1. BioFach • Vivaness 2010 | eve | page 70
rom the early days, when organic pro-
ducts were preferred by a small margin
of ideology-driven consumers, to the present
day, when organic has become a buzzword
even in the mainstream, and when taste and
product marketing increasingly matter to the
end consumer, organic has evolved to meet
changing consumer demands.
Today’s consumer is presented with an
extensive range of product choices and
refuses to compromise between making
ethical choices and quality, taste, appea-
rance and convenience. Organic marketers
have proved that they do not lack the
resourcefulness to break down the
remnants of the preconceived idea that the
organic consumer somehow puts ideology
before taste. The idea, especially true in
the case of wine, that the quality of a
product’s taste correlates with the quality
of the soil is thus slowly being confirmed.
“Organic is not backward, it is pionee-
ring!”, stresses Markus Arbenz, Executive
Director of IFOAM.
Using the crisis as an opportunity |
Organic philosophy, as encompassed in
IFOAM’s four basic principles of health
(i.e. of soil, plants, animals and humans),
ecology, fairness and care, has always
sought to embrace these concepts holisti-
According to Arbenz, awareness of
sustainability issues will continue to grow,
especially since the tangible effects of
unsustainable practices can no longer be
denied: climate change, poverty, hunger,
obesity, extinction of animal species and
plant varieties, and the list goes on. Incre-
asingly, consumers feel a sense of respon-
sibility regarding their consumption habits.
Future challenges | The suddenly percei-
ved fragility of both humankind and the
planet is likely to translate into greater
receptivity to possible solutions advanced by
Organic Agriculture, an example being
climate change. We know that Organic
Agriculture has the potential to reduce total
CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere by
3.5 to 4.8 Gt of CO2 per year, i.e. 55 to 85
per cent of the total greenhouse gas emis-
sions from agriculture. Further, organic
inputs are able to reduce nitrogen use and
the associated release of NO2 and to lower
CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel intensive
inputs. Communicating these benefits to
consumers and policymakers is crucial. To
the question of whether organic can feed
the world, Arbenz replies: “Yes, it has the
potential to do so, but not from one day to
the next.” He continues: “In the long run,
the world simply cannot afford unsustain-
able behaviour, and we are sure to witness
a development towards more organic
production and consumption.
To address poverty effectively, we will
need to achieve significant economic
growth in agriculture, with policies that
favour the participation of small-scale
farmers and labourers, as well as producti-
ve, diversified, high-value cropping systems.
A clear challenge will be to assist poor, agri-
culture-based countries in developing
sustainably, while avoiding the quick-fix
‘solution’ of large-scale, mechanized indu-
strialization. The time has never been riper
for the organic movement to unite, assist
and lead the world towards sustainability. ■
Denise Godinho, IFOAM.
F
cally. Indeed, many organic producers
already incorporate strict ‘fairness’ criteria
into their daily operations. That said, more
can and must be done. Asked whether the
economic crisis is a challenge or an oppor-
tunity for the sector, Arbenz muses: “All
crises represent an opportunity to take a
long, hard look at oneself and re-evaluate
one’s position. The function of organic
players in general, and IFOAM in particular,
is that of a lighthouse shedding light on
previously unseen areas that might just
need improvement. The organic sector is
by no means monolithic or inherently flaw-
less – we are constantly evolving and it is
our responsibility to incessantly seek better
‘best’ practices.” In this sense, the organic
movement is also a trend-setter, raising
awareness and setting ethical parameters
that will hopefully end up being adopted
by the mainstream. Over the years, organic
has evolved to include animal welfare and
social criteria, as well as climate aspects.
NEWS |
“ F i n d i n g
the Compe-
titive Advantage – A Challenge in
these Uncertain Times” is the
theme of IFOAM’s 3rd Trade
Symposium, to be held on Februa-
ry 16th, 2010, in the Shanghai
Room of the CongressCenter Nürn-
berg. Market research experts and
retailers will discuss world trends
in organic demand and shifting
consumer preferences and their
implications. More information on
speakers and registration at
www.ifoam.org
“Even though overall
agricultural production
will double by 2050, we
will still not eradicate
hunger. It is not a
question of production,
but of poverty.”
Markus Arbenz,
Executive Director
of IFOAM.
IFOAM’s look at the international organic sector
Organic has come a long way
Anyone taking a look at how the
organic movement has developed
over the years cannot but marvel at
its sustained success in bringing its
products into our households.
sector | marketing