IFOAM News
1. 1st IFOAM Conference on the Marketing of Organic and Regional Values to take Place from August 26-28 2007 in Germany
August 26-28 2007
Schwaebisch Hall, Germany
The marketing of organic products is viewed as a significant link between production and consumers. Today, organic products are becoming increasingly interchangeable, disconnecting the linkage
between producer and consumer and diluting their identity. Stakeholders can obviously organize organic production, but in light of continuous growth and the entrance of organic in mainstream
markets, it is important to develop new and specific marketing strategies that protect organic product identity, traditional knowledge, and biodiversity, and thus organic farmers and rural
communities.
IFOAM is organizing this conference with the goal of initiating discussion and fostering knowledge about the marketing of organic and regional values. This conference will focus on a discussion of
specific marketing strategies that aim to give value to products by taking into consideration their uniqueness. It will deal with the question of how to create and identify regional and other
specific values, and ultimately how to translate these values into successful marketing strategies for organic products. Communicating these values to the consumer is part of that strategy. The
conference will consider various concepts and marketing strategies, including regulatory approaches, to protect regional values and traditional knowledge.
Call for papers
Papers are invited for a list of topics that can be found on the website. Case studies and practical marketing experiences are strongly encouraged; it is hoped to receive a full range of papers
spanning from grassroots and political nature, to scientific and professional articles. Complete details can be found on the website.
For more information, visit: www.ifoam.org/events/ifoam_conferences/regional_values_2007.html
2. Gunnar Videgård, Former IFOAM General Secretary, Passes Away
On Saturday January 6th 2007, Gunnar Videgård, former IFOAM General Secretary, passed away peacefully at Orupslunds nursing home in Höör, Sweden. From 1982 – 1987, Gunnar Videgård and his wife Airi served voluntarily as the General Secretariat of IFOAM. Gunnar also served as the treasurer of the organization at this time, and due to his successful financial management and because he undersigned the loan guarantee for the first 2 years budget, IFOAM was able to finance a professional General Secretariat in 1987.
According to his will, Gunnar wished for donations to The Holma Foundation: http://www.stiftelsenholma.org/index.htm
3. FAO Organizes Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security
Call for Papers Extended!
See the call for papers here.
The International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security will be held from May 3-5 2007 in FAO’s Headquarters (Green Room) in Rome, Italy, in connection with the 33rd Session of the Committee on World Food Security (May 7-10 2007).
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, through its Inter-Departmental Working Group on Organic Agriculture, is organizing the conference in partnership with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Third World Network (TWN).
Conference participants
The Conference is open to all interested parties, including government, academic institutions, civil society and private sector institutions interested in organic agriculture and food security.
There is a need to clarify the contribution of organic agriculture to food security and to demystify this subject so that FAO can provide objective and informed advice to its member countries. Organic agriculture offers a rich arena for research and debate about the future, and FAO offers a unique forum for this knowledge exchange.
For more information visit the FAO website on Organic Agriculture (www.fao.org/organicag) or contact Nadia Scialabba (nadia.scialabba@fao.org).
4. IFOAM Publishes Background Paper on Organic Agriculture and Globalization
Most organic agriculture organizations have been involved in the anti-globalization movement, but thus far, no attempts have been made to reach a common position on the matter at the international level. With the primary intention of providing an overview and background information that may lead to a decision as to whether IFOAM should engage more seriously with the issue in some way, IFOAM published this paper as a general introduction to globalization from the perspective of the organic agriculture movement. The paper briefly assesses the fundamentals of agricultural trade, the WTO and other trade agreements, and includes references for further investigation. The paper concludes that a position on globalization by the organic movement could offer an original contribution to the globalization and food trade discussion, if it is backed by key companies engaged in organic food trade, and thus achieving considerable credibility both on the market and as a political statement.
To download the complete paper, visit: www.ifoam.org/organic_facts/politics/pdfs/OA_Globalization_BackgroundPaper.pdf
5. Publish the IFOAM Emblem on Your Website and Printed Materials!
IFOAM's new emblem is available on the IFOAM Intranet for its members, affiliates and supporters to showcase their relationship with IFOAM to the public.The emblem can be displayed on your letterhead and business cards, or as a banner from which you can link your webpage to the IFOAM website.
Use of the membership emblem is governed by Policy 12 - “Use of the IFOAM name, logo, membership emblem and seal,” which can be found on the Intranet.
Now, more than ever, you can show the world that you are proud to be part of IFOAM! Promote organic agriculture, IFOAM, and your own organization by using the new emblem!
Login to the IFOAM Intranet to download the IFOAM Emblem today!
http://www.ifoam.org/intranet/index.php
6. New Updated General IFOAM PowerPoint Presentation Available on the Intranet
A general presentation about IFOAM has been uploaded to the IFOAM Intranet for the use of IFOAM affiliates. It includes the latest data and statistics, and is available as both pps and pdf files. In addition, a dozen other presentations, many posters and leaflets are also available for your use on this page.
http://www.ifoam.org/intranet/outreach/presentation.php
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Tel: +49-228-92650-10
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Email: headoffice@ifoam.org
http://www.ifoam.org
