Organic can be “flagship model” for sustainable farming and growth – IFOAM EU director

Organic food and farming offers a “flagship model for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, says the director of IFOAM EU.

But writing in the organization’s latest newsletter Eduardo Cuoco says that sustainable development of the organic sector in Europe “can only be achieved if the future organic regulation, along with an ambitious EU farming policy, are designed to stimulate a broad transition towards sustainable food systems in Europe”.

Commenting on the controversial revision of the EU Organic Regulation, Cuoco warns that “the new regulation risks “watering down the standards and adding one or two years of uncertainty in the implementation period in addition to the five years of uncertainty already due to this review process.”

He adds: “We need an organic regulatory framework that addresses the day to day realities of organic operators, but also an EU policy environment that creates the right conditions for farmers to take up more sustainable farming practices, and sees the move to organic as an option for farm business.”