IFOAM EU Group

The IFOAM EU Group is the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming. We fight for the adoption of ecologically, socially and economically sound systems based on the principles of Organic agriculture – health, ecology, fairness and care.

With more than 160 member organisations our work spans the entire organic food chain and beyond: from farmers and processors, retailers, certifiers, consultants, traders and researchers to environmental and consumer advocacy bodies.

The IFOAM EU Group contributes to shaping and implementing community agricultural, environmental, health and consumer policies and regulation in a number of ways:

• Participation in seven of the EU Commission’s Advisory Groups, and involvement with the Commission’s ongoing regula tory work relating to organic farming.

• Advocacy work with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Standing Committee on Organic Farming and the European Economic and Social Committee to explain the organic movement’s positions, concerns and views.

• Expert meetings with DG Agriculture’s Organic Unit, and with Commission officials in other relevant DGs, to share expertise and express standpoints on current and potential legislative provisions which affect or might affect the organic food and farming sector.

• Communicating EU positions to members, enabling them to lobby and build coalitions at the national level on environmental and agricultural issues.

• Production of position papers and responses to proposals and drafts of Community legislation and regular correspondence with Commission officials on a range of regulatory and policy matters relating to organic agriculture and the environment.

• Promoting the role of organic farming in policy solutions to major challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.

• Organisation of workshops, seminars and conferences