Registration is now open for the Food Systems 3.0 pre-conference, which happens on 8 November in New Delhi, India, the day before the 19th Organic World Congress opens. IFOAM – Organics International and the Organic Food System Program are excited to offer this special day-long event at the Constitution Club of India (map).

Speakers from over 20 countries will exchange ideas, share experiences, and present best-case examples of food system sustainability, development, and transformation. Come to learn, share, and network with community leaders and organizers, global and local policy makers, researchers, and food system practitioners. Topics include defining, envisioning, and developing sustainable organic food systems, sustainable diets, engaging consumers and education, and whole-system transformation. The format includes panel discussions, showcases, poster sessions*, and networking time. Registration is free. Seats are limited. Register and reserve your place now by clicking here.

* If you would like to show a poster or video or slideshow in absentia, please contact David Gould, d.gould@ifoam.bio.

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How to manifest Organic 3.0?

In a 3.0 world, food chains are succeeded by food systems – inclusive societies continually improving toward best practice based on organic principles and practices – allowing producers better livelihoods, healthier diets for consumers, and cleaner more sustainable ecosystems. The synergy created through heightened consumer awareness, innovative market mechanisms, and favorable policy is already happening in Organic Food Systems.

Sustainability works from the farm and local ecosystem outward, rejuvenating communities and strengthening the connection between rural and urban areas, and fostering the mutual support and interdependence of value chains. Join us for a showcase and discussion of best practice examples and leading thought from around the globe – come and participate: present, share, learn, and network.
More information here

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Contact: David Gould, IFOAM - Organics International Program Facilitator
d.gould@ifoam.bio

The pre-conference shall discuss and debate on pertinent issues like living wages, management of compliance, modern slavery, etc. Other points of discussion may include:

• Social criteria in sustainability standards.
• Beyond certification: Combination of 'Minimum Criteria' & 'Improvement Criteria'.
• Dealing with Non-Compliances.
• Why the organic movement did not consider social criteria (history)?
• Creative look into the Future-Roadmap for implementation of ambitious goals.

Professionals from industry, trade bodies, standard organizations (including IFOAM - Organics International), academicians, researchers and other stakeholders shall be invited.

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Contact: Sumit Gupta, +91-9892270594
gupta@global-standard.org

More information, including the programme, can be found here.

Register for this event here (compulsory to get your food voucher for the event)

Download the information as a pdf here.

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Contact: Andres Christian
christian.andres@fibl.org

The pre-conference will highlight the role of livestock in sustainable agriculture and give importance to organic livestock rearing globally. It will focus on main challenges in different themes, taking into account the diversity of organic and sustainable animal husbandry systems.

Themes will include: Organic livestock rearing, appropriate breeding, animal health, animal welfare, feeding, organic livestock products, looking beyond the big 5 (cattle, sheep, goat, pig, poultry) and cross cutting issues.

Find out more information in the event brochure.

Registration is open here.

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Contact: Nitya Ghotge
nityaowc19@gmail.com

INOFO General Assembly to discuss progress of previous year and to plan ahead for the upcoming year.

• Morning sessions for regional networks
• Introductory round to start plenary sessions
• Election of chair & vice-chair of Assembly
• Report from INOFO Council of Convenors 2014 – 2017
• Strategic decisions for INOFO 2017 - 2020
• Election of INOFO Council
• First session of new council of convenors 2017 - 2020

Pre-conference Brochure

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Contact: shamikamone@gmail.com

View the pre-conference program here.

Join farmers, NGOs and breeders at the OWC pre-conference “Seeds and Breeds for Organic Agriculture".

The event will offer the opportunity for participants from different global regions to come to the table and share ideas, opinions, and strategies to ensure regionally adapted seeds for organic agriculture.

Pre-conference Brochure

Registration for this event is open here.

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Contact: Marcello Cappellazzi
info@seeds.ifoam.bio

A primary objective of URGENCI is to provide spaces for sharing, discussing, and analyzing Community Supported Agriculture practices and strategies.

The theme of the pre conference will be "Mapping Community Supported Agriculture Initiatives in Asia: showing the diversity of producer-consumer partnerships". There will be speakers from Thailand, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan and India.

South-East Asia is the region of the world with both the oldest CSA initiatives, the Teikei partnerships in Japan, and the most rapidly growing CSA movement, in China.

Both form part of a general trend: more and more urban consumers are involved in short supply chains, perhaps as a counterpart to the urbanization and industrialization of the whole region. There are many different models offering alternatives to the conventional agrifood system.

These alternatives will be the heart of our pre-conference. We expect participants to contribute actively to a live mapping of CSA and short supply chains in Asia. After a morning session, where we will collect experiences and reports from the field, the focus will move, during the afternoon session, towards finding a common ground, reflecting on common challenges, and finding paths for the future.

Morning session : History and Characteristics of CSA or/and Ecological, Solidarity -based Partnerships in each country.

The introductory speech will be given by Elizabeth Henderson, from Genesee Valley Organics CSA.

Speakers and participants should be prepared to feed the audience with basic information on their country context and to share agricultural information.

Based on Urgenci's CSA Mapping Methodology, the following leading questions will structure the morning discussion:

• What is understood as CSA in each country?
• How did CSA/short supply chains develop in each country? What are the CSA's/short supply chains' dynamics?
• Are there different types of CSA? Are there other models which might better fit to each country's context? Which model is the most successful in each country?
• Legal form(s) of CSA (or other initiatives) in each country and interactions with public bodies.
• How are the eaters' commitments expressed or formalised?
• Is organic certification required or common in these initiatives?
• How do these initiatives relate to the Teikei principles? To what extent are these principles shared in the CSA and/or other ecological solidarity -based agricultural partnerships?
• Do the CSAs and/or their umbrella organisations display aspects outlined in the Nyeléni Agroecology declaration in their work and their charters? E.g. regarding agricultural practices, access to commons, knowledge transfer, spiritual dimension, etc. Afternoon session: Urgenci Asia: challenges ahead and network building.

The afternoon session will be oriented towards network building. Following are some of the leading questions:

• What are the challenges the initiatives in your country are facing?
• Which means would be necessary for you to overcome these obstacles?
• Is there a need for actions to be taken to preserve the specificities of this contract –based direct selling system, faced with new organic box -businesses?
• Is there common understanding about the movement's role at the crossroads between 3 larger movements: the Food Sovereignty Movement, the Organic agriculture movement and Solidarity –based Economy?

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In case you are interested to take part in the pre-conference, please register before October 10th, by sending an email to contact@urgenci.net, indicating your first and last name, your location and mentioning if you are eager to present your CSA initiative and/or the situation of CSA in your own country. Meet you in Delhi!