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IFOAM EU Group elects new President and Executive Board

The European Union Group of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements IFOAM, the IFOAM EU Group, has elected a new President and Deputy President and has formed an Executive Board.

Logo of the IFOAM EU Group

Logo of the IFOAM EU Group

The newly-elected President of the Group Christopher Stopes, UK,  acknowledged the great leadership provided by former President Francis Blake and commented "Francis has taken the IFOAM EU Group from its inception in Budapest in 2001 to the vibrant, professional and effective organisation it is today - we all owe Francis Blake a great debt of gratitude for his service. The Group now represents a unique and increasingly important force that continues to successfully promote the cause of organic food and farming."

Christopher Stopes has contributed to the development of the organic sector for more than 25 years, providing strategic policy and technical advice to governments, organic businesses and NGOs. Currently he works as a consultant in organic food and farming and is Director of EcoS Consultancy Ltd.

As a new Deputy President of IFOAM EU was elected Thomas Dosch, a farmer and agricultural economist as well as the President of Bioland Germany. Dosch pledges to work for a more coherent policy framework in the EU as one of the most important current tasks is to guarantee the ability of the organic sector to contribute to solving major challenges like climate change, loss of biodiversity, provision of healthy food and sustainable rural development."

Three of the elected Vice Presidents of the Executive Board will be responsible for the main activity areas of the Group

  • Thomas Fertl, Bio Austria, for policy
  • Sabine Eigenschink, Austria Bio Garantie, for regulation
  • Otto Schmid, FiBL, Switzerland for research.

Two other Vice Presidents bring further sectoral expertise - Karolina Dyrtrova of Bioinstitut, Czech Republic and Bavo van Idsert  of Stichting Promotiebureau Biologische Speciaalzaak, the Netherlands. Treasurer of the Group and a member of the Executive Board is Gerald Altena Debio, Norway.

Source: Press release of the IFOAM EU Group, May 2009

Contact

Marco Schlüter, Director IFOAM EU Group

Board members of the IFOAM EU Group (two representatives per country)

Further information

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