IFOAM Organics Europe

📢 Exciting takeaways from TP Organics’ Organic Innovation Days 2025, which took place this week in Brussels! 💡From the launch of the new Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for organic and agroecology... 💬 to inspiring discussions on the future of organic research under #FP10... 🎯 and the #OT4EU project final conference, the event showcased the key developments shaping the future of organic R&I. Read more about how research and innovation are powering the organic movement. 👇

On 24 October, our colleagues Hanna Winkler and Karim Jouhari (TP Organics) joined the event “Organic, agroecology & agroforestry for nature restoration” by European Agroforestry Federation (EURAF) at the European Economic and Social Committee to share how organic farming and research can help deliver on the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) goals. 👩🌾 Organic farmers are already showing that productive farming and nature protection can go hand in hand - enhancing soil fertility, preserving biodiversity, protecting water bodies, and storing carbon in soil. 💶 Now we need the right policies and funding to scale this up through the next #CAP and #MFF. 👉 Read more about their key messages and takeaways: https://lnkd.in/dSGnH5Yt #NRR #NatureRestoration #OrganicIsPartOfTheSolution #Agroecology #Agroforestry #ClimateResilience #Biodiversity #EUAgriPolicy #Brussels

🌱 Yesterday, Buy Better Food and IFOAM Organics Europe co-organised a workshop with the EU Food Policy Coalition (EU FPC), bringing together inspiring experts and practitioners to discuss the future of sustainable food procurement. 💬 Key highlights from the day: Roberto Caranta, food procurement expert, explored the EU framework on public procurement and raised an important question ahead of the Public Procurement Directives revision: What if the EU had minimum criteria for sustainable public procurement? Devreese, Lieven (Het Polderveld), winner of this year's EU Organic Awards for the category Best Organic Farmer, shared his inspiring story of collaboration, delivering organic produce to the local hospitals through an innovative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) approach, and welcoming psychiatric patients for monthly visits to his organic farm 🌾💚, connecting them with nature in a peaceful setting. BioForum vzw showcased their efforts to link more organic farmers like Lieven to public institutions. Manger Demain presented their step-by-step approach to help public canteens and local administrations transition toward sustainability, proving that real change starts small but grows with every shared meal 🍽️. The Municipality of Torres Vedras (PT) shared a remarkable example of community-driven transformation: rethinking school food procurement to offer children healthy, organic, and tasty meals, all while engaging local farmers and rebuilding the link between children and the food they eat through educational programs and farm visits 👩🌾👧. 🙌 Together, we’re striving to build a food system that is healthier, fairer, and more sustainable - from farm to fork. To learn more go check the Manifesto for Sustainable Public Food Procurement: https://lnkd.in/dnrV9eYj #SustainablePublicProcurement #HealthyDiets #OrganicFarming #BrusselsEvents #EUorganic EU Agriculture and Food ICLEI Europe

✨ Today I had the chance to open the final day of the 2025 #OrganicInnovationDays, held together with the #OrganicTargets4EU final conference — a moment to reflect on how innovation, research, and policy can work together to make Europe’s food systems truly sustainable.   The discussions focused on turning ambition into action: translating the 25% organic farmland target into concrete pathways for farmers, businesses, advisors, and policymakers.   We explored: ✅ Transition scenarios and their socio-economic implications ✅ Innovative solutions and policy levers for scaling up organic ✅ The importance of inclusive governance and investment in innovation   Our message is clear: 👉 The tools are there — now we need the political will and coherent support to make the transition real. 👉 Innovation is not only about technology; it’s about people, cooperation, and the courage to change.   💬 If you’re working on a project or initiative that helps farmers innovate and transition, share it below — your experience can inspire the next step of Europe’s organic journey.   🙏 A warm thank you to all speakers, panelists, and participants who made this day so inspiring. Together, we are shaping the future of organic: Raffaele Zanoli – Univpm, Jarmila Curtiss – Thünen Institute, Michele Schiavo – IDDRI, Nic Lampkin – Thünen Institute, Susanne Padel – IFOAM Organics Europe, Gijs Schilthuis – DG AGRI, European Commission, Paul Holmbeck - Holmbeck EcoConsult, Eric Gall – Deputy Director IFOAM Organics Europe, Ambra De Simone - IFOAM Organics Europe, Boglárka Bozsogi - IFOAM Organics Europe #OID2025

