Organic 3.0 Our new collective vision
IFOAM – Organics International The global umbrella body for the whole organic sector
People 800 member organizations in 125 countries worldwide IOIA Annual Meeting Jeju, Korea, April 9, 2016 Andre Leu, President What is Organic 3.0? Organic 3.0 is the third phase of the organic movement – the next paradigm.
Organic 3.0 is about bringing organic out of a niche into the mainstream and positioning organic systems as part of the multiple solutions needed to solve the tremendous challenges faced by our planet and our species.
It is about developing the new collective vision for the organic sector and about actively engaging with major global issues.
2 What is Organic 3.0? This is the third phase of the global organic movement
3 Organic 1.0
The first phase was initiated by our pioneers
Sir Albert Howard Lady Eve Balfour
J I Rodale Rachel Carson
Examples of some of them
Rudolf Steiner 4 Organic 2.0
• The second phase started in the 1970s and was defined by codifying organic agricultural systems
• The introduction of standards and 3rd party certification systems along with government regulations
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5 Organic 2.0 This saw the sustained growth of the current $80 billion sales in certified organic products.
IFOAM Organics International was a leader in this with our norms, such as the IFOAM Basic Standard which has been used as a reference document by many countries and organizations.
6 Organic 2.0
“Regenerative organic agriculture improves the resources it uses, rather than destroying or depleting them.
It is a holistic systems approach to agriculture that encourages continual on-farm innovation for environmental, social, economic and spiritual wellbeing.” Robert Rodale
7 Organic 2.0
8 Organic 2.0
9 Organic 2.0
“Regenerative organic agriculture improves the resources it uses, rather than destroying or depleting them.
It is a holistic systems approach to agriculture that encourages continual on-farm innovation for environmental, social, economic and spiritual wellbeing.” Robert Rodale
1 0 Organic 2.0
Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP)
The number of domestic certified organic operations increased by almost 12 percent between 2014 and 2015, representing the highest growth rate since 2008
1 1 Organic 2.0
"Sound and Sensible" approach
USDA has strengthened programs that support organic operations over the past seven years
Helping to make organic certification more accessible, attainable, and affordable through a "Sound and Sensible" approach.
This initiative includes streamlining the certification process, focusing on enforcement and working with farmers and processors to correct small issues before they become larger ones.
1 2 Organic 3.0
The strategy for Organic 3.0 includes six main features
1. A culture of innovation, to attract greater farmer adoption of organic practices and to increase yields. 2. Continuous improvement toward best practice, at a localized and regionalized level. 3. Diverse ways to ensure transparent integrity, to broaden the uptake of organic agriculture beyond third-party assurance and certification.
1 3 Organic 3.0
4. Inclusiveness of wider sustainability interests, through alliances with the many movements and organizations that have complementary approaches to truly sustainable food and farming. 5. Holistic empowerment from the farm to the final product, to acknowledge the interdependence and real partnerships along the value chain. 6. True value and fair pricing, to internalize costs, encourage transparency for consumers and policymakers and to empower farmers as full partners. 1 4 Regenerative, Resilient, Relationship
“Regenerative organic agriculture improves the resources it uses, rather than destroying or depleting them.
It is a holistic systems approach to agriculture that encourages continual on-farm innovation for environmental, social, economic and spiritual wellbeing.” Robert Rodale
1 5 The New Market Reality
Fortune Magazine June 2015
1 6 The Drivers of Market Growth The $80 billion Organic Sector is Consumer Driven • The main reasoning for purchasing is health – especially avoiding pesticides • The authorities say that the pesticide residues in food are safe
• Therefore there is no need or value in purchasing and eating organic food
• This needs to be critically examined
1 7 Healthy Production Systems
The US President’s Cancer Panel 80% of cancers are caused environmental toxins, especially chemicals and pesticides
Exposure to chemical cocktails ‘…Leukemia rates are consistently elevated among children who grow up on farms, among children whose parents used pesticides in the home or garden, and among children of pesticide applicators.’
‘Yet over the same period (1975–2006), cancer incidence in U.S. children under 20 years of age has increased.’
1 8 Are the current residues in food safe?
1 9 The Myths of Safe Pesticides
Children, newborn and the fetus
The US President’s Cancer Panel ‘Children also can be harmed by genetic or other damage resulting from environmental exposures sustained by the mother (and in some cases, the father).’
‘There is a critical lack of knowledge and appreciation of environmental threats to children’s health and a severe shortage of researchers and clinicians trained in children’s environmental health.’
2 0 Produce Non Toxic Safe Food
Pesticide exposure to the fetus and developing children causes: •Lower IQs •ADHD •Autism spectrum disorders •Lack of physical coordination •Loss of temper – anger management issues •Bipolar/schizophrenia spectrum of illnesses •Depression •Childhood obesity
2 1 Are the current residues in food safe?
