Preview of events

On 14-15 April, Joanna Wierzbicka, our Deputy Director will be attending Natural & Organic Products Expo (NOPEX) at ExCeL, London (UK). Together with the Natural Food Expo and Natural Beauty Expo, this pioneering trade fair has been the industry’s go-to event since 1997.

The show will bring together thousands of retailers, category buyers, distributors, and exporters covering over 500 natural and organic brands – including hundreds of European exhibitors. This year, it will host an important Hosted Buyer and VIP Programme, attracting senior professionals from across the UK and Europe.

Visitors can also enjoy vital insights in a free-to-attend seminar programme. During the session organic market update and growing organic for all you can gain our Deputy Director’s valuable market insights as she shares the stages with other knowledgeable speakers: Alex Cullen, Commercial & Marketing Director at Soil Association Certification and Anton Järild, Communication Strategist at Organic Sweden. If you are active in the organic and food industry you can register for a free trade ticket.

Policies for and investment in research and innovation (R&I) that contribute to transforming food and farming are key to achieve objectives set out in the EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy, including soil health and long-term food security.

This is why TP Organics, the European Technology Platform for Research & Innovation into Organics and Agroecology, is organising an event focusing on biological inputs in relation to soil health, fertility and agricultural productivity, looking into alternatives to pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. Speakers from various backgrounds will share their experiences, including cases from Africa and Europe.

📆 25 April 2024, 9:30-13:30 CEST

📍 L42 Business Centre, Brussels, Belgium

Policies for and investment in research and innovation (R&I) that contribute to the sustainable transformation of our food and farming in Europe and globally are key to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal and the EU Farm to Fork strategy, including soil health and long-term food security. This event organised by TP Organics, the European Technology Platform for Research & Innovation into Organics and Agroecology with support from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will focus on biological inputs in relation to soil health and fertility and agricultural productivity, and what are alternatives to pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, with cases from EU and Africa.

Have a look at TP Organics’ website for more information, read the agenda and register now if you would like to be part. This event receives support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

TP Organics is the European Technology Platform for Research & Innovation into Organics and Agroecology. IFOAM Organics Europe is a founding member and hosts its secretariat. Visit www.tporganics.eu for more information and follow its Twitter and LinkedIn @TPorganics.

Have you used biostimulants? Or are you an expert on them? We would like to invite you to Climate Farm Demo’s first organic knowledge exchange joining experts and practitioners sharing their knowledge and experience with the use of biostimulants in organic farms.

The second part of the session will be a discussion guided by the hosts where attendees can ask questions and share their own experiences.

🌱Soil Biological Stimulants – Available options to organic farmers

📆 May 2024 (Date TBD)

💻 Online (Teams)

Biostimulants are substances or microorganisms used to promote plant health and growth. As their use increases with farmers’ interest in producing food sustainably, we want to take the chance to explore the uses and benefits of different types of biostimulants available to organic farmers. This session aims at creating a space for farmers, advisors and other members of the Climate Farm Demo consortium to learn from each other and discover new agricultural practices that benefit crops, soil and biodiversity.

Would you like to be in the panel or do you have questions about this event? Please send an email to [email protected]. The session will be hosted by IFOAM Organics Europe and co-organized with Abacus Agriculture.

About Climate Farm Demo

Climate Farm Demo is a pan-European network of Pilot Demo Farmers (PDFs) covering 28 countries and all pedo-climatic areas that will increase, speed-up and disseminate climate smart farming practices and tools through a network of 1,500 pilot farms across Europe and all actors of the Climate Smart Agriculture Knowledge & Innovation Systems (AKIS). IFOAM Organics Europe will facilitate knowledge sharing and developing synergies between Climate Farm Demo and other EU projects, policymakers, and flagship initiatives. IFOAM Organics Europe is the organic sector’s thematic leader. IDELE coordinates Climate Farm Demo which will run until the end of September 2029.

Visit the project’s website to learn more and follow the latest project’s developments on X and LinkedIn using @climatefarmdemo.

4-5 June marks the fifth edition of Organic Food & Eco Living Iberia. This year’s fair will bring together top producers, buyers and distributors from around the world with the goal of helping forge business relationships and bolster the Spanish presence in international markets.

Key decision-makers from supermarkets, retailers, distributors, wholesalers, importers and exporters, as well as buyers responsible for the sourcing of natural, organic and sustainable products, will gather once again at Organic Food & Eco Living Iberia on June 4 and 5 at the IFEMA MADRID Exhibition Centre, with the most comprehensive Hosted Buyers program to date.

In total, 300 high-level international buyers from across Europe, as well as from regions around the world, especially from the United States, the Middle East and Asia, among other countries, will attend the event, seeking the latest product innovations and to establish contacts with industry professionals. With a minimum of 5 meetings per Hosted Buyer, more than 1,500 business meetings are guaranteed. Organic Food & Eco Living Iberia 2024 will also offer Spanish organic producers the opportunity to explore and penetrate new international markets, with an ambitious and new exporter program backed by Ecovalia, the main sponsor of the fair, and the Spanish Federation of Food and Drink Industries (FIAB).

All this will be backed with the implementation of IFEMA MADRID’s innovative Live Connect platform for networking and contact generation with artificial intelligence, which will offer an innovative approach and effectiveness in B2B meetings.

The International Hosted Buyer & Hosted VIP programs will help encourage both current and potential clients to visit the fifth edition of the fair. They also offer exclusive advantages to participants, such as full or partial coverage of travel and/or accommodation expenses, permanent access to the VIP lounge and networking events during the fair, as well as a personalized meeting planning service and strategic advice to face the challenges of exporting organic products.

