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February 2022 Newsletter

Dear readers,

I would like to welcome you back after the winter break and take this opportunity to wish you a healthy, caring, and organic new year. As 2022 has already made its first steps, we are looking forward to the opportunities and challenges it will bring for the European organic sector and movement - for example the entry into application of the new EU Organic Regulation, the Year of Organics and birthdays within the movement and spotlighting organic youth!
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Political hotspot
Promotion policies, an important funding opportunity for organic – Deadline calls for proposals 21 April
 

On 16 December, the European Commission presented the its 2022 version of its promotion policies, which aiming to inter alia open up new markets and opportunities for organic actors in the agri-food sector.  Just under 40% of promotion policies’ budget (€70 million) is dedicated to promoting sustainable and organic products.

 
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News
Policy
Organic Regulations
New EU Organic Regulation: Guidelines & main changes applies
 

After a 10-year long process, the new EU Organic Regulation has started to apply on 1 January 2022. The basic Regulation (EU) 2018/848 was published in June 2018, while the secondary legislation has been developed in the following 2,5 years, with the last secondary regulations published in the EU Official Journal on 29 December 2021.
 
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Update on consolidated version of Regulation (EU) 2018/848

A consolidated version of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 has been published, but it only includes a part of the total secondary legislation: 9 out of 23-24 secondary acts. You find the new acts recently published in the EU Official Journal on our website.
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Feedback to the public consultation on animal welfare

The European Commission launched a public consultation on the revision of the EU legislation on animal welfare. IFOAM Organics Europe provided feedback, with input based on exchanges in our Interest Group of Organic Farmers.
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Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
New CAP delegated and implemented acts approved – Ongoing approval process of CAP national Strategic Plans
 

 On 11 January, the Parliament’s Committee on Agricultural and Rural Development (COMAGRI) approved most of the CAP 2023-2027 Regulations’ delegated and implemented acts. The Commission is expected to draft the remaining ones during the first quarter of 2022.
 
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GMOs & Seed
New GMOs: What’s next for Europe & state-of-play legislative process
 

As covered in previous editions of our newsletter, the European Commission has been moving forward with plans to create a new and specific legal framework for "novel genomic techniques" (NGTs or new genetic engineering techniques/newGM).
 
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Climate Change
Update on the revision of the LULUCF Regulation

As part of the Fit for 55 package, several legislative initiatives aim to support the European target of reducing at least 55% of net greenhouse gas emission by 2030.One of these initiatives is the revision of the LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry) Regulation which addresses agriculture’s CO2 emission from cropland and grassland, and emissions from forestry and wetlands.

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Policy brief outlining key points for a “Carbon Farming Scheme”

In December 2021, the European Commission presented its Communication on ‘Sustainable Carbon Cycles’, which addresses how to increase carbon sequestration and scale up carbon farming as a business model (see also our previous article).
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Plant health care
Organic’s approach to plant health: Read our leaflet for an overview
 


 
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Trialogues on Regulation on Statistics on Agricultural Inputs and Outputs to start

On 10 December, the Council of the EU approved its mandate for negotiations on the Regulation on Statistics on Agricultural Inputs and Outputs (SAIO). 
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Revised Directive for a Sustainable Use of pesticides expected on 23 March

The indicative calendar of the European Commission for the first half of 2022 mentions the launch of a “Nature restauration package” on 23 March. 
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Join pan-European testing for pesticide residues during #GoodFoodGoodFarming action month in October 2022
 

In the bodies of farm workers and city inhabitants, in people’s bedrooms and children’s playgrounds – pesticide residues at harmful levels for our health have been detected in many places all over Europe. Besides human health, planetary health also suffers from pesticide contamination, which degrades our soils and threatens the diversity of insects, birds and animals.
 
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Food policy
Sustainability labelling: Product Environmental Footprint not suitable for agri-food products

Sustainability labelling has to be one of the major food-related political topics of 2022. As the think tank IDDRI outlines in its report 'Environmental food labelling: revealing visions to build a political compromise'
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Have your say! European Commission public consultations on nutrition labelling & nutrient profiles

Until 7 March, the European Commission is consulting stakeholders on two public consultations
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Organic’s role in sustainable food public procurement

Recent European initiatives related to food policies, among which the Farm to Fork Strategy, Organic Action Plan, and new legislative framework on sustainable food systems, have contributed to the growing political importance of sustainable food public procurement– and organic’s role in it.      
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Get inspired: New EU campaign to stimulate organic purchasing behavior in supermarkets
 

Organic umbrella organisations in Sweden, Finland, The Netherlands, and Belgium are joining forces to stimulate the sales of organic products. On 1 February,  IFOAM Organics Europe members from these countries will start a project through the EU’s promotion policies.
 
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EU research & innovation policy / TP Organics
A Soil Deal for Europe
 

On 11 December, the long awaited conclusions of the fitness check of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) were made public. They are largely positive, declaring that any lack of progress is due to “insufficient funding, slow implementation and insufficient integration of environmental objectives in sectoral policies, and not due to a deficiency in the ...
 
