Report from the Organic World Congress

"Most of our attention and energy as organic farmers and gardeners goes to acting locally. But occasionally it is exciting to think globally and travel to meet other people from around the world who are practicing, organizing, researching and lobbying for organic agriculture in their own local places. From Junune 17 through 24, 2008, I had the honor and pleasure of representing NOFA at "Cultivate the Future," the 16th Organic World Congress and General Assembly of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) in Modena and Vignola, Italy. The organizers of the conference did not shy away from the big issues. The official welcome announces: " We will be looking for ways on how Organic Agriculture contributes solutions to the major problems in this troubled world: from climate change to food insecurity, from gender imbalances to biodiversity loss, from rural depopulation to global injustice."

The Modena gathering was the largest and most diverse IFOAM congress ever held with over 1200 participants from 100 countries. The IFOAM General Assembly was also the best attended yet: sixty percent of the IFOAM members were present or represented by proxies. There were 248 voting members from 69 countries with about 90 proxies. I got to vote with NOFA's blue card at the three days of intense discussions and debates on the top priorities for organic agriculture."

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