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October 2021 Newsletter

Dear readers,

Autumn has reached Europe, and unlike nature at this time of year, our work is not slowing down. I would like to take this opportunity to look back at the past intense month and look ahead at what else this autumn and winter have in stock.
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Political hotspot

26 October marked the final day for final contributions to the Commission’s inception impact assessment (roadmap) on the Sustainable Food System Framework Initiative. This initiative is expected in 2023, when the European Commission will propose a legislative framework on sustainable food systems. To shape this legislative framework, stakeholders and citizens are encouraged to reply to this roadmap.
 
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News
Policy
Organic Regulations
Looking for a guide to run you through the new EU Organic Regulation? We’ve got you covered! 
 

New Organic Regulation (EU) 2018/848 will apply from 1 January 2022. The basic regulation published in June 2018 will be accompanied by around 24 acts of secondary legislation, some of them still to be published.

 
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Climate change
COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland

From 31 October to 12 November, the UN’s climate change conference (UNFCCC COP26) will take place in Glasgow, Scotland in partnership with Italy.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), our current food system is responsible for 21-37% of global emissions and is far from sustainable. To meet the Paris climate targets, all sectors, including food and agriculture, must drastically reduce their emissions.

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EU organic movement’s reply to public consultation on carbon farming initiative
 

The European Commission invited stakeholders to provide input to a roadmap for the Commission’s initiative aimed at developing sustainable carbon removal solutions, including a carbon farming action plan.
 
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Plant health care
MEPs in COMAGRI made a first step to improve statistics on organic agriculture

On 12 October, the Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) adopted their report on the proposal for a Regulation on Statistics on Agricultural Inputs and Outputs (SAIO).
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Biodiversity, soil and water
Save Bees and Farmers European Citizens Initiative: Over 1 million signatures demanding for a restoration of biodiversity & support for farmers

Across Europe, more than 1 million citizens are calling for a reduction of 80% in the use of synthetic pesticides by 2030 (and 100% by 2035); measures to restore biodiversity on agricultural land, and massive support to farmers to transition towards agroecology in the EU.

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Food Policy 
The Farm to Fork Strategy: An ambition to safeguard

It is a busy time for stakeholders active on the Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy. On 19 October, the European Parliament’s Plenary voted on its own initiative report on the strategy. The Plenary approved report by the environmental (ENVI) and agriculture (AGRI) committees – with 452 votes in favour, 170 against and 76 abstentions – voting for principles, mechanisms and rules supporting the transition towards more sustainable food systems.

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Research and innovation
Research and innovation advocacy / TP Organics
Take part in EIP-AGRI workshop on farm data!

Are you a farmer, an adviser, an Operational Group member, or a tech company using farm data solutions? Applications are open to take part in the EIP-AGRI workshop on Farm Data for Better Farm Performance. The workshop will take place online on 9-10 December 2021.
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Knowledge for organic
LIVESEED project comes to an end after 52 months

The LIVESEED project came to an end on 30 September 2021, after 52 months of activities. Started in June 2017, 51 project partners put their hearts and souls into boosting organic seed and plant breeding.
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Watch RELACS’ new video about copper replacement in oil rose plantation

A new RELACS video explores the work and research currently pursued in the Rose Valley in Bulgaria. 
Watch
Enlarge your organic farm knowledge through videos      

A versatile collection of video content from the Organic Farm Knowledge Platform is now available on its own YouTube channel, accessible to everyone.
Watch
Intercropping for boosting organic farming in EU – ReMIX policy brief

The European Green Deal addresses the challenges of a fair sustainable food system. To realise the EU Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy sets goals to significantly reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides and fertilisers as well as increase the agricultural land under organic farming to at least 25% by 2030.
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LIVESEED and OK-Net EcoFeed highlighted to be EU-funded research projects demonstrating potential of more sustainable alternatives

The EU Green Deal and its related Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies identified agroecology and organic farming as one of the sustainable farming practices that can help achieve the strategies’ targets.
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Copenhagen Food System Centre’s work supporting organic development - Interview with Line Rise Nielsen
 

Our colleagues, Joanna Wierzbicka, Strategic Initiatives Manager, and Bérénice Cau, Project and Fundraising Assistant, met with Line Rise Nielsen, Food Policy Director at Changing Food, to talk about the work of the Copenhagen Food System Centre and what it is doing in terms of organic.
 
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IFOAM Organics Europe developments
Need inspiration communicating organic’s benefits? Our members can check our updated arguments
 

In spring this year, we asked our membership to help us improve our database of organic’s benefits. Based on your valuable input, we updated and further developed some of your priority topics. Thanks to your input, the updated arguments database will help you strengthen your communication about how organic delivers on various topics.
 
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They make it happen! Playing an important key role in the value chain: Transilvania Acasă

Organic food & farming systems aim a developing and adopting new tools to create transparency from farm to fork and enhance dialogue between all value chain actors. Promoting fairness and transparency of the organic food chain is part of our Vision 2030. Together with food and farming actors across Europe, we are leading the way toward its goals as movement and sector.
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Share with us your organic initiative and inspire others to transform food and farming systems!

The European organic movement's vision is transforming food and farming in Europe. To achieve this ambitious and shared Vision for organic in 2030, we collect successful initiatives and projects that are transforming food and farming and can inspire other food and farming actors and policy-makers.
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IFOAM Organics Europe Council will meet on 23 November 2021

The next edition of IFOAM Organics Europe Council meeting will take place on 23 November 2021.

Are you a member of IFOAM Organics Europe? Contact your national representative (Council member) for an update of these meetings.
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Events
 
Preview of events


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Review of past events


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Calendar of events

1 October-31 October 2021
Good Food Good Farming European Action Days
On - and offline

16 November 2021
Webinar on the organic approach to plant health
Online

17-18 November 2021  
6th European Conference on Copper      
Online

30 November-1 December 2021
TP Organics’ Organic Innovation Days
Online

7 December 2021
IFOAM Organics Europe Meets Business
Online

15-18 February 2022
BIOFACH 2022
Nuremberg, Germany

23 September 2022
EU Organic Day
European Union

2022
10-year anniversary of IFOAM Asia

2022
20-year anniversary of IFOAM Organics Europe

2022
50-year anniversary of IFOAM Organics International



Making Europe more organic
IFOAM ORGANICS EUROPE KEY SUPPORTER 2021
IFOAM ORGANICS EUROPE MEDIA PARTNER
 
Help us to make Europe more organic
 

The contributions of sponsors allow IFOAM Organics Europe to focus on its most important work – representing organic stakeholders. This funding is a means to co-finance IFOAM Organics Europe events, projects and publications and is a highly valued contribution to our work.

Are you interested in getting visibility in IFOAM Organics Europe’s communication? Contact supportus@organicseurope.bio.
 

© IFOAM Organics Europe 2004 to 2021

Please send any comments or contributions to the newsletter to communication@organicseurope.bio.

For further information contact your national board member or the office in Brussels.
Editors IFOAM Organics Europe newsletter: Eva Berckmans, Eric Gall. With the contribution of Arianna Bellemo, Ilaria Barbonetti, Verena Mitschke.

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

IFOAM Organics Europe

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