 | Association of Ecological Producer Organizations in Bolivia (AOPEB) |
| AOPEB implements ecological and sustainable agriculture for Bolivia. This website provides detailed information about the laws governing environmental protection, and sustainable agriculture. [Available only in Spanish]. | |
| Agenda Organica |
| This Chilean government site provides a variety of information from global organic farming news and technical articles to directories of producers, organic inputs and extension services. There are also contact names and addresses of organic inspectors and buyers. [Available only in Spanish]. | |
| Agrecol |
| Agrecol is a working group of NGOs, development services, consulting companies, universities, and individuals who promote locally adapted, ecologically sound land use in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Their website provides information on meetings, publications, seminars, and projects. [Available only in English, French, and German]. | |
| Agricultura Ecologica |
| Agricultura Ecologica offers a variety of on-line courses regarding organic and sustainable agriculture including advanced olive growing, natural pest control, hydroponics, and starting an agro-tourism business. [Available only in Spanish]. | |
| Agriculture and Organic Farming Group |
| AOFG is a service and development organisation that promotes sustainable agriculture and organic farming in India with a focus on natural resource management, rural economic sustainability, and womens empowerment. Their site provides information on their activities, projects and services. [Available only in English]. | |
| Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC) |
| AFSIC is one of several US topic-oriented information centres operated by the US Department of Agriculture through the National Agricultural Library. AFSIC specialises in locating and accessing information related to alternative cropping systems including sustainable, organic, low-input, biodynamic, and regenerative agriculture. [Available only in English]. | |
| AlterOrganic: Local Agendas for Organic Agriculture in Rural Development - proceeding of an International Workshop at Bonn - Konigswinter, Germany, October 21-24, 2002 |
| Millions of farmers throughout the world cannot or will not asset the "green revolution"approach to agriculture. What can the principles of organic agriculture - with or without certification - contribute to rural development in the tropics and subtropics? The question was central to an international workshop held in Bonn in October 2002, organized by the German non-governmental organization Agrecol | |
| Annadana Soil and Seed Savers Network |
| Annadana Genetic Resource Center and Soil and Seed Savers Net work was created in India, by the International Seed Savers Foundation (Association Kokopelli in partnership with the Auroville Botanical Garden). It is a network promoting the conservation, production, multiplication and exchange of seeds of traditional varieties of vegetables, pulses, minor cereals and all the plants favouring the development of sustainable agriculture, mostly through projects on the field. | |
| Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) |
| ATTRA is the US sustainable farming information centre that links people to information and resources on sustainable agriculture including farming news, workshops and courses, and publications on production practices. The ATTRA web page provides advice from experts, resource guides, and a rich list of links to non-profit organisations, institutions, agricultural directories and virtual libraries. [Available in English and Spanish]. libraries. [Available in English and Spanish]. | |
| Argentinan Standards for Organic Production |
| The site includes the Argentinean national standards for organic products. [Available only in Spanish]. | |
| Association Kokopelli |
| Association Kokopelli is a non-profit organisation devoted to the protection of vegetable and grain biodiversity, the production of organic seeds of heirloom vegetables and grains (planetary collection of 2 500 varieties), and the support of farmers in Africa, Asia and South-America in the development of organic agriculture. This site includes The Seeds of Kokopelli, a manual of production of seeds for home gardening and small farming as well as a very detailed presentation of collections. | |
| Australia National Standards |
| Australian national standards for organic and biodynamic produce. [Available only in English]. | |
| Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association (BDA) |
| This website provides information on biodynamic farming, related education, training, apprenticeship opportunities, events, discussion forum, conferences, literature, and advice. [Available only in English]. | |
| BioFach -The World Organic Trade Fair |
| BioFach organises the worlds biggest organic trade fairs for producers and buyers. The site provides information for visitors, exhibitors and press about the upcoming fairs and locations. [Available only in English and German]. | |
| Biopuglia |
| Biopuglia is a project realized by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, Italy, to promote organic production. The site contains a multimedia information system, which provides 1800 pages of data about the scientific and technical aspects of organic agriculture; a documentation centre, including an on-line library with over 4500 documents, a collection of Biopuglia publications and standards of production; advanced services of Biopuglia for organic farm management and results of research and experimentation. [Available only in Italian]. | |
| CAB International |
| The site contains a large amount of information on organic agriculture and food. It provides access to scientific articles and documents from the CAB ABSTRACTS database. News headlines provide weekly stories on organic research, policy, funding, business, education, etc. Other resources include a list of educational courses by region, a calendar of events, a career service, links to the full text of international and regional laws and regulations governing the production and processing of organic foods as well as hundreds of other links. [Available only in English]. | |
| California Certification Standards |
| Certification standards of the California Certified Organic Farmers. [Available only in English]. | |
| Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) |
| The National Standard of Canada for Organic Agriculture (CAN//CGSB-32.310) was developed by the CGSB of Public Works and Government Services Canada. The CGSB site presents an abstract of the standards and provides the full standards for download. [Available only in English and French]. | |
| Canadian Organic Growers (COG) |
| COG is the national information network for organic gardeners, farmers, and consumers in Canada. The site provides information on the organisation and membership, events, publications, an online resource library, a message board (for discussions), an eco-market database of growers, products and services, as well as job and apprenticeships opportunities. [Available only in English]. | |
