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The IFOAMWorld Board’s statement on the role of Organic Agriculture in thetransition to a sustainable world
Draft version. For consultation of IFOAM members and the public, January 2013
1.Executive Summary
2.Background
2.1Context and purpose of this paper
2.2Definition and use of the term Sustainability
2.3Historical and present visions of the Organic Movement
2.4The Organic Landmarks: The Definition, Principles, Scope and Positions of
Organic Agriculture and its Movement
2.5Recent mandates by the Organic Movement
3.The IFOAM World Board’s Position on Sustainability Development
3.1The Strategy of the Organic Movement: Continuous Improvement and Scaling
up in a Balanced Manner
3.2IFOAM and SOAAN’s contributions
4.Final Statement
1.Executive Summary
The IFOAM World Board is leading a discussion and process inthe Organic Movement with the aim of positioning Organic Agriculture as a holistic, sustainable farming system that is committed to further developing its practices in order to better meet both traditional and new challenges. Based on a motion tabled by the IFOAM General Assembly in 2011,this statement serves as an explanation of the World Board’s understanding of the issue and as a strategy for the IFOAM and the global Organic Movement.
The attempt to make agriculture sustainable is hardly challenged. However, understanding of the term sustainability and resultingstrategy proposals vary substantially across the world. The Organic Movement proposes an alternative to conventional green revolution type strategies. It sees Organic Agriculture as a farming system based on traditions and on the scientific discipline of agroecology that improves the sustainability of agroecosystems. It is based on the four Principles of Organic Agriculture and aims at functional integrity of its systems.
To achieve the vision of a worldwide adoption of sound systems, Organic Agriculture must a) expand and b) improve its own sustainability. Development priorities towards expansion as well as sustainability improvements need to be balanced. Organic farming has to remain feasible and affordable on the one hand and credible and trustworthy on the other hand. The higher price of organic products is a key element in balancing development priorities. Excessively high production requirements, driven by too fast standard developments, result in too high prices, that (additional) consumers may not be ready to pay. If the pace of sustainability development, driven by innovations and standards, is too slow, Organic Agriculture will come under public pressure and lose its position as a leader and credible alternative to conventional production. The optimal balance needs to be defined locally. The higher the uptake of Organic Agriculture and the less wealthy a society, the less prominent price premiums can be.
IFOAM, together with its allies inSOAAN[1] and Affiliates,leads and supports a process that aims to maximize the sustainability impact through the adoption of organic farming. SOAAN is developing the ‘Best Practice Reference’, a documentthat describes the vision for sustainable agriculture practices in great detail. The Best Practice Reference is subject to approval by the IFOAM General Assembly. Further support documents are planned.
2.Background
2.1Context and purpose of this paper
Now more than ever, our planet is sufferingthe consequences of ill-conceived strategies. Poverty, malnutrition and hunger, climate change, genetic diversity loss, ecocide, land and water degradations, seed industry concentration and land grabbing are a few of the phenomena to which the world must find effective answers.
Agriculture is bothrootof and solution to the world’s environmental, climate and social problems. Industrial food production is a key cause of environmental and social harm and needs urgently to be reduced in terms of its negative impact. One of the most promising solutions are smaller-scale, ecological food production systems, currently practiced by millions of small-scale food producers, whom if supported can substantially increase the availability of food, eliminate hunger, increase equity and reverse environmental degradation. These systems currently deliver food for 70%[2] of the world’s peoples and,if supported and protected,could provide more. Often they arebiodiverse and organic following agroecological practices.
The need for sustainability in agriculture is almost undisputed. Creating an affordable, sustainable, economically sound and socially acceptable food future for everyone is a widely agreed goal. However,disagreement can be found in how to best define sustainability and probably more important, in how to achievesustainability.
This IFOAM World Board has developedthis document against the backdrop of intensive debates within the Organic Movement [3]as well asexternal debates that heavily criticize unsustainable organic practices and strategies[4]. The World Board would liketo follow up on IFOAM General Assembly decisions and explain the IFOAM strategy. This statement aims at explaining the organic movement’s commitment to improving and expandingOrganic Agriculture globally in its diversity of farming practices, value-chain approaches and guarantee systems.
2.2Definition and use of the term Sustainability
The global Organic Movement,represented by IFOAM, understands the term “Sustainability”as defined by the UN Brundtland commission in 1987: sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The Organic Movement also agrees with the statement made bythe Earth Charter that“a sustainable global society is founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace.” Moreover, the Organic Movement integrates all three dimensions of sustainability (Environment, Economy, Social) in its approaches and also includesthe more recently suggested dimensions (Cultural, Governance) in its understanding of Sustainable Agriculture.
