International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements

IFOAM – Organics International is a global membership and advocacy organization for organic agriculture. It began in 1972 as the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, an initiative developed at an international organic agriculture congress in Versailles, France. The founding effort was led by Roland Chevriot, president of the French organization Nature et Progrès, together with representatives associated with organic and biodynamic farming organizations in the United Kingdom, Sweden, South Africa, and the United States. The founders sought to give the developing organic movement an international structure capable of exchanging knowledge, articulating shared principles, and representing organic agriculture across national boundaries. The organization operates as a federation rather than as a conventional commercial brand. Its members and partners include farmer organizations, civil-society groups, research and education bodies, businesses, certification-related organizations, and other institutions involved in organic agriculture and food systems. The federation has been described as having more than 700 affiliates across more than 100 countries and territories. Its work encompasses policy advocacy, movement coordination, knowledge exchange, capacity building, standards-related dialogue, and the promotion of farming and food systems based on ecological processes, biodiversity, fairness, and care. IFOAM has played an important role in developing a shared international language for organic agriculture. It helps connect regional and national networks, supports dialogue among organic stakeholders, and provides a platform through which the movement can participate in discussions on agricultural policy, sustainability, trade, food systems, and rural development. Its network includes regional structures such as IFOAM Organics Asia, IFOAM Organics Europe, IFOAM America Latina, IFOAM North America, IFOAM Southern African Network, IFOAM Euro-Asia, and IFOAM AgriBioMediterraneo. National groups and sectoral platforms extend the federation's reach into areas such as livestock, apiculture, aquaculture, seed systems, and agricultural technology. A significant policy position was formalized at the organization's 12th Scientific Conference in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1998. More than 600 delegates from over 60 countries adopted a declaration rejecting genetically modified organisms in organic agriculture and food production. This position became a defining boundary of the organic movement's identity and remains central to the distinction between organic production and other sustainability or input-reduction approaches. The organization changed its public name to IFOAM – Organics International in 2015, while retaining the acronym associated with its original name. Its highest authority is the General Assembly, which elects a World Board for a three-year term. The World Board provides strategic direction and works with committees, working groups, task forces, regional bodies, and autonomous member-led structures. The Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organizations is an autonomous structure within the wider federation that gives organized farmers a dedicated platform. IFOAM is headquartered in Bonn, Germany, and functions internationally rather than as a producer, retailer, or certification company selling consumer goods. Its principal offering is institutional: representation, standards and policy expertise, network coordination, educational resources, and advocacy for organic agriculture. The organization is therefore best understood as a global professional and civil-society network whose influence comes from its membership, convening role, principles, and participation in international debates about the future of food and farming.

IFOAM was created during an international organic agriculture congress held in Versailles, France, on 5 November 1972. The initiative emerged from Nature et Progrès, a French farmer and organic agriculture organization whose president, Roland Chevriot, helped organize the founding process. The initial participants included representatives connected with the Soil Association of the United Kingdom, the Swedish Biodynamic Association, the Soil Association of South Africa, Rodale Press in the United States, and Nature et Progrès in France. They shared the view that organic agriculture needed an international voice and a mechanism for communicating principles and practical knowledge across borders. The new federation was initially named the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. Its purpose was broader than promoting a particular product or certification label. It was intended to connect organizations working on organic production, research, education, advocacy, and market development, while giving the movement a forum in which to discuss its principles and its relationship with governments and other agricultural institutions. Over time, IFOAM developed into a worldwide membership network representing a wide range of organizations and stakeholders in organic agriculture. The federation's work contributed to the development of common concepts and international discussions around organic farming. It linked national and regional movements while maintaining space for locally adapted approaches. Its network later included regional bodies in Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, Southern Africa, the Euro-Asian region, and the Mediterranean. It also supported specialized platforms dealing with organic livestock husbandry, beekeeping, aquaculture, seeds, and technology innovation. The Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organizations became an autonomous, self-organized structure within the federation, giving farmer organizations a distinct role in its wider system. A major historical policy milestone occurred at IFOAM's 12th Scientific Conference in Mar del Plata in 1998. Delegates unanimously adopted the Mar del Plata Declaration, which rejected the use of genetically modified organisms in organic food production and agriculture. The declaration established a categorical exclusion of GMOs from organic farming within the movement's framework. This decision helped define organic agriculture not merely as farming with fewer synthetic inputs, but as a production and food-system approach grounded in a distinct set of ecological and ethical principles. IFOAM's institutional governance is centered on its General Assembly, which serves as the organization's highest authority. The General Assembly elects a World Board for a three-year term. The board works on a voluntary basis and guides the federation with support from committees, working groups, and task forces. In September 2021, members elected a World Board through what was described as the organization's first fully digital General Assembly; Karen Mapusua of Fiji was elected president of the board at that time. In 2015, the federation adopted the public name IFOAM – Organics International. The change preserved the historically recognized acronym while presenting the organization more clearly as an international body for the entire organic movement. Its contemporary role includes global advocacy, policy engagement, network building, education, knowledge dissemination, and participation in discussions on organic standards and assurance systems. Based in Bonn, Germany, IFOAM remains a non-commercial international organization whose influence is derived from its members, partnerships, principles, and convening capacity rather than from ownership of consumer products.