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Knowledge for organic
A knowledge platform for organic farming – Constantly further developed

The Organic Farm Knowledge platform is constantly working to evolve, keep the tools up to date, increase the reach and make the content accessible through different channels. 
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BIOFRUITNET recommendations for stronger organic fruit growing systems

Knowledge sharing is key for bringing together innovative ideas and identify new solutions in organic farming.

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New scientific publication on riboflavin supplementation in organic chicken feed

The RELACS project released a new scientific paper inquiring methods and strategies for adjusting riboflavin supplements in organic feeds.
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New tools and practices for organic dairy sector from the NEFERTITI project

Looking for inspiration for improving organic dairy farming? Check out the new videos from the NEFERTITI project
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Pilot of EU FarmBook platform open-source knowledge platform – Join webinar on 23 February!

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts.
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IFOAM Organics Europe developments
Exclusive for members: Let’s Discuss Organic! continues in 2022
 

In 2022, we will continue with our monthly, member-only Let's Discuss Organic! sessions. These online live sessions will offer our members the opportunity to engage with experts in the organic sector.

 
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Help us celebrate our birthday and the Year of Organics
 

 This year, we will are celebrating our 20th anniversary. Together with IFOAM – Organics International’s 50th and IFOAM Asia’s 10th anniversary, 2022 will also mark the Year of Organics.
 
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Submit your initiative & inspire!

As European organic movement we are gathering existing initiatives and projects that are transforming food and farming.

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They make it happen!

In the Netherlands, Eosta developed Nature & More, an innovative system which enables a transparent connection between consumers and (organic) growers.

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Volunteering at IFOAM Organics Europe: Personal development through gaining international experience
 

Through the experience that JINT gives me at IFOAM Organics Europe and in the city of Brussels, I am getting to know the heart of Europe and the EU in a new way., I understand the whole network better and I am even happier to be part of it!.
 
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Welcoming our new colleagues
Agnes Modrovich

Agnes Modrovich is a Hungarian national who is joining our team as new Events & Membership Assistant. Angie has been living in Belgium for five years during which she completed two Master’s degrees – one in Communication, and another one in Management.

Laura Sauques

Laura Sauques is joining IFOAM Organics Europ’s Policy Unit as new ESC volunteer! Laura is from South-West France where she did a Bachelor of Law, including a year on Erasmus, in Belfast.After, she moved to Normandy to pursue a Master’s degree in International Trade and Management during which she spent a semester in Texas and an internship in Iceland.
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Saying goodbye to our colleagues
Verena Mitschke

IFOAM Organics Europe’s communications team is sad to say goodbye to Verena Mitschke, who is pursuing her passion in projects. We are thankful for the two years during which she was part of our team, and for her time as EVS-volunteer before that.
Molly Mathews

IFOAM Organics Europe is saying goodbye to our colleague Molly, who was a dedicated teammate in Events and Membership team. Molly has joined IFOAM Organics Europe back in 2019 as a EVS-volunteer, and has rapidly grown in the organization and the unit.

Ágnes Bruszik

The Research & Innovation Unit is saying goodbye to Ágnes Bruszik who has left IFOAM Organics Europe at the end of January. Ágnes joined IFOAM Organics Europe at the end of 2018 to coordinate the LIVESEED project. Now that LIVESEED has come to an end, she decided to explore new career options.
Maria Vittoria Borghetto

Maria Vittoria joined IFOAM Organics Europe as ESC volunteer in September 2021. She worked on several topics within the policy unit. For instance, many members will have received emails from her as she was responsible for the representation of IFOAM Organics Europe in the European Commission’s Civil Dialogue Groups (CDGs).
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Lend us your strengths to make Europe more organic!
 

Visit our website for the full descriptions and deadlines!
 
Apply
Events
Preview of events


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Review of past events


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Calendar of events

2022 
The Year of Organics 
Global 
#YearOfOrganics



31 Aug-2 Sep 2022     
IFOAM Organics European Organic Youth Event 
Frick, Switzerland
#OEYE2022 

2022 
10-year anniversary of IFOAM Asia 

 

21-23 February 2023
Ecofruit Conference – International Conference on Organic Fruit Growing
Online


23 September 2022          
EU Organic Day  
European Union 
#OrganicEU #EUorganicDay


2022
20-year anniversary of IFOAM Organics Europe  

26-29 July 2022
BIOFACH 2022
Nuremberg, Germany
#biofach #vivaness



29-30 November 2022
Organic Innovation Days
Brussels
#OID2022


2022
50-year anniversary of IFOAM Organics International
Making Europe more organic
IFOAM ORGANICS EUROPE KEY SUPPORTER 2022
IFOAM ORGANICS EUROPE MEDIA PARTNER
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 Arianna Bellemo.

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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