"Just being organic is no longer enough"

Findings after the Organic World Congress

Global challenges facing (organic) agriculture were discussed at the 21st Organic World Congress in Taiwan. One of the biggest is and remains climate change, reports Georg Gerharter from Ramsau.

Ramsau am Dachstein, 13 December 2024  – Around 1,200 delegates from over 100 countries met from 30 November to 6 December at the 21st Organic World Congress 2024 in Taiwan to discuss key issues for the future of organic farming. The major event was organised by IFOAM - Organics International, the world umbrella organisation for organic agriculture. This association represents the interests of around 2.5 million organic farmers and is globally committed to the development of sustainable agricultural practices. Georg Gerharter, Chairman of Biolandwirtschaft Ennstal and member of the Board of Directors of the globally active EASY-CERT group AG, brings back groundbreaking insights from Taiwan: "Just being organic will no longer be enough in the future," he emphasises. "Modern organic farming must respond to the challenges of the global markets with clever strategies and, above all, actively address the issue of climate change."

Focus on innovative carbon footprint tool
At the congress, particular attention was paid to the "World-Climate Farm Tool" developed by the EASY-CERT group. This instrument enables agricultural businesses to precisely calculate their carbon footprint and identify and implement improvement measures. The tool, which is based on the World Climate Farm Standard, met with great interest internationally. "I was able to hold many discussions with international organic experts - and all of them confirmed that the 'World-Climate Farm Tool' is probably regarded as an international benchmark in this field," says Gerharter.

Organic farming Ennstal
The organic association "Biolandwirtschaft Ennstal" was founded as a regional initiative back in 1989. Today, every third farmer in the Liezen district runs their farm according to the strict rules for organic farming. The association currently has 520 members. Due to the alpine location and the associated harsh climate, the focus is on livestock farming (cattle and sheep) and the production of organic milk and meat. Other economic mainstays are the accommodation of holiday guests and the management of mountain huts.

By Rainer Hilbrand | Published on 13 December 2024