As the year 2019 comes to close, let’s take a last look at some highlights from the organic sector.
1) What did researchers work on in 2019?
- The famous top list nobody want to be in, the ‘Dirty Dozen’, published every year by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) ranks pesticide levels of 47 popular fruits and vegetables. The guide is based upon results of more than 40,900 samples of produce tested by the United States.
Discover “The Dirty Dozen”
- The French think tank IDDRI (Institut du Développement Durable et des Relations Internationales) published an evaluation of the potential for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in their scenario of a transition of European agriculture to agroecology by 2050 (Ten Years For Agroecology – TYFA). Emission reductions range from 40% to 47%, while important benefits for biodiversity, natural resources, adaptation, and health are highlighted.
Read the study
- The 20th edition of the study “The World of Organic Agriculture” published by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and IFOAM – Organics International shows a continuation of the positive trend seen in past years.
Learn more
- According to Friends of the Earth, USA, a new peer-reviewed study shows an explosion in the toxicity of U.S. agriculture for insects over the past 25 years since neonicotinoid pesticides were introduced. The study found that U.S. agriculture is 48 times more toxic to insect life and that neonicotinoids account for 92 percent of the increase in toxicity.
Dig deeper
2) Meet organic farmers who shared their experiences with us in 2019
3) Our campaigns unite the organic movement worldwide!
- #WeUnite. The 12-minute film ‘We Unite’ is a window into the lives of two organic farmers and the reasons they join the yearly ‘We are Fed-Up’ demonstration in Germany. Along with hundreds of other farmers, they drive their tractors into the heart of Berlin where they unite with thousands of citizens calling for a better food and farming system for all.
- It’s time to be honest. The Honest Food Campaign aims to inspire citizens to make better food choices by highlighting the benefits of organic, local, seasonal and fair food on people and the planet. We ask you to join us in making this campaign a success!
- Who grows your food? Do we know enough about the challenges they face, the work they do and how we can support them? We asked farmers to share their video stories and hope you enjoy listening to what they have to say in the I Grow Your Food Campaign.
- Where have all the birds gone? Did you know that changes in bird populations are an excellent sign of how well our planet is doing? And, right now, many of the world’s bird populations are in decline! Watch it here.
4) In 2019 more people than ever before demanded concrete actions to end the climate crisis!
Let’s remember that done right, agriculture such as organic can be a transition pathway to the solutions needed for climate resiliency and sustainable food systems. Watch our contribution to the climate strike held in September 2019.
