November 2022 Newsletter

Dear reader,

I am happy to welcome you to this year’s last edition of our newsletter. I am proud to say we can look back on a productive autumn, slowly turning into winter. Just like the seasons, one day our work goes smoothly like a cold but sunny day, and other day it is stormy like a grey autumn day with heavy rainfall and gusts of wind. 

However, we are keeping on the good work in what feels like a sometimes hostile environment.
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Political hotspot

The legislative process of revising the EU’s pesticide legislation, the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR), is full of hurdles, put up by some Member States and political groups at the European Parliament.

As IFOAM Organics Europe, we are meeting weekly with MEPs and their teams to highlight the need and feasibility to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides. Together with NGOs, we also highlight the issues identified with regards to the Harmonized Risk Indicator (HRI-1) the Commission chose to measure pesticides use reduction, which shows limitations in its methodology and discriminates against natural substances.

 
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News
Policy
GMOs
GMO-free Europe Event held at the European Parliament to take a stand discuss the European Commission’s new NGT legislative proposal

The European Commission announced a new legislative proposal for so-called ‘Novel Genomic Techniques’ in the second quarter of 2023. This may exempt certain GMOs obtained from CRISPR-Cas and other so-called ‘Novel Genomic Techniques’ from the present level of risk assessment, traceability, and labelling.

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The scientists behind the GMO deregulation lobby – A story of vested interests

Many scientists currently active in agricultural biotechnology who lobby for deregulating so-called ‘new genomic techniques’ (NGTs) in the European Union (EU) have either direct or indirect interests in commercialising and marketing new genetically modified organisms (GMOs), for example, through patents, patent applications, or other connections to the seed industry.
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Organic Regulations
Changes in regulation on recognition of control authorities & bodies for the purpose of import of organic products into the EU

While the EU Organic Regulation 2018/848 has been in force since the start of the year, implementing regulation that specify the rules is continuing to be published. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2325, among others, sets out the list of control authorities and control bodies recognised for the purpose of equivalence and competent to carry out controls and issue certificates in third countries.  
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Climate Change
This was COP 27 for agriculture 

From 6-18 November the COP27 took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Like every year, our colleagues from IFOAM – Organics International participated to the COP, bringing the voice of the organic movement to the UN Climate Change Conference.

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Plant health care
Increase environmental ambition in Fertiliser Communication & digitalization of pesticide use data in SAIO’s implementing act’

On 3 November 2022, we signed a joint-contribution with 15 NGOs on the Commission’s public consultation on an implementing act of the Statistics on Agricultural Inputs and Outputs (SAIO) Regulation.
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Commission’s fertiliser communication, short term fixes, no long-term solutions

In its Communication on ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers, the EU Commission postpones necessary changes to achieve more sustainable food systems by implementing short-term fixes to a broken system highly dependent on fertilisers. 
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Food Policy
Put sustainable school meals on the EU agenda - Sign the petition
 

The Buy Better Food Campaign has initiated an EU-wide petition for ‘A healthy meal for every child in every EU School’. The aim is to It invites cities and citizens to urge EU and national policy makers to implement put sustainable school meals on the menu and help realise for the implementation of the EU Farm to Fork strategy.
 
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Biodiversity, soil, and water
Organic movement responds to public consultation on Soil Health Law

Soil health is a cornerstone of organic farming and common organic farming practices improve actively soil quality. Healthy soils are fundamental to produce nutritious and sustainable food and deliver a wide range of ecosystem services such as water purification and carbon sequestration.

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1 million EU citizens knock on EU’s door: No synthetic pesticides to save bees & farmers
 

Over 1 million EU citizens are asking to restore nature, provide healthy food, healthy soil and clean water. On Friday 25 November at 15:00, civil society formally will knock on the EU institutions’ door.  
 
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Textiles
NGOs demand high standards & ambitious methodologies in upcoming legal proposal – also for apparel & footwear

The European Commission’s is working on an upcoming legislative proposal to help justify (‘substantiate’) green claims and prevent greenwashing. However, it runs the risk of being misleading and worsen ongoing greenwashing in the food and the fashion industries. NGOs have taken a strong stance against this in a recent joint letter.

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Research & Innovation
Farmers at the centre of research, innovation & knowledge exchange in TP Organics new study
 

Organic living labs and lighthouse farms in Europe is a brand new study by TP Organics, the European technology platform for organic food and farming. It puts the spotlight on seven living labs and five lighthouse farms in the organic sector in Europe, putting farmers at the centre of research, innovation and knowledge exchange.

 
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Knowledge for organic
FarmDemo Training Kit helps you organise a successful farm demonstration – Available in all EU languages

Do you want to organize a successful farm demonstration? FarmDemo’s Training Kit collects tools, guidelines, and videos that will help organizing a successful farm demonstration. The toolkit will inspire both farmers and other organizers of farm demonstration events to uplift their events, whether on-farm or online.
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Policy recommendations to reduce inputs like copper, antibiotics and introduce new nutrient sources

The RELACS project developed and researched alternatives to contentious inputs in organic crop production, think about copper and mineral oils, nutrient inputs, and in livestock production, for example anthelmintics, antibiotics and vitamins.

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IFOAM Organics Europe developments

IFOAM Organics Europe members, do you wonder how we spend your membership fee?
 

As part of a membership organisation, it is normal to pay a fee. As this can sometimes get a bit abstract, we have visualised this for you. Please have a look on our member extranet and learn what we have achieved with:

Your membership fee
Sponsorship & foundations’ donations
The LIFE-grant
 
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Have a look at how our members celebrated 20 years of organic in Europe!
Play
 

Did you know that, as IFOAM Organics Europe member, you can receive push notifications when we upload member-only news on the extranet? Follow these simple steps:

  • Download the SharePoint app to your mobile device (& allow notifications)
  • Visit our member extranet on the same device
  • Open the menu in the top right corner & click on 'Follow'

Are you an IFOAM Organics Europe member and you do not have access to the member extranet yet? Or do the steps above not work? Please check our FAQ or contact membership@organicseurope.bio.
Events
Preview of events


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Review of events


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Calendar of events

27 November 2022
XXIV Premios Internacionales a la Investigación y Defensa en Producción Ecológica “Andrés Núñez de Prado”
Córdoba. Spain

29 November 2022
Closing nutrient’s cycles: Reshaping EU agri-food system for greater autonomy and sustainability?
Brussels, Belgium

30 November 2022
IFOAM Organics Europe Meets Business 2022
Brussels, Belgium

21 January 2023
We are fed up!
Berlin, Germany

2022 
10-year anniversary of IFOAM Asia 

20-year anniversary of IFOAM Organics Europe   

50-year anniversary of IFOAM Organics International
Making Europe more organic
IFOAM ORGANICS EUROPE KEY SUPPORTER 2022
YEAR OF ORGANIC PARTNERS
MEDIA PARTNERSHIP
ORGANIC REGULATION GUIDE GOLDEN SPONSORS




 
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 2022

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, Silvia Schmidt & Eric Gall. With the contribution of Elena Fazio.

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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