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IFOAM EU Group & European Research

The IFOAM EU Group, who represents the European Organic Sector, has contributed to the discussions about European organic farming research with several documents.

Arpil 2007: Newsletter on the results of the Organic Revision Project

(May 18, 2007) In its newsletter of April 31, 2007, the IFOAM EU Group informs of the main results of the Organic Revision project. The group is participating as full partner in the project activities, a three year EU funded Policy-oriented Research project (SSP).

Even though the EU has introduced harmonised regulation for organic agriculture more than 10 years ago, different requirements still exists at national and regional level and in many cases the several certification bodies apply different policies for labelling of Organic Farming products. For farmers, consumers, traders and the organic farming industry the number of different standards, labels and certification bodies is highly confusing.

For all this reasons, the IFOAM EU Group wants to contribute to the dissemination of the research results and knowledge to the stakeholders with this Newsletter, as contribution to the development of the organic food and farming sector.

October 2006: Letter to the EU Research Commissioner regarding funding for organic farming research in the 7th framework programme

October 11, 2006 the IFOAM EU Group sent a letter to EU Research Commissioner Potocnik to express its concern regarding funding for organic food and farming research in the new Framework Research Programme. This letter is supported by the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research, the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism trade unions, the European community of consumer cooperatives, the European Environmental Bureau.

The IFOAM EU group says that educing research money for organic farming in the 7th Framework Programme would not only contradict the different EU policy strategies relating to organic farming, e.g the European Action Plan on Organic Food and Farming. It would also hamper the further development of a dynamic organic food and farming sector and market.

Therefore, the IFOAM EU Group asks the European Commission urgently to ensure that Organic Farming research is strengthened from the beginning within the 7th Framework Programme. The new Programme will start January 1, 2007

November 2005: Position paper on organic farming research in the 7th framework programme

On the occasion of the European Commissions conference “Communicating European Research” in November 2005 the IFOAM EU Group published its position paper on “Organic Farming in the 7th Research Framework Programme” addressing organic research needs to Research Commissioner Potocnik. In a press release the group urges the Commission to boost organic farming in the 7th framework programme as it can contribute significantly to achieving several goals of various EU level policy strategies The IFOAM EU Group is especially referring to the Commission’s European Action Plan on Organic Food and Farming, adopted in June 2004, where the Commission underlines its intention to strengthen research on organic farming systems.

2004: Paper on future research priorities

In September 2004 the IFOAM EU group provided a paper on future research priorities and on how best to implement such priorities.

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