Press Release 25 June 2018

General Assembly elected new board

Helmy Abouleish is new president of Demeter-International

Demeter-International General Assembly elected new board and made up strategies for future development of standards, certification, training, marketing and policy activities.

21 years after its foundation, a major change is taking place: The pioneers Thomas Lüthi and Susanna Küffer stepped back from their functions. Thomas Lüthi was given the title of honorary president for his merits. He has been all these years a president able to bring all these different country organizations worldwide together. Susanna Küffer received the title of Honorary Board member as she developed in different functions in the Board the administrative, the trademark and the lobby work within Demeter-International.

The new president Helmy Abouleish, leading the Sekem community in Egypt, represents perfectly the next step in the organizational development of Demeter-International. Demeter- International commits itself in supporting the holistic vision of the Biodynamic movement. From an association of certifiers and protectors of the Demeter and Biodynamic trademarks, Demeter-International has developed towards an organization taking responsibility for supporting the Section of in research, training and advisory activities and for developing the Demeter markets around the world. The Sekem initiative is one example how this vision can become a reality towards supporting an agriculture of the future.

Demeter Switzerland was the host of this year’s Demeter International Members Assembly and impressed the visitors with insights into the Biodynamic work in Switzerland. Best practice was to be seen at a Demeter farm working with a low tillage system and producing Swiss cheese which is mainly sold in the region. Research work at the Agricultural Section of the and at FiBL, especially the DOK-Trial which compares biodynamic, organic and conventional farming since 40 years, gave impulses for further discussions. Where future is made was also made visible with the explanations about Biodynamic plant breeding at Sativa Rheinau and the Biodynamic school Rheinau.

The assembly has adopted new Standards for Biodynamic breeding to enable the labelling of those products that support this crucial contribution to future seed diversity. Working groups were discussing the future of the standards, certification, training, marketing and policy activities. It became visible what impressive work already happens in the different countries, for example in the training of farmers and other producers.

The Biodynamic Association India became full member of Demeter International – which has now member organizations in 19 countries worldwide. Altogether, more than 187.000 ha land are Demeter-certified, 5387 farmers are certified to work under biodynamic methods and 979 processors produce under Demeter standards worldwide.

Demeter International General Secretary Christoph Simpfendörfer Hauptstraße 82, 70771 Echterdingen, GERMANY Phone +49 711 87874398 Mobil +49 151 5475 8846 [email protected] www.demeter.net

From left to right: Helmy Abouleish, new president; Alexander Gerber, vice-president and Thomas Lüthi, new honorary President.