Committee of the Regions -«Plan d'action pour l'avenir de la production biologique dans l'Union européenne: les régions en action»

Juliette Leroux, FNAB/IFOAM EU GroupZwolle, 12 March 2015

IFOAM EU Operations and organisation

Representing the organic movement and sector with 160 members in all 28 EU member states, EFTA and EU candidate countries:•Organic farming associations•Organic food processors, retailers, traders•Organic food and farming advisors and researchers•Organic certifiers

Based on the IFOAM principles of organic agriculture •Health, Ecology, Fairness & Care.

Organic Production Trends 1985-2013

3

Organic Market Trends 2004-2013

Wider EU Policy Framework for OrganicsCOM proposals from March 2014

CAP & RD support

Research & innovation

Currently in co-decisionConsumer Promotion

EU Regulation on Organic

Farming

Accompanying EU Organic Action Plan

What does the EU OAP offer? • Information and recommendations on CAP• Awareness-raising of promotional instruments• Identification of research and innovation prioritiesWhat is EU OAP missing? • Concrete goals• COM recommendations: Definition and monitoring of indicators• COM actions: Dedicated budgets• Horizontal legislation going beyond CAP & Research• Studies on how to improve organic regulation

EU Policy Framework for Organics - Organic Action Plan

• New Organic Action Plan has potential to stimulate development through coordinated policy approaches but it lacks ambition.• You can use the spirit of the organic action plan to

develop a coordinated strategy of your own, possibly via a MS and/or regional action plan. • The development of organic farming in your regions will

help answer the needs of the market, create opportunities for the farmers, answer environmental problems and start a mutation of agriculture toward more sustainable practices…

EU Policy Framework for Organics - Organic Action Plan

05/03/2015

EU Policy Framework for Organics - Rural Development Regulation

Toolbox of measures available• Conversion and maintainence payments for organic farming

• Higher investment support rates for organics, quality scheme recognition, optional advisory services

• Knowledge transfer, cooperation, agro-ecological innovation

• Art 7 (sub-thematic programs) might allow also a global support for organic farming

• Minimum 30% RDP budget spent on environment & organics

• 75% EU co-financing rates available for organic and agri-environment

BUT: • Dramatic cuts in RDP budgets compared to direct payments. Option to shift 15%

of CAP direct payments budget to rural development

• Conversion to OF and maintainence payments: Important to stimulate growth of organic production and short supply chains. Currently supply not matched by demand for organic produce (FiBL, 2014)

• Some Regions are responsible for implementation of the RDPs. • The RDPs are curently under examination by the EU

Commission and some are clearly insufficient to reach the objectives (budget dedicated to OF and measures taken). Timely information to the Regions on the EU OAP has been lacking. • BUT some actions can still be taken at the management level.

EU Policy Framework for Organics - RDP

Action: Give priority to organic farming on access to AEMC, and other RDP measures, and not limited to production. Deeper adjustments to be made for mid-term review

Overview of RDP measures related to organicfarming in 2007–2011 (Thünen Institute, 2011)

EU Policy Framework for OrganicsAction on Rural Development

Mix of policy support needed (Thünen Institute, 2011)

• Supply side: advisory services e.g. agronomic and marketing advise, animal welfare e.g enhanced animal husbandry practices capital investments e.g. on-farm processing (1,900 processors in new Member States)

• Demand side: Knowledge tranfer and quality schemes e.g. consumer information and information actions; producer groups, cooperation e.g. market infrastructure

• Links to National/regional organci action plansAction: Invest in policy mix of supply and demand side support to boost development of organic short supply chains in addition to organic farming payments

• Regions are very often major actors of public procurement, for high schools, hospitals...

• Priority should be given to organic farming in the framework of Green Public procurement, but not only :

• It should be local organic products

• Not only fruit juices or bread: using organic products should lead to rethink how we feed people in public canteens.