• 2021

  First fully digital General Assembly

  [1]IFOAMen.wikipedia.org

  The organization elected its World Board through its first fully digital General Assembly; Karen Mapusua was elected president of the board.

• 2015

  Public name changed to IFOAM – Organics International

  [1]IFOAMen.wikipedia.org

  The federation changed its public name while retaining the IFOAM acronym associated with its original title.

• 1998

  Mar del Plata Declaration

  [1]IFOAMen.wikipedia.org

  Delegates at IFOAM's 12th Scientific Conference adopted a declaration excluding genetically modified organisms from organic agriculture and food production.

• 1972

  Founding congress in Versailles

  [1]IFOAMen.wikipedia.org

  The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements was initiated on 5 November 1972 during an international organic agriculture congress in Versailles, France.

An international umbrella and advocacy organization for the organic agriculture movement, emphasizing ecological farming, farmer participation, shared principles, and global coordination.

• Advocacy and policy

  Global organic agriculture advocacy

  IFOAM represents the interests and perspectives of the organic agriculture movement in international policy discussions. Its advocacy covers agricultural policy, food systems, ecological sustainability, farmer participation, organic standards, and the role of organic production in broader sustainable-development debates. This is an institutional service rather than a physical product.

• Professional network · 1972

  International membership network

  The federation connects organizations and institutions involved in organic farming, research, education, certification, trade, and civil society. Its network includes regional, national, and sectoral structures, allowing members to exchange information and coordinate positions while retaining locally adapted approaches.

• Standards and conformity assessment

  Organic standards and assurance dialogue

  IFOAM provides a platform for discussions concerning organic principles, standards, certification, and assurance systems. Its role is to support coherence and credibility within the organic movement rather than to operate as a consumer-facing certification label in the conventional commercial sense.

• Agricultural network coordination

  Regional and sectoral platforms

  IFOAM's wider system includes regional bodies and specialized platforms focused on areas such as organic livestock husbandry, apiculture, aquaculture, seeds, and agricultural technology innovation. These structures enable stakeholders to address technical and regional issues within the broader international movement.

• 2015

  Adoption of the IFOAM – Organics International nameStrategy

  Background

  The federation had operated for decades under the formal name International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.

  Action taken

  The organization changed its public name to IFOAM – Organics International while retaining the established IFOAM acronym.

  Aftermath

  The revised name positioned the organization more explicitly as an international body representing the wider organic movement.

  Source

• 1998

  Exclusion of genetically modified organisms from organic agricultureStrategy

  Background

  At the 12th Scientific Conference in Mar del Plata, delegates addressed the relationship between organic agriculture and genetically modified organisms.

  Action taken

  More than 600 delegates from over 60 countries unanimously adopted the Mar del Plata Declaration, establishing the exclusion of GMOs from organic food production and agriculture within the organic movement's framework.

  Aftermath

  The declaration became a defining position of the international organic movement and reinforced the distinction between organic agriculture and other forms of agricultural sustainability or input reduction.

  Source

1. 1IFOAMen.wikipedia.org
2. 2IFOAM – Organics International official websiteifoam.bio