Co-organized by Diversified Communications and IFEMA MADRID, Organic Food & Eco Living Iberia 2024 will have the support of Ecovalia as the main sponsor, and will also be endorsed by Alimentos de España, INTERECO, Agrobio Portugal, PortugalFoods, ACES, AER, CIAO-IICA, CAAE, ASOBIO, CAERM, CAECV, CAEM, Biocop, Biogran, Proexport, FIAB, Fedacova, and FiBL, and the Spanish autonomous regions of Andalusia, Extremadura, Region of Valencia, La Rioja, Castile-La Mancha, Region of Murcia, Community of Madrid, Navarre, Castile-Leon, Galicia, Catalonia, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, among others.

• Register as a visitor
• Book a stand
• For more information check www.organicfoodiberia.com

We are pleased to invite IFOAM Organics Europe’s members to this year’s virtual General Assembly (GA) on 20 June 2024, 10:00-14:00 CEST (online).

Read our President’s official invitation on the member extranet, click General Assembly > upcoming GA documents > GA2024_06_20.

What will you discuss?

Our online General Assembly allows all participants to join and help shape the future of our organisation. You will:

• Receive relevant organisational updates, including an overview of 2023,
• Get updates on current sector affairs,
• Vote on IFOAM Organics Europe’s 2023 financial report and 2024 budget,

The agenda and all related documents will be available closer to the GA on our members extranet.

Make sure to register ahead of time

We kindly invite you to start registering as a Voting or Observing member (observers and members without voting rights) through the links accessible on the member extranet.

Please be aware that only members who have paid their membership fees for 2023 & 2024 will be granted voting rights. More detailed information on the voting process can be found on the extranet > General Assembly > Who can vote and how.

All documents are available on the member extranet

All documents are available to you on our member extranet.

For general information, click General Assembly:

• What is the IFOAM Organics Europe GA?
• Who can vote and how?
• Upcoming meeting information

For 2024-specific information, go to upcoming GA documents > GA2024_06_20

• Official invitation
• Proxy forms
• [available later] Agenda & presentations

Don’t have access to the extranet or encountering login issues? Contact us at [email protected]. Should you have any questions related to our General Assembly, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via [email protected].

Following the successful first edition in 2022, we are organising the second edition of Organics Europe’s Youth Event (OEYE). This year’s edition will promote cross-disciplinary collaboration and generate innovative ideas for the future of organic, driving change towards sustainable practices in agriculture. CIHEAM Bari will host us 8-9 July 2024 in Bari, Italy.

What is IFOAM Organics Europe’s Youth Event?

Our youth event welcomes young individuals passionate about organic and sustainable agriculture, providing a platform to welcome the next generation in organic. It is open to all those who would like to broaden their networks with like-minded individuals across Europe, exchange innovative ideas on transitioning towards a more sustainable food system, and delve into the potential of organic food and farming practices.

Why join the OEYE?

Key words are sharing, learning from each other and meeting new people. Summarised, event participants will:

• Meet a diverse group of professionals, including farmers, students, activists, young industry professionals and politicians;
• Gain meaningful insights into sustainable practices across the food supply chain;
• Engage in panel discussions, group work, educational lectures and workshops about current hot topics in the organic and food and farming in general;
• Have the option to join a one-day post-conference field trip to enhance their understanding by meeting local organic operators.

Registration is open – Secure your seat now!

We have fantastic news for all those interested in joining the event: entry to the 2024 edition is free of charge for all participants.

To take advantage of all these benefits and have the chance to be among the participants, follow these simple steps:

• Email to [email protected] with the subject line ”I want to join the OEYE 2024”, including your full name, job title, organisation and the country of your residence;
• We will reply asking you three questions about your motivation for attending the event;
• If you are selection, you will receive the registration form. Once you complete this you are all set for an enriching event of educational and social experiences.

Tight on travel budget?

This year’s youth event will grant at least 10 participants a travel support scholarship in case your financial situation would prevent to participate. Is this the case? Check out the scholarship section on the event page. If you meet the criteria you can apply for support. In case you are selected, we will cover your transportation and accommodation expenses.

Get ready to join us on an organic journey to the south of Italy (and make sure to enjoy delicious local food in Bari).

To stay up to date with further information regarding the event, keep an eye on our website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

On 10-12 September, closely after the June elections of the new European Parliament, the 17^th edition of our European Organic Congress promises to be timely, politically relevant and a must to attend for stakeholders along the organic supply chain.

Make sure to join us in Budapest, Hungary for this year’s edition of our annual flagship event. We expect over 250 participants, two days of dynamic sessions and an excursion to a local organic farm. Together with our co-organiser, ÖMKi, the Hungarian branch of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture we cannot wait to see you there and explore hot topics together with high-level policy makers and experts, such as:

• The post-EU elections political landscape,
• Organic farming economics and profitability,
• A CAP fit for the future (?),
• Market overview and review, for example Eastern Europe’s untapped potential and a global outlook,
• Giving organic visibility, and
• Many more hands-on topics and insights!

From early-bird fares to member-ticket discounts and a free excursion challenge, we are working hard to provide inclusive access for everyone from Europe and beyond.

Keep an eye out for updates on our website and follow @OrganicsEurope #EOC2024 #EUorganic2030on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Would you like your organisation to be visible at the congress? Consider becoming a sponsor of and/or co-organise European Organic Congress 2025. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.