{"id":23533,"date":"2018-09-28T00:11:44","date_gmt":"2018-09-27T22:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bioecoactual.com\/?p=23533"},"modified":"2024-08-12T09:58:51","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T07:58:51","slug":"eoc-eduardo-cuoco-ifoam-eu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bioecoactual.com\/en\/2018\/09\/28\/eoc-eduardo-cuoco-ifoam-eu\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Eduardo Cuoco, IFOAM EU Director"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coinciding with the celebration of the 12th European Organic Congress in Vienna this 25th and 26th September -organized by IFOAM EU and Bio Austria- we interview\u00a0Mr. Eduardo Cuoco<\/strong>, Director of IFOAM EU since 2016, asking him about the current important topics that were discussed around the Congress and that are important for the organic movement and sector in Europe.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"InterviewWhat is the most relevant thing that the European Organic Congress brings to the European organic sector?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The annual European Organic Congress<\/a> provides the perfect opportunity for the organic movement to exchange knowledge and have in-depth discussions on how all actors in the organic food supply chain can continue making great strides. With the opportunity to discuss the sector\u2019s current affairs with policy-makers, participants can directly engage in the direction of the organic movement.<\/p>\n

Through the mix of workshops and plenary sessions actors of all sizes in the organic movement can get the chance to (re)connect to the organic values and principles<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Congress is designed to portray the current affairs of the organic sector, and as a result the Congress hones into a range of different topics every year. This year\u2019s edition has formed much needed dialogue on the ongoing revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), production rules for the new Organic Regulation and dealing with unfair trading practices (UTPs). These discussions we\u2019ve had at the Congress are feed into the EU\u2019s post-2020 agenda and the future of organic farming.<\/p>\n

Austria is a pioneer and leading country in organic. What can other European countries learn from the Austrian organic system that plans an organic management of the 30% of its agricultural land by 2025?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a well-known fact that Austria is Europe\u2019s leading country in organic farming \u2013 many Austrian farmers are already practicing organic farming and the country manages vast amounts of its agricultural land using organic principles.<\/p>\n

Austrian organic farmers work with the natural eco-systems of their respective regions; most of them belong to eleven producers\u2019 associations for different products, i.e, Bio Austria, ranging from vegetables and fruit to grain and meat. Their production guidelines are often stricter than the already tough Austrian laws.<\/p>\n

Policy-makers across Europe should also take note of how the Austrian government has created the right climate for farmers to easily covert to organic, as well as right market conditions.<\/p>\n

Policy-makers across Europe should take note from how Austria helps farmers to easily convert to organic<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How to transform the Common Agricultural Policy into a more organic and fair system?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Farming systems and practices should work towards heathy farms, healthy people and healthy planet, however the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) offers little support for the sustainable development of agri-food systems. This concerns us because the CAP can be a decisive tool to trigger transformation towards sustainability, and fairer food and farming systems.<\/p>\n

In light of this, the organic movement is calling for a fundamentally new approach to the CAP that is capable of supporting sustainable development. Our vision, as IFOAM EU, sees the new CAP place the principle of public money for public goods at the heart of its agenda to ensure that farmers are rewarded for implementing farming methods that provide ecosystem services in the long run.<\/p>\n

We also call for a new flagship payment model that incentivises and rewards environmental and socio-economic services delivered at farm level, as well as a CAP that is in alignment to the UN\u2019s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
Discussion in the European Organic Congress – The future of food and farming, a transformative approach for the next CAP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How threatening is it for the organic movement that the traditional organic shop & commerce is in some relevant countries being in a very tough competence with the mass-consumption big supermarkets?<\/strong><\/p>\n

With more and more consumers seeing the benefits of buying organic produce, the demand is spiking, and supermarkets are directing their efforts into providing consumers with organic produce. Moreover, to reach our ambitious goal to get organic on every table by 2030 \u2013 and 50% of organic agriculture managed accordingly to the organic principles by 2030 \u2013 we will need to get all segments of the market on board.<\/p>\n

Organic means fair play and fair pay, that is why we strongly believe that upscaling should uphold the current standards and four principles of organic<\/a> \u2013 health, ecology, fairness and care. It is important that an increasing demand for organic from large retailers does not cause harm along the \u2013 sometimes increasingly long \u2013 supply chains. The environmental, social and public health costs and benefits of farming should be reflected in payments to farmers and in the cost of food, and wherever possible, producers and consumers are encouraged to grow and consume local and seasonal produce.<\/p>\n

EU organic regulation has been a very important topic on IFOAM EU congresses. What is still being discussed now about the new regulation and what are the key points that can make this regulation a good or bad deal for the sector?<\/strong><\/p>\n

After an\u00a0unexpectedly long legislative process, the new organic regulation (EU) 2018\/848 was published on 14 June 2018\u00a0on the EU Official Journal\u00a0and will apply from 1 January 2021.\u00a0From 2018 to 2021 the secondary legislation\u00a0(the detailed requirements)\u00a0has to\u00a0be developed and, in parallel, the EU\u00a0(and global)\u00a0organic sectors have to get prepared\u00a0for\u00a0the new legislative framework.<\/p>\n

The changes will affect consumers, organic farmers, certifiers, as well as organic processors \u2013 for instance, in\u00a0the new regulation, the use of natural flavours will be restricted.<\/p>\n

Additionally, a restricted list for cleaning and disinfection products for use in processing will be established. Today such restricted list does not exist.<\/p>\n

Also the import system will change, the new regulation draws out two systems to import organic products from outside the EU:<\/p>\n