ICROFS has arranged a "side-event" on organic agriculture, climate change and environment. In collaboration with FAO and IFOAM, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation,
ICROFS planned the succesful event.
The side-event was was held on April 22nd on behalf of the Danish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.
The occasion of the the side-event on organic food systems is the proposed FAO COAG meeting in Rome on April 22-25. COAG is the acronym for Committee
on Agriculture.
COAG Report is raising the profile of organic agriculture
The side-event was occasioned by a meeting in the FAO Committee on Agriculture, COAG in Rome. After the side-event, COAG met to discuss future approaches on agriculture. On April 25, COAG adopted its Report, and under the agenda item on agriculture and the environment, the Report mentions organics twice.
At the COAG meeting, the committee stressed that
"an ecosystem approach be adopted in agricultural management in order to achieve sustainable agriculture, including integrated pest management, organic agriculture and other traditional and indigenous coping strategies that promote agroecosystem diversification and soil carbon sequestration.
Several Committee members noted the need for capacity building in new approaches and incentives to producers. The Committee endorsed the proposal that public and private investments be made in agroecological research, at both national and international levels."
[COAG/2009/REP para. 4]
The minister is pleased about interest in Danish organic approach
"Internationally, there is a considerable interest in the Danish approach and experience with organics and the active contribution that we pay through ICROFS to international research in the area. And we are obviously very pleased about that," the minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Eva Kjer Hansen, states in a press release on the Ministry's website (in Danish).
