ifoam'96 Book of Abstracts 11th IFOAM Scientific Conference 11-15 August 1996, Copenhagen, Denmark

ECOWEB FRONT PAGE SUBJECT INDEX AUTHOR INDEX

Organic World

Germany, - Facts and Figures O6

Stiftung Oekologie & Landbau, Weinstrasse Süd 51, D-67098 Bad Duerkheim

The paper looks at the organic situation in the countries of Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The information presented was gained at meetings of the IFOAM-member organisations from this region, which are now applying to the IFOAM Board as an IFOAM regional group. One important aspect of these gatherings are reports about the organic farming situation in the respective countries. The organic movement in this region is represented by more than 150 IFOAM member organisations. These are research institutes, traders, foundations, professorial chairs, fair trade organisations and the producer associations. With the exception of Luxembourg in all countries the organic farmers' associations are united in umbrella organisations, which represent organic agriculture at a political level. In Austria it is the „Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Förderung des biologischen Landbaus« (ARGE Bio-Landbau), in Germany the „ArbeitsGemeinschaft Ökologischer Landbau« (AGÖL), in Switzerland the „Vereinigung der Schweizerischen Biologischen Landbau-Organisationen« (VSBLO).
Common developments in the countries of the European Union (EU) - Austria, Germany and Luxembourg - include the implementation of the EC-regulation on organic agriculture (regulation 2092/91) and state subsidies under the EUs agri-environment scheme (regulation 2078/92). Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, now also offers substantial funding to its organic farmers and is in the process of developing an organic legislation. Other common developments include a remarkable growth in the area under organic production. Both in Switzerland and in Austria the area under organic management amounts to 6 % of the total agriculturally utilised area (Germany: 2 %, Luxembourg 0.5 %). This expansion is accompanied by increased activities at a marketing level, by an increase in research and extension activities and also of general acceptance at a political and consumer level.

Ökologie & Landbau«, German IFOAM magazine. Quarterly Bulletin with articles on the development of organic agriculture, published by: Stiftung Ökologie & Landbau (Foundation for Ecology & Agriculture), Weinstrasse Süd 51, D-67098 Bad Dürkheim. Telephone: 0049-6322-66002, Fax: 0049-6322-8794

Schmidt, Hanspeter and Manon Haccius: The European Community Regulation Organic Agriculture« - 2092/91/EEC - A Legal and Agro-Ecological Commentary. In preparation, to be published in 1996; Available from: AGOEL, Brandschneise 1, D-64295 Darmstadt

Schmidt, Hanspeter und Manon Haccius (1994, 2nd edition): EG-Verordnung Oekologischer Landbau« - Eine juristische und agrarfachliche Kommentierung, Heidelberg, = Alternative Konzepte, vol. 81