• Providing organic food should come with information for the public, about food, farming systems, health and environment (see example of Rome)

• Do not just acknowledge that there is not enough organic products in your region : be an actor! GPP can be linked to actions under RDP to support conversion, investments in appropriate processing units and to other actions of public interest (protection of water quality – See example of the French Region Nord-Pas-de-Calais in the Avesnois natural park : to develop OF on this territory with water quality issues, one of the tools has been the massive introduction of local organic products in high schools ).

EU Policy Framework for Organics – Green Public procurement

EU promotional programme spending 2002-2014

EU promotional programme spending in major implementing countries 2002-2010Country Organic (million €) Total (million €)

AT 3.4 10.9

BE 0.9 8.9

DE 1.3 26.2

ES 1.0 23.1

FR 5.5 42.7

GR 0.3 20.5

IT 8.0 54.7

NL 0.5 16.6

PL 1.5 10.2

Other 2.1 1.0

Multi-country* 1.3 46.6Source: European Commission; ADE 2011 *refers to Third countries only

Number of approved EU promotional programme for organics 2004-2010Year Internal Market Third Country Market Total

2004 3 0 3

2005 4 0 4

2006 4 2 6

2007 4 1 5

2008 1 1 2

2009 1 1 2

2010 2 0 2

Total 19 5 24Source: European Commission; ADE 2011

Only 6 Member States (EU-27 - IT, GR, UK, DE, AT, SI) utilised EU promotional programmes for organics between 2008-2010

Revised EU Promotional Programmes (from Dec 2015)• EU Institutions agreed revised framework for EU

Promotional Programmes (October 2014)• Annual budget increase from EUR 61m to EUR 200m• EU co-financing rates to range from 70% for simple

programmes (i.e. 1 organisation from 1 MS; 80% for multi-MS & third countries; 85% for crisis measures (increase on previous framework).• New framework will come into force in on 1 December

2015• Opportunities for the organic sector will require good

implementation

EU Policy Framework for OrganicsAction on Innovation using EIP-AGRI• Almost all Member States / Regions will include support for EIP-AGRI

operational groups in RDPs BUT budgets often far too low.

• RD regulation states that EIP-AGRI shall promote “working towards agroecological production systems“

• Organics applies innovative agroecological methods for the more efficient use of natural resources to improve yields & productivity

• Large proportion of organic farmers diversify their income sources and spread their risks, e.g. through direct sales

• Organic farming has a long history of interactive innovation with farmers, researchers and advisors (example : SOLIBAM – low input integrated breeding and management, with researchers and farmers from 12 countries, participatory breeding)

• Solutions for OF can be used by conventional farmers (low inputs adapted seeds, weed control…), not the other way round.

EU Policy Framework for Organics - Action on Innovation using EIP-AGRI• Almost all Member States / Regions will include support for EIP-AGRI

operational groups in RDPs BUT budgets often far too low.

• RD regulation states that EIP-AGRI shall promote “working towards agroecological production systems“

• Organics applies innovative agroecological methods for the more efficient use of natural resources to improve yields & productivity

• Large proportion of organic farmers diversify their income sources and spread their risks, e.g. through direct sales

• Organic farming has a long history of interactive innovation with farmers, researchers and advisors

• Solutions for OF can be used by conventional farmers (low inputs adapted seeds, weed control…), not the other way round.

• A lot of questions have been raised by the ongoing revision process of the organic regulation that could be adressed partly by EIP-agri

EU Policy Framework for OrganicsActions to stimulate production & consumption•Mix of policy support for organics needed (Thünen

Institute, 2011) e.g. supply and demand measures; links to National/regional organic action plans

• Regions can give priority to OF in the access to the measures of their RDPs.• Dedicated budget for organic promotional programmes• Prioritisation of organics in public procurement policies• EIP-agri operational groups need to focus on

agroecological innovation to solve organic production gaps and supply chain development

European Organic Congress 2014Organised by Latvian EU Presidency & IFOAM EU