Principle driven development of organic standards

Transcription

1 Principle driven development of organic standards Susanne Padel, Organic Research Centre

2 The context Organic agriculture is by tradition value based Many different stakeholders farmers to consumers, control bodies, regulators, market partners, NGOs All have value expectations Standards are like a virtual contract on delivery of values between producer and consumer Concerns about development in the organic sector Lack of grounding in core values ( conventionalisation ) Discrepancy between expectation/practise Can this be resolved by having principle driven standards?

3 Development of the EU Regulation on organic agriculture Private standards and some national legislations First EU regulation on organic crop production (EEC/2092/91) Numerous amendments including introduction of livestock regulation in 2000 IFOAM principles for organic agriculture in 2005 Major revision in 2007 leading to COUNCIL Regulation (EC) 834/2007 with implementing rules Looking back before going forward

4 Supporting the inclusion of principles Identify core values of organic agriculture IFOAM process of formulating principles in 2005 Are the values realised in the standards? Should and can regulations (or standards) consider all values? How can values be integrated in standards and regulations?

5 Identify value base of organic agriculture Literature (textbooks, historical documents) Empirical research of motives and values Important values to stakeholders Market research The IFOAM principles wide consultation and democratic process Regulative purposes (standards, regulations) Increasingly normative Guiding practise, respect for a range of fundamental values, coherence

6 Values in IFOAM principles HEALTH System health Soil & plant health Animal health Integrity Resilience Food quality Non-polluting Animals People (food) Equity & Respect Justice Food sovereignty Animal welfare Stewardship Transparency FAIRNESS Soils Systems reliance & self regulation Naturalness Sustainability System thinking EOCLOGY Ecological systems Closing cycles Site specific Reduced input use Self regulation Bio- diversity Environment protection Environment People Precaution & prevention Responsibility Excluding GMO Future generations Tacid knowledge CARE

7 Concerns about intensification of organic farms? Increased use of production factors and resources (like energy, water, fertiliser and feed) Negative impact on environment Dependency on conventional inputs Integrity and risk of residues CELEBRATING 10 YEARS EurSafe2007 OF IFOAM EU IN BRUSSELS

8 Principles HEALTH System health Soil & plant health Animal health Integrity Resilience Food quality Non-polluting ECOLOGY Ecological systems Closing cycles Site specific Reduced input use Self regulation Bio- diversity Environment protection Intensification in Standards Crop inputs Synthetic chemicals prohibited (fertiliser, pesticides) Positive lists with few restrictions on their use Animal inputs restricted Non-organic feed Veterinary inputs Concern for welfare

9 Principle of Fairness Organic Agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities. those involved in organic agriculture should conduct human relationships in a manner that ensures fairness at all levels and to all parties farmers, workers, processors, distributors, traders and consumers (IFOAM, 2005). CELEBRATING 10 YEARS EurSafe2007 OF IFOAM EU IN BRUSSELS

10 How should fairness for farmers and consumers be defined? Utilitarian rationale: everybody should achieve a satisfactory income, wellbeing and good products Justice-based reasoning in terms of fair/equitable returns and costs Deontological reasoning of treating all farmers with respect and not just as commodity/producers What claims can be verified?

11 Fairness for animals The fairness principle insists that animals should be provided with the conditions and opportunities of life that accord with their physiology, natural behaviour and well-being. Fairness-based reasoning that animals have rights Not uniformly accepted Utilitarian reasoning of maximising animal welfare/health are very common Cultural differences across Europe How can adherence to the principle be verified?

12 Potentially conflicting objectives Organic Outside Diversity Environmental conservation Social Justice Closed cycles Food quality Economic sustainblity Freedom and Indepence Price pressure Low residues Animal health Local production Animal welfare

13 Conclusions Certification to a clear standard is important for trust & transparency Including values and principles can state aspiration but also brings uncertainty There is no unambiguous, clear interpretation of many core organic values and principles Different stakeholders have very different value expectations ( protection gods creation, back to the land ) There is a need for interpretation The organic sector has a good tradition of developing practises and standards through dialogue CELEBRATING 10 YEARS EurSafe2007 OF IFOAM EU IN BRUSSELS

14 A need to reflect on procedure how principles drive as well as what principles Procedure to consolidate value base Greater coherence and practicality of ethical values Considering conflicting objectives and intended consequences Making values operational (reality check) in the standards? Rules for decision making Realising democracy (deliberative decision-making) Who are the stakeholders? (EU operators <> Organic movement) How are they involved? Promoting self-regulation Clear communication about values and rules Ownership of the basic values