What is the General Assembly
Every three years (2014, 2017, 2020, ...) IFOAM - Organics International convenes in its entirety for the GA. That includes members, board representatives, and staff! At the GA you can see the truly democratic and participatory nature of our organization in action. The GA is a dynamic and lively gathering that inspires everyone working together to realize the vision of IFOAM - Organics International as a common voice for the organic movement.
The Statutes regulate the framework in which the GA operates, and the GA Rules of Procedure guide processes related to the GA. Both documents are recommended reading for members who intend to actively participate in an upcoming GA. The following video animation provides valuable insight into all you should know about Member Motions.
Between in-person GAs, the membership of IFOAM - Organics International makes decisions by electronic vote, so-called Electronic General Assemblies (eGAs). You can find the eGA results here.
The next General Assembly: September 26 & 27, 2020 in rennes, france
The 2020 General Assembly will be held in conjunction with the 2020 Organic World Congress in Rennes, France. This venue was selected at the 2017 GA in India. See details here.
IFOAM - Organics International will hold elections for the 2020 - 2023 World Board term at the 2020 GA.
We will publish important GA and WB 2020 related calls on this webpage. Current calls include:
Call for World Board candidates: published July 17, 2019 - see below
Call for Member Motions: It is a great opportunity for member organizations to have a real impact on the organic movement, the strategy and overall activities of the organization: As a Voting Member you are free to submit motions on topics you feel are of importance to the organic world.
Please find an example of a well written motion here. Call for OWC 2023 Bids: published by October 15, 2019
The Next WORLD BOARD ELECTION: apply now for the 2020 - 2023 term
The next World Board election is scheduled for the 2020 General Assembly in Rennes, France.
We are looking for candidates! Apply by April 30, 2020 for consideration. Available application-related materials:
- The Call for World Board Candidates (listed further up on this webpage)
- The World Board Terms of Reference
- A Sample Supporting Letter
Nomination Committee
IFOAM - Organics International has established a Nomination Committee (NC) to ensure sufficient candidacies from people with a diverse background for the World Board. The NC is the first step of preparation for the 2020 General Assembly. Meet the 2020 Nomination Committee here!
Most Recent General Assembly: 2017 in India
The most recent General Assembly was held November 12-13, 2017 in New Delhia, India directly after the 19th Organic World Congress.
You can read the 2017 GA Minutes here.
2017 GA Highlights
- The GA elected a new World Board (WB) and chose the host for the 2020 OWC & GA
- The GA approved the draft Position Paper on the Compatibility of Breeding Techniques in Organic Systems and the Organic 3.0 summary
Related Materials
The IFOAM - Organics International in Action 2017 includes:
- The 2017 GA Agenda,
- Profiles of prospective WB candidates,
- WB and Member motions,
- Bids presented to host the 2020 OWC and GA.
The GA World Board Presentation contains:
- The report about the prior WB term,
- The new strategy for IFOAM - Organics International
- The outlook for the coming term (2017 - 2020).
The World Board Term Report 2014 - 2017 outlines:
- The activities and achievements of the 2014-2017 World Board term.
previous general assemblies
General Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey (2014)
- To see the agenda points press here.
- For minutes please press here.
- World Board Term Report can be found here.
General Assembly in Namyangju City, Korea (2011)
- To see the agenda points press here.
- For minutes please press here.
- World Board Term Report can be found here.
General Assembly in Vignola, Italy (2008)