IFOAM, the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements, re-launches its website with new graphics, new and hugely expanded content, new features like a bookstore, a training platform and an online application for membership. Its improved user friendliness results from a completely revised menu and contents, as well as from expanded services such as links and downloads. By re-launching its website, IFOAM presents its new public face to the world.

In June 2003 IFOAM’s World Board decided on the new mission: IFOAM is leading, uniting and assisting the organic movement in its full diversity. Our goal is the worldwide adoption of economically, ecologically and socially sound systems that are based on the Principles of Organic Agriculture. In the months that followed, IFOAM elaborated objectives and activities for the coming years, which are defined in the Program 2008 recently approved by the World Board. “In the strategy of developing its activities and international impact, the launch of the completely reworked website establishes another milestone”, declares Gerald A. Herrmann, Executive Director of IFOAM.

Thomas Cierpka, Director for Membership and Operations characterizes the website, stating that “the menu guides the visitor through ‘About IFOAM’, ‘News/Press’, ‘Events’, ‘Bookstore’, ‘Organic Facts’, ‘The Organic World’ and ‘Projects and Outreach’ so that questions about all facets of organic agriculture and IFOAM can be answered. Whether you want to learn more about IFOAM itself and the opportunities for getting engaged, or about the projects and positions IFOAM is taking, the challenge was to present IFOAM’s organizational structure, its vast activities and advocacy work in a simple and easily understandable format.” “While designing the website, we aimed to realize three essential elements: content, service and user friendliness” adds Neil Sorensen, Coordinator of Media. “We devised a system of colors and services that will both facilitate learning about the basics of organic agriculture and serve as a reliable technical resource and interface for member organizations and the organic sector”.

About IFOAM
In addition to information about IFOAM’s Board, Committees and other internal bodies including regional and national groups, this section covers IFOAM’s statutes, mission, and the Program 2008. ‘Professional’ IFOAM bodies – member-based groups that work on specific topics – also have integrated web pages.   The Organic Guarantee System and its pillars, the IFOAM Basic Standards and the IFOAM Accreditation Criteria, are presented as well. Additional features include the possibility for apply for membership online, pay membership fees online or to give online donations to support the important work of IFOAM.

Bookstore
The bookstore presents a completely new feature on the website. It offers the wide range of IFOAM’s publications, as downloads for a small handling fee, or as items to purchase. Payment by credit card will make downloading or the mailing merchandise or publications to your address easy and fast. Downloads have been specifically adapted for the website to make them more accessible from remote areas.

Organic Facts
If you don’t know yet what the ‘Principles of Organic Agriculture’ are, you will learn about them here. This section also explains inspection, certification and IFOAM’s efforts towards harmonization, the process of increasing market access and minimizing barriers to the trade of organic products. With a few more clicks, ‘Participatory Guarantee Systems’ and ‘Internal Control Systems’ will support small farmers in disadvantaged areas through access to training materials.

Partners & Outreach
IFOAM develops and administrates projects that are funded by donor organizations; learn more about these programs and projects and the impact they make on the development of the organic world. Not only projects contribute to a change, but also partnerships with organizations active in related fields, like environmental or UN Organizations as the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with whom IFOAM is engaged.

Events
Numerous events have been organized by IFOAM in the three decades since its incorporation. Events like the ‘Organic World Congress’, which will take place in Adelaide, Australia from the 23rd to the 27th of September, attract up to 2500 participants. The Congress is followed by IFOAM’s General Assembly, the democratic decision making body of the Federation.

Elisabeth Holtmann, Director of sibeth entertainment GmbH, who developed the website’s technical set-up and features, says: “It was a pleasure for our company to work with the dedicated team of IFOAM. We are proud to present a website which is flexible and allows IFOAM to build upon in the future.”

The next step will be to incorporate individualized access to the Intranet for IFOAM member organizations.