Jan Plagge re-elected President of IFOAM Organics Europe

At its 10th General Assembly, IFOAM Organics Europe’s members elected a new Board. They re-elected Jan Plagge as President. He is the President of Bioland e.V. (Germany and North Italy) and has many years of experience developing the organic sector. He has a background as an organic farmer and organic farm advisor.

Bundled commitment for sustainable cocoa in Europe

The German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa and the Belgian platform Beyond Chocolate have committed to joining forces for a more sustainable cocoa value chain. They did this by signing a Memorandum of Understanding. 

The impact of Corona on Trust Organic Small Farmers

Heuschrecke Naturkost GmbH asked its partners in India, Sri Lanka and South Africa how it was for them during the Corona crisis and the lockdowns, what their everyday life was like and whether they could harvest and process the harvests.

EU: Most organic goods come from China

In terms of volume, the number one country for organic imports into the EU in 2019 was China, followed by Ukraine and three countries exporting bananas. There are also further surprises in the latest import figures.

Update: BioTropic offices report in Corona times

The fruit and vegetable importer Biotropic, has asked employees across its branches from France to Costa Rica and the Ivory Coast to report on Corona and the situation locally. In Europe the situation has calmed down somewhat, but in other parts of the world the situation is quite different.

OTA: COVID-19 will shape organic industry in 2020

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic this year – and its enormous impact on our everyday lives – has already had dramatic consequences for the organic sector in 2020. As shoppers search for healthy, clean food to feed their at-home families, organic food is proving to be the food of choice for home, reports the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

Agriculture: worldwide shortage of seasonal workers

It is not only the lack of seasonal workers for harvesting that is making life difficult for organic farms, here and everywhere. Some markets are changing and the poorest have been hit the hardest by the corona crisis.

EU to promote vegan alternatives to meat

The Green Deal adopted by the European Commission forces initial activities and implementation of wide-ranging measures and grants in the area of nutrition, which should result in health benefits for citizens.

U.S. reaches bilateral organic equivalence arrangement with Taiwan

The fast-growing organic market of Taiwan is poised to grow even faster. On Thursday, the United States and Taiwan reached an organic equivalence arrangement to enable increased trade between the two regions. Taiwan is already the fifth largest export market for U.S. organic products.

OTA: Consumers value organic more then ever

As the initial pantry-loading phase of the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, households of all sizes have begun to settle into longer-term routines and shopping patterns. For those shoppers who prioritize organic, their commitment to the label remains strong, even as so much has changed within their daily lives.

Indoor farms near Aldi South

Mint, basil, coriander and other fresh herbs now thrive in Aldi Süd markets in Germany. Customers can buy the plants freshly harvested from so-called indoor farms.

Natexpo to go ahead as planned

The 2020 edition of Natexpo, the international trade show for organic professionals, is still going ahead. As scheduled, it will be held in Lyon on 21 and 22 September this year. 

EU-Strategy: Sustainability with some genetic engineering

Europe's agriculture and food industry should become significantly more ecological by 2030. According to the strategy ‘From Farm to Fork’ which was presented by the EU Commission, the share of organic farming in the EU should increase to 25 percent by 2030 and the use of pesticides and antibiotics halved. It also includes some genetic engineering.

Free From Functional & Health Ingredients postponed to november

The organisers of the Free From Functional & Health Ingredients (FFFHI) and Free From Packaging (FFP) have confirmed that the events, which were planned to take place at the RAI Amsterdam from 24-25 June, will be postponed to 24-25 November 2020, following the global escalation of COVID-19.

Is Farm-to-Fork soon to be the basis of EU agricultural policy?

The Farm-to-Fork strategy and the biodiversity strategy were presented in Brussels and are both part of the European Commission's New Green Deal. According to the reports organic farming should increase to 25 percent and the use of pesticides and antibiotics halved in the EU member states by 2030.

Weleda: Nadja Holland responsible for the D-A-CH region

Weleda, the Swiss natural cosmetics manufacturer changed the top management of its largest market in April. Nadja Holland is the new Regional Director for the German, Austrian and Swiss market, responsible for the Natural Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals divisions.

"Fairtrade"- products increase

Last year consumers spent 2.04 billion euros on products with the "Fairtrade" seal. This equates to 25 euros per head and a growth rate of 26 percent.

Switzerland: Organic food share rises above ten percent

The Swiss spent 3.24 billion francs, or 3.07 billion euros on organic food in 2019, so the organic food sales achieved a 10.3 percent share of the total food market. These and many other figures were presented by the Swiss association ‘Bio Suisse’.

Coexistence: Nobody really cares about it

One of the fundamental pillars of EU policy is the peaceful coexistence of organic farming, conventional agriculture and genetically modified plants. Farmers should be free to choose their preferred cultivation method and consumers should be free to choose whether or not to buy the products from the different farming systems.

Austrians ask more for organic food

Food retailers in Austria generated seven percent more revenue with fresh organic food in 2019 than in the year before. The number of organic farmers has also grown.