The term sustainable agriculture is widely used not only byorganic stakeholders but also by many defenders of conventional, industrialized agriculture, making it no surprise that common understanding ofthe term varies substantially. One can differentiate between three schools of sustainable agriculture.The “food sufficiency school” positions sustainability as a question of sufficient food production. This school is represented by modern industrialized agriculture. The “stewardship school” considers sustainability as respecting ecological balances. Environmentalists represent this school. The “sustainability as community school” embraces not only ecological concerns but also vital rural cultures and holistic systems. Modern organic farming belongs to this school.[5]
Based on this analysis, there are two overall concepts for sustainability in agriculture: “resource sufficiency” and “functional integrity”. The first is an “accounting” approach that examines how to fulfill present and future human needs for food.
Under the ‘‘functional integrity’’ perspective, humans are considered an integrated part of nature from an ecological viewpoint. This perspectivebuilds on a systemic approach where our relationship with nature is understood as a socio-ecological system, which includes crucial elements and properties that must be regenerated and reproduced over time in order to keep the system sustainable. Sustainability under the functional integrity perspective is more than sustaining or keeping the level of natural, social and economic capitals. It includes ethical aspects and not only looks at consequences for the future but also for present times. For example, low salaries for farm laborers or neglecting animal welfare using inhumane slaughtering practices may not compromise opportunities for future generations but are highly unethical and touch on the functional integrity of the system.The functional integrity perspective has strong similarities with the four IFOAM principles of Organic Agriculture[6]. Hence,thisis the way the Organic Movement interprets sustainability.
2.3Historical and present visions of the Organic Movement
Organic pioneers - persons and movements - in many parts of the world based their messages on the traditional ways of farming. They were critical of agriculture policies of the 20th century, which promised increased yields and higher short-term profits, but were unsustainable as they had negative external effects on the environment, society and future generations. Based on the study and analysis of traditional societies, organic pioneers created an alternative farming systemthat has been shown to work in harmony with the environment. Their ideas weresubsequently further developed by organic farmers, the organic value chain and its support sectors. The growth of the organic world, particularly starting in the 1990’s, was mostly triggered by a growing awareness among consumersthat translated into an increased demand for organically labeled products. Organic Agriculture has been changing and has managed to keep up with demand thanks to innovations, institutional developments, capacity building, public communication and an early and clear definition given through participative standards development and certification processes. The initial idea developed by the pioneers that sees organic as a holistic farming system andan alternative to the industrialization of agriculture has remained unchanged.
The past decade has seen extensive discussions on the values and approaches in Organic Agriculture. The value of naturalness was put in the foreground, which means respect for nature in the relationship between humans and nature. From this,three approaches to Organic Agriculture were identified: a) The “no-chemical approach”using natural rather than synthetic agriculture inputs; b) the “ecological approach” basing itself on the self regulatory ability of the (agro-) ecological systems and c) the “integrity approach” putting the nature of every living organism in the center.[7]The discussion culminated in the agreement on the four IFOAM Principles of Organic Agriculture: Health, Ecology, Fairness and Care.[8]
Today, the Organic Movement sees Organic Agriculture as a farming system based on traditions and on the scientific discipline of agroecology. This discipline focuses on improvingthe sustainability of agroecosystems by mimicking nature instead of industry and follows a concept involvingthe ecological and social intensification of biological processes.The present vision of the Organic Movement is the worldwide adoption of ecologically, socially and economicallysound systems, based on the Principles of Organic Agriculture. Its goals are:
a sustainable organic production, processing, trade and consumption;
a full coverage of organic production, processing, trade and consumption;
a powerful Organic Movement of capable and enthusiastic actors;
an improvement of the organic and non-organic world through the organic lighthouse;
the uptake of organic solutions for global challenges.
2.4The Organic Landmarks: The Definition, Principles, Scope and Positions of Organic Agriculture and its Movement
Positioning organic as a holistic system heading towards sustainability is not completely new. IFOAM has been defining so-called Organic Landmarks[9]for a long time.All ofthese documents were compiled using the experience and guidance of the IFOAM members and by takinga diversity of perspectives into account.
The definition of Organic Agriculture reads as follows: Organic Agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic Agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved.
The organic approach to sustainability is based on IFOAM’s four Principles of Organic Agriculture, related to health, ecology, fairness and care.
IFOAM regards any system that uses organic methods and is based on the Principles of Organic Agriculture as “Organic Agriculture” and any farmersthat employs such practicesand such systems as an “organic farmer” regardless of whether the products are marketed as organic or not. Organic products may be third party certified including group certification, they may be participatory guaranteed, they may be based on a direct farmer-consumer relationship or they may be simply without guarantee system, depending on the particular legal and market situation of the farmer. Organic, biological, biodynamic ecological or natural farming etc. are considered to be methods and approaches that belong to Organic Agriculture.
