland e.V. and has many years of experience developing the organic sector. Jan has a background as an organic farmer and an organic farm advisor. He already served as IFOAM Organics Europe’s President for two term (2018-2020 and 2020-2023). 

Also re-elected are both Vice Presidents of the Board are Marian Blom, Knowledge & Innovation Project Leader at Bionext, the Dutch umbrella organisation for organic food and farming and Dora Drexler, Director of ÖMKI, the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture. 

The sector representatives are: 

• Sector representative for farming: Thomas Fertl, Head of Department Agricultural Policy at BIO AUSTRIA; 
• Sector representative for processing / trade: Bernard Lignon, Regulations and Organic Product Quality Project Lead at SYNABIO; 
• Sector representative for certification: Michel Reynaud, Vice-President of ECOCERT SA; 
• Sector representative for retail: Lukas Nossol, Representative of Dennree Gruppe GmbH. 

The other Board members that were elected are: 

• Christopher Atkinson, Head of Standards at Soil Association; 
• Aira Sevon, Council Member of Southern Finland Organic Farmers Association and Member of the Board of Directors of Kymi Organic Coop. 

IFOAM Organics Europe is the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming. With almost 200 members in 34 European countries, our work spans the entire organic food chain and beyond: from farmers and processors organisations, retailers, certifiers, consultants, traders, and researchers to environmental and consumer advocacy bodies.  

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