🌱 Celebrating Innovation in Organic Advisory Services! The Horizon Europe project #OrganicAdviceNetwork announced the winners of the Innovative Organic Advice Contest! 🎉 👉 Out of 40+ submissions, two outstanding initiatives were recognized for driving innovation, sustainability, and collaboration in Europe’s organic sector. 🏆 Winner 1: Solawie e.V. – The Network for Community Supported Agriculture Supporting community-supported agriculture (CSA) farms for over 13 years, Solawi e.V. provides holistic advisory services — from business and legal consulting to social process facilitation — empowering a more connected and more organic short food supply chain. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dz2z2pad 🏆 Winner 2: Chamber of Agriculture Normandy – The Environmental and Economic Interest Group for Organic Low-Carbon Milk This initiative supports a dedicated group of dairy farmers in cutting greenhouse gas emissions through agroforestry, improved feed systems, and soil carbon storage — achieving an impressive 11% reduction in just five years! Through interactive group formats like joint on-farm expert interventions and field trips, the initiative encourages peer exchange and collective learning. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dvDvmzNu OrganicClimateNET - Meet the Farm Ambassadors! Etienne Legrand, France: https://lnkd.in/dWXwp477 The awards were presented at TP Organics' #OrganicsInnovationDays in Brussels by the OrganicAdviceNetwork Team, after Dr. Martin Schirdewan, MEP, handed over the Award earlier that day during a visit to the European Parliament. Congratulations to both winners and thanks to all participants and jury members for advancing organic farming across Europe! 🌍 Netzwerk Solidarische Landwirtschaft e.V. Chambres d'agriculture de Normandie Solawi Zabergäu Caroline TOSTAIN

Seeds belong to everyone, not to private interests🌱 Yet, a new report reveals that the European Patent Office continues to grant patents even on plants (like tomato EP3911147) bred through traditional methods like crossing and selection. 🍅 This must stop.💥 #NoPatentsonSeeds! is now presenting a clear legal proposal to ensure European patent law protects what truly matters — biodiversity, farmers’ rights, and our shared food future. Let’s keep seeds in the hands of those who breed and grow them, not those who claim to own them🌾✊ 👉 Read the full article on Bio Eco Actual: 🔗https://lnkd.in/dneBZdsK #SaveOurSeeds #FarmersRights #SeedFreedom #FoodSovereignty

🚀 Today, we officially kicked off the 2025 edition of the TP Organics' Innovation Days — celebrating the forward-looking spirit that has always defined the organic movement.   Organic is innovative by default. 🌱 From its very origins, organic agriculture was driven by curiosity and courage to do things differently — to innovate in how we farm, process, and connect with our communities. 💡Today, organic innovation spans from agricultural practices and alternative inputs to social innovation strengthening rural areas, economic innovation creating new business models, and even genetic and digital innovation through organic breeding and precision tools. 📗 With this spirit, we presented the new Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) — our shared roadmap for the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034): https://lnkd.in/eS8TDanT   The SRIA identifies key research needs for the organic and agroecology sectors, structured around three “triple wins for sustainability”: ✅ Leading for the environment, biodiversity, and climate ✅ Leading for people, communities, and sustainable livelihoods ✅ Leading for responsible innovation   Our message is clear: 👉 Europe needs more innovation to make the transition to sustainable food and farming systems. 👉 Europe needs more investment in organic food and farming innovation. 👉 And we need a strong, ring-fenced budget to make it happen.   That’s why we call for both the #EuropeanCompetitivenessFund and the next #HorizonEurope to dedicate a substantial share of their agri-food research budgets to organic and agroecological innovation. 📢 We also advocate for co-chaired governance: – the European Competitiveness Fund by DG GROW and DG AGRI; – Horizon Europe by DG RTD and DG AGRI.   This would secure a stronger role for DG AGRI, ensuring that innovation policy remains connected to the European farming community and delivers tangible benefits for those leading the transition on the ground. 💬 Are you working on an innovation that could transform organic food and farming? Share it in the comments — from the lab to the field, from policy to practice — let’s make visible the creativity that drives Europe’s organic movement. 🌱 Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all participants and speakers of today’s sessions: Maria Gernert – TP Organics, Henri Delanghe – DG AGRI, European Commission, Bram Moeskops – FiBL Europe, Karim Jouhari – TP Organics, Susanne Padel – IFOAM Organics Europe, Katalin Allacherné Szépkuthy – ÖMKi, Ivana Trkulja – ICROFS / CORE Organic, Rosalinda Scalia – DG RTD, European Commission, Hans-Joerg Lutzeyer – DG RTD, European Commission Susana Gaona Sáez – DG AGRI, European Commission

✨ TP Organics has just unveiled its new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA)! This key document outlines the research and innovation priorities that will drive the future of organic and agroecology in Europe. 🌱 As the EU prepares for the next #HorizonEurope and the #EuropeanCompetitivenessFund, the SRIA provides a clear vision for how research can strengthen sustainable food and farming systems across Europe. 🔗https://lnkd.in/eS8TDanT

📗 As EU Member States discuss the new Regulation on Plant Reproductive Material (PRM), the LiveSeeding project has released its second policy brief: a timely contribution to EU seed law debates. 🌱 It calls for a clear, EU-wide definition of #OrganicPlantBreeding (OPB) to ensure new rules on Organic Varieties (OV) and Organic Heterogeneous Material (OHM) are fair, consistent, and true to organic principles. Defining OPB is key to supporting organic farmers, breeders, and seed producers across Europe. 🌍 Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/d6tAY3gG