Organic farming is not exclusive to any form of land and/or resources ownership nor is it restricted to the size of a farm. IFOAM however recognizes the essential role of smallholders in the stewardship of biodiversity and regards Organic Agriculture based on the scientific discipline of agroecologyas the most appropriate way to achieve ecological, agronomic and socio-economic intensification of smallholder agriculture. [10]
2.5Recent mandates by the Organic Movement
In 2010, the Organic Movement (i.e. the membership of IFOAM) approved the new Organic Guarantee System. This decision includes establishing the IFOAM Community of Best Practices and a seal for those standards setters pioneering best practices and applying more sustainable production requirements in their standards than those of the baseline IFOAM Standards Requirements (COROS)[11].
In 2011, the IFOAM General Assembly in Korea confirmed unanimously that IFOAM should lead a process to improve the organic sector and raise greater public awareness of the fact that organic is the sustainability leader among all farming systems. It passed the following motion:
“IFOAM shall position Organic Agriculture better in its own and the public perception as a holistic, sustainable farming system that is committed to further develop its practices to meet traditional and new challenges. To implement this motion, IFOAM shall build an action network with allies, which works out a new positioning that highlight the multiple benefits of Organic Agriculture. IFOAM shall also develop strategic recommendations regarding sustainability development for the stakeholders of the organic world.”
As a consequence, in 2012, the IFOAM World Board initiated the Sustainable Organic Agriculture Action Network (SOAAN). The goals od SOAAN’s goal areto contribute to improved sustainability, to increase the overall impact of organic farming andto provide leadership for agriculture and its value chains more generally.
SOAAN’s work includes, but is not limited to, the development of a reference document that describes best practices, the development of a strategy brief paper, the positioning of Organic Agriculture as well asthe development of educational materials for the dissemination of organic knowledge and for advocacy purposes.
3.The IFOAM World Board’s Position on Sustainability Development
3.1The Strategy of the Organic Movement: Continuous Improvement and Scaling up in a Balanced Manner
The present global agriculture system is not sustainable. Organic Agriculture, the alternative,however covers only a very small percentage of global agriculture land[12] and yetnot all organic systems are sustainable, either.
Organic Agriculture aims at full coverage and sustainability including the functional integrity of its systems. This implies the expansion of Organic Agriculture and the improvement of own systems. The Organic Movementis committed to improvingand making a high priority the principle of continuous improvement on farm, local, national, regional and global levels for farming, value chain development and their support sectors.
The Organic Movement endeavors to maximize its positive impact and improve sustainability within and beyond organic systems. The IFOAM World Board suggestsa dual strategy that foresees the simultaneousexpansion of organic farming and the implementation of improvments towards sustainability.
Expansion of Organic Agriculture depends largelyon the attractiveness of organic farming for farmers who may adopt organic systems for many reasons including market demand, economics, health, necessity, food security, sustainability, ideology and policies. Similarly, consumers are important drivers and actors in the expansion of Organic Agriculture. Many of the above mentioned reasons that attract farmers to Organic Agriculture equally apply to consumers as well. Consumers can also drive Organic Agriculture by entering into direct trading and investment agreements such as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Participatory Guarantee Systems. Economics is an important factor in the attractiveness of organic products for customers and consumers with many considering organically produced raw materials, ingredients and products as desirable but yet are sensitive to price. The systems and stakeholders along the whole value chain, including producers, processors, traders and consumers need to be ready for the additional uptake of organic systems and production. Both the communication of the systems as well as the marketing of the products play a crucial role here.
Theimprovement of sustainabilityin organic systems needs special awareness about the reality and the goals by the sector. It needs a strategic lead , whichhas beeninitiated by the IFOAM General Assembly as described above. Organic sustainability development requires research and innovations; extension of knowledge, skills and attitudes; institutional development; good legal frameworks and smart financial incentives;well-informed consumers and organic standards developments.
More sustainable production practices often translate into higher production costs. Thus, standard adaptations have to be handled with care in order not to compromise the opportunities for growth. On the other hand, if improvements in sustainability are neglected, the credibility of Organic Agriculture may be questioned, thus restricting impact opportunities and delaying the achievement of the vision.
The priorityand the pace of developmentof the expansion and the sustainability improvementshave to be balanced and adapted to local conditions.Thisdepends partly on the dissemination of knowledge. It also depends on consumer awareness of sustainability gaps and theirwillingnessto pay for higher production requirements.
The price premium is often seen as an engine of development for organic development. Yet,the higher price of organic products is also considered a major barrier to the expansion of Organic Agriculture. A focus on the diversification of drivers would stimulate expansion and therefore contribute to the sustainability of agriculture. IFOAM members are already leading many initiatives where price premium is not the main factor or in some cases not a factor at all.An increasing number of institutions[13] are considering integrating organic agriculture into their programs for addressing land degradation, increasing the resilience of smallholder farming and enhancing food accessibility. Also there are organic consumption and production models that enable farmers to increase income without requiring a significant price premium. Direct marketing, farmers markets, and community supported agriculture (CSA) can make organic products more affordable, increase farm income, and in some instances, spread risks. These drivers play an important role in increasing the uptake of Organic Agriculture and improving the overall sustainability of agriculture globally.