2 2 The Myths of Safe Pesticides
Children, newborn and the fetus
•Scientific research shows that pesticides effect the normal development of the nervous system in the fetus and children •The fetus and newborn possess lower concentrations of protective of serum proteins •The brain is the largest collection of nerve cells
‘These results indicate that chlorpyrifos and other organophosphates such as diazinon have immediate, direct effects on neural cell replication.’ (Qiao 2001)
2 3 The Myths of Safe Pesticides
E. A. Guillette et al, "An Anthropological Approach to the Evaluation of Preschool Children Exposed to Pesticides in Mexico," Environmental Health Perspectives, 106(6):347-53, June 1998. 2 4 The Myths of Safe Pesticides
Children, newborn and the fetus Four recent studies show that prenatal exposure to organophosphate insecticides (OPs) adversely affects the neurological development of children. (Rauh et al., 2011, Rauh et al., 2012, Bouchard et al., 2011, Engel et al., 2011)
• Parents should have considerable concern that the Columbia University study found that there was no evidence of a minimum level of exposure in the observed adverse impact on intelligence.
• Caused brain abnormalities in children who were exposed to chlorpyrifos in utero through normal non occupational uses – i.e. eating conventional food
• Most people get their exposure from residues in food
2 5 Increasing Awareness about the Dangers of Pesticides to Children
2 6 Climate Change
Just adopting renewable energy and stopping emission will not stop climate change If a boat is sinking we have to do more than just plug the leak – we have to bail out the water.
• The world will reach 400 ppm CO2 in 2016 • This will mean 3.5C (5.4F) to 5C (9F) degrees warmer • 4C (7.2F)degrees is regarded as catastrophic climate change • The target is 300 ppm to keep the world to less 1.5 C (2.7F) degrees
2 7 Climate Change Stopping emissions is not enough. According to WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud • “Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years and in the ocean for even longer. Past, present and future emissions will have a cumulative impact on both global warming and ocean acidification. The laws of physics are non-negotiable,”
• We need to draw the excess CO2 out of the atmosphere
• 350 ppm means 2C (3.6F) degrees of warming • Global sea levels rises that cause the atoll island countries to disappear, cause large parts of Bangladesh, coastal USA, New York, New Orleans, London and other low lying areas to go under water, causing a huge refugee crisis for millions of people • It will mean increased frequency and severity of droughts, floods and storms causing food shortages and more humanitarian crises • 1 in 30 years events now occur in 1 in 5 year cycles
2 8 Climate Change
The worldwide adoption of Regenerative Organic Agriculture can reverse climate change
• Means that we could reduce temperatures to pre industrial levels (1750s) and avoid 2C (3.6F) degrees in warming.
• Need to reduce CO2 levels by 122 ppm to reach pre industrial temps of the 1800s - From 400 ppm to 278 ppm – not just 350 ppm
2 9 Mitigation of Carbon Dioxide
Soils are the greatest carbon sink after the oceans
• Over 2700 Gt of carbon is stored in soils worldwide
• Biomass 575 Gt most of which is wood. Source (Lal 2008)
• Atmosphere 848 Gt • 1 Gt (gigaton) = 1 billion metric tons • I metric ton = 1.10231 US ton
Reducing CO2 levels by 122 ppm = 946.72 gt of CO2 It would be most logical to remove the 946.72 gt of CO2 from the atmosphere and put it as 258.64 gt of carbon into the soil – where it is needed
3 0 • What does « 4 per 1000 » mean?
• An annual growth rate 4 parts per thousand of the agricultural soil carbon stocks would make it possible to stop the present increase in atmospheric CO2.
The UNFCC recognizes this initiative by French Government as part of the Lima – Paris accord. 28 Countries, various regions, FAO, IFAD, GEF, CGIAR and
3 numerous NGOS have signed on. 1 Soil Carbon Sequestration
J.I. Rodale popularized the name ‘Organic Farming’ in his magazine ‘Organic Farming and Gardening’ in the 1940s. This was widely read in English speaking countries
The word organic comes from recycling organic matter as composts, mulches, green manures etc. as the primary means to build soil health and fertility - which he learnt from Sir Albert Howard
This is the reason why most standards require that soil organic matter is maintained and increased This is usually at the start of the standard 3 2 Soil Carbon Sequestration
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment Journal study: 24 comparison trials from Mediterranean Climates in Europe, the USA and Australia. organic systems sequestered 3559.9 kg of CO2/ha/yr. (Aguilera et al., 2013) • Kg/ha = lbs/acre
The Rodale FST manured organic plots sequestered 3,596.6 kg of CO2/ha/yr. The conventional systems lost soil carbon and turned into CO2
Sekem, Egypt, has sequestered 3,303 kgs of CO2 per hectare per year for more than 30 years
If extrapolated globally, good organic practices can sequester around 17 Gt per year
It would take 57 years to remove the 946.72 gt of CO2 and reverse climate change
3 3 Soil Carbon Sequestration
The Rodale Compost Utilization Trial sequestered 8,220.8 kg of CO2/ha/yr.
• (Total Agricultural Land 4,883,697,000 ha x 8,220.8 kg of CO2/ha/yr)
• If extrapolated globally would sequester 40 Gt of CO2. It would take 24 years to remove the 946.72 gt of CO2 and reverse climate change
The widespread adoption of OA will take agriculture from being the major problem (50% of GHG) to the major solution to climate change.
3 4 Conclusion
Organic inspectors will have significant roles in the development of the following three main features of Organic 3.0 • Diverse ways to ensure transparent integrity, to broaden the uptake of organic agriculture beyond third-party assurance and certification. • Holistic empowerment from the farm to the final product, to acknowledge the interdependence and real partnerships along the value chain. • True value and fair pricing, to internalize costs, encourage transparency for consumers and policymakers and to empower farmers as full partners.
3 5 Thank You
3 6