The General Assembly of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) approved the revised Principles of Organic Agriculture, resulting from an intense two-year participatory process. They will serve to both inspire the organic movement in its full diversity, and to articulate the meaning of Organic Agriculture to the world at large.

With the continuous growth of the organic sector and the challenges and opportunities that come with that growth, the IFOAM General Assembly had come to the conclusion that the basic values, the fundamental underpinning for Organic Agriculture, needed further reflection and discussion.

The approved Principles of Organic Agriculture consist of 4 principles upon which organic agriculture is based:

The Principle of Health
Organic Agriculture should sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal and human as one and indivisible.

The Principle of Ecology
Organic Agriculture should be based on living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them.
 
The Principle of Fairness
Organic Agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities.

The Principle of Care
Organic Agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health and well being of current and future generations and the environment.

The Preamble explains that the “Principles apply to agriculture in the broadest sense, including the way people tend soils, water, plants and animals in order to produce, prepare and distribute goods. They concern the way people interact with living landscapes, relate to one another and shape the legacy of future generations.”  Each principle is followed by an action-oriented explanation.

IFOAM’s newly elected president Gerald A. Herrmann from  Germany stated, “The formulation of the Principles of Organic Agriculture at the global level is a major achievement. The Principles of Organic Agriculture have been approved at a time when governments are revising their regulations of organic agriculture. The public demands a value oriented and credible system based on a clearly identifiable framework, and IFOAM is just the organization to provide this. The Principles of Organic Agriculture should also be recognized as a foundation for public regulations. IFOAM will make significant efforts to ensure that the Principles of Organic Agriculture are recognized by the Codex Alimentarius, other United Nations agencies and governments worldwide.”

Angela B. Caudle, IFOAM’s newly appointed Executive Director, noted, “From acknowledging the importance of precautionary management and traditional knowledge, to recognition of social and ecological justice, the Principles of Organic Agriculture provide a precise and systematic framework for the further development of the organic sector that ensures the integrity of the organic agricultural system.”

IFOAM is the worldwide umbrella organization of the organic movement, uniting 771 member organizations in 108 countries. IFOAM’s mission is leading, uniting and assisting the organic movement in its full diversity. IFOAM’s goal is the worldwide adoption of ecologically, socially and economically sound systems that are based on the Principles of Organic Agriculture.