Press Releases

Below you will find IFOAM - Organics International press releases on a variety of issues. Click on any headline to download a PDF. If you would like more information please contact communications [at] ifoam.bio. 

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Nature & More takes True Cost of Food to the consumer
(January 14 2016) At a crowded Green Week in Berlin, the international organic umbrella organisation IFOAM and organic food distributor Nature & More jointly introduced the True Cost of Food initiative. It promotes the idea that food prices should reflect the true cost of food, including hidden environmental and social costs
Organic sector launches price transparency initiative for consumers
(11 January 2016) Food has never been cheaper. Still, each food item we consume creates, during its production, ecological and social costs that are unaccounted for. External costs of conventionally produced food amount to 700 billion USD for environmental degradation and to 900 billion USD for social costs. If prices for conventional food products internalised costs and thus represented reality, organic products would be cheaper.
Einladung zum Pressegespräch von BÖLW, IFOAM - Organics International und ZSL - Mit regenerativer Landwirtschaft gegen den Klimawandel
( 30 November 2015, Berlin ) Mit extremeren Wetterbedingungen und steigenden Durchschnittstemperaturen setzt der Klimawandel den Bauern weltweit zu. Die Folgen des Klimawandels sind ein Hauptgrund für Migration und Konflikte – wie uns am Beispiel Syrien dramatisch vor Augen geführt wird. Gleichzeitig trägt die industrialisierte Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft selbst erheblich zum Klimawandel bei und ist für circa ein Drittel der globalen Treibhausgase verantwortlich.
Response to ‘Does certified organic farming reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production?’
(04 August 2015) The paper presents no scientific evidence that organic farms put out more greenhouse gases than other farming systems and uses unfounded assumptions to form conclusions. The published peer-reviewed science shows that these assumptions and conclusions are clearly wrong.
Join us at EXPO MILANO for ‘Our Daily Biodiversity! - Organics and More.’
(22 July 2015) Soil is a great reservoir of biodiversity containing one-third of all living organisms. It is estimated that 95% of our food is directly or indirectly produced on soils. Yet they are being depleted at an alarming rate thus endangering the planet’s ability to sustainably nourish the world. Alternatives are needed.
Julia Roberts Urges Consumers to Save our Soils
(18 June 2015) By the time you've read this, 9,378 m² of fertile soil has been destroyed. This is the message Julia Roberts is delivering to the world as she becomes the latest in a line of international VIP's to call for action to protect our soils.
IFOAM - Organics International Launches an Organic Regulation Toolkit to Guide Governments
(26 May 2015) IFOAM – Organics International has launched an Organic Regulation Toolkit to assist governments, organic sector organizations, consultants and others involved in the development of emerging and expansion of established organic sectors.
IFOAM – Organics International calls for stop to subsidizing unsustainable farming practices on International Biodiversity Day
(22 May 2015) The widespread practice of large monocultures and the use of chemicals in agriculture are causing a decline in biodiversity. We therefore call for the adoption and effective implementation of a standalone goal on sustainable agriculture as part of the Sustainable Development Goals to put an end to subsidizing unsustainable agriculture practices.
IFOAM – Organics International Calls for Stop to Soil-destroying on International Mother Earth Day
(21 April 2015) Mother Earth Day is a stark reminder of the fact that we must take better care of the planet and her natural resources. Soil is one of these resources. Its preservation is essential to protect biodiversity, grow healthy food and secure our sustainable future. Yet we are losing 30 football fields of soil every minute thanks to unsustainable agricultural practices. Farming organically can bring this to a halt, restore soil fertility and build soil health.
The Organic Movement Adopts Culture of Innovation for the Common Good
(20 March 2015) Building on the concept of Organic 3.0, IFOAM - Organics International and its partners in the Sustainable Organic Agriculture Action Network (SOAAN) continue broadening consensus that the organic sector must break out of its niche status. This will happen by adopting a culture of innovation and continuous improvement that works to implement best practices across a full spectrum of sustainability dimensions – social, ecological, economic, cultural and accountability – for the benefit of all of agriculture and the peoples of the world that depend on it.
IFOAM - Organics International supports ‘The Letter from America’
(Bonn, 23 February 2015) ‘IFOAM – Organics International’ is supporting ‘The Letter from America’, an open letter from 57 million Americans to the citizens, politicians, and regulators of the UK and the rest of the European Union highlighting the hazards of genetically modified crops and calling on them not to follow the US example when it comes to GMOs.
Growth Continues: Global Organic Market at 72 Billion US Dollars with 43 Million Hectares of Organic Agricultural Land Worldwide
(Bonn/Frick/Nürnberg 10 February 2015) The positive trend of the past continues: Consumer demand increases, reflected in the significant market growth of 11.5% in the US, the world’s largest organic market. More farmers cultivate organically, more land is certified organic, and 170 countries report organic farming activities (up from 164) as shown in the 2015 edition of the FiBL-IFOAM study “The World of Organic Agriculture”. (Data per end of 2013).
IFOAM Joins Global GMO Free Coalition to Protect Farmers from Biotech Control
(10 December 2014) IFOAM - Organics International has joined the Global GMO Free Coalition (GGFC) in a move to increase the pressure currently being applied to the Biotech industry worldwide.
IFOAM Calls for Tea Industry to Safeguard Consumers’ Right to Safe Tea
(18 August 2014) Reports reveal that the teas of leading international brands contain hazardous pesticides, putting at risk consumers’ health, as well as the lives of farmers exposed to pesticides. A shift in the tea sector's approach to production and processing is urgently needed.
Governments to Decide on Whether to Commit to Increasing Sustainability in Agricultural Investments
(22 May 2014) Discussions on the draft ‘Principles for Responsible Investments in Agriculture’ highlight the diverging positions between governments, the private sector, civil society and farming communities.
IFOAM Announces the Creation of Internet Extension ‘.bio’
(23 April 2014) Organic organizations can apply for the internet domain extension ‘.bio’, ensuring greater recognition of their commitment to the principles of Organic Agriculture. By using internet addresses ending in ‘.bio’, members of the growing organic food and farming sector can reach an audience that recognizes ‘.bio’ as the online destination for contents related to organic.
Controversial Overhaul of EU Organic Regulation Raises Red Flags
(17 April 2014) On 24 March 2014, the EU Commission released a proposal for a complete overhaul of the EU organic regulation. Regarding imports, the proposal foresees to replace the approach of equivalence with requirements of absolute compliance with all details of the EU regulation.