| Canberra Organic Growers Society (COGS) |
| The aim of this Australian non-profit organisation is to provide a forum for organic growers to exchange information, and encourage the general public to adopt organic growing methods. The page offers a wide range of general information on organic farming, selected articles, web-links, a discussion forum, and a free expert question and answer service. It covers most information on organic agriculture in Australia, including events, resources, education, statistics, certification, products, and contacts. [Available only in English]. | |
| Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) |
| CIAS is sustainable agriculture research centre at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US. The site contains information on resources, research, links and publications, mainly on sustainable and organic agriculture subjects. [Available only in English]. | |
| Centre National de Ressources en Agriculture Biologique (CNRAB) - French only |
| The National Center of Organic Agricultural Resources is jointly supported by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Technical Institute of Organic Agriculture. It collects, analyzes and disseminates technical and economic information related to organic agriculture. The site includes information on services, training, news, and contacts. Of particular interest is its database, BIOBASE, that reviews articles of over 130 agricultural magazines specialized in organic agriculture | |
| Codex Alimentarius Commission |
| FAO/WHO guidelines for the production, processing, labelling, and marketing of organically produced foods and other relevant guidelines on food inspection and certification. | |
| CORE Organic |
| Core Organic is a transnational partnership formed to enhance the quality, relevance, and utilization of resources for organic food and farming research in Europe. This website contains analysis reports of organic research facilities and programmes throughout Europe and links to Core Organics newsletter which reports on topics related to organic food and farming research. [Available only in English]. | |
| Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences |
| Placed within the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Farming Systems Unit of the Danish Institute provides information on organic farming, namely: research area, yearbook including farm reports with descriptions of production, agronomic and economic annual results (so far, only for organic dairy farms), survey of ecological farming in Denmark (1997), publications, and projects. | |
| Danish Organic |
| Provides information on Danish companies and organisations affiliated with organic agriculture, statistics on organic farming in Denmark, summary of developments in Danish organic farming, and international links. [Available only in English and Danish]. | |
| Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming (DARCOF) |
| The DARCOF website contains summaries of current and completed research projects at the centre, up-coming meetings, DARCOF publications, and a discussion forum on organic principles. [Available only in English and Danish]. | |
| Demeter International |
| Demeter is a non-profit organisation dedicated to certifying biodynamic agricultural products in over 40 countries world-wide. Demeter has developed international standards for production, processing, and labelling of biodynamic products. [Main site available only in English; however,Demeter country websites are available in various languages]. | |
| Department of Organic Farming and Cropping Systems, University of Kassel |
| This website provides information about the staff, publications, and research activities being carried out in the Department. The Department of Organic Farming and Cropping Systems also offers courses in ecological agriculture through the SOCRATES - Common European Specialisation in Ecological Agriculture. [Available only in English and German]. | |
| Ecolabels |
| Consumers Union has prepared a one-stop resource of eco-labels found on food and wood products. Searches are offered by specific eco-labels (e.g. organic, pest management, social responsibility, sustainable fishing), by products that carry eco-labels, and by institutions and laws behind labels. Eco-labels offers a report card comparing labels on their meaningfulness, consistency, and transparency of the standards and certifying agency. [Available only in English]. | |
| Ecoliva |
| This site provides information for those involved in organic olive production, for those who consume organic olive products, and for those who are interested in the organic olive agro-ecosystem. Publications from Ecoliva can be found together with external publications and an active discussion forum which covers many topics of interest to the organic olive producer. [Available only in Spanish]. | |
| Ecological Knowledge Portal: EcoPort |
| Ecoport provides access to ecological knowledge by the University of Florida, FAO and Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The aim is to establish and sustain a "Knowledge Commons" where individuals and communities can work and learn together to develop sustainable ways to manage the Earth's natural resources. [Available only in English]. | |
| Economic Research Service of US Department of Agriculture |
| The Organic Briefing Room of the Economic Research Service synthesises ERS research about organic farming and the economic framework of organic markets. The site contains a variety of information on organic agriculture in the US including organic farming statistics, overviews of organic sales, and economic impact assessments of proposed policies. [Available only in English]. | |
| Environmental and macroeconomic impact assessment of different development scenarios to organic and low-input farming in Croatia |
| Following the request of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, in September 2003 the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) funded a technical assistance project for Croatia. The overall objective of this project was to improve rural income and food security through diversified production and specialty marketing of highvalue and high quality products with environment-enhancing production methods. | |
| Environmentally and Socially Responsible Horticulture Production and Trade |
| The Working Group on Environmentally and Socially Responsible Horticulture Production and Trade was formed to facilitate dialogue, collaboration, and joint activities among stakeholders working with social and environmental issues in horticultural production and trade. The Group members include NGOs involved in standard setting, certification and/or labelling entities, auditors, environmental experts, producers, and FAO. | |
| Eosta |
| Eosta is a company which offers organic and biodynamic fruits and vegetables. Through the Nature and More Forum, Eosta aims to provide more transparency in the organic marketplace by rating organic products according to outstanding organic agricultural methods, socially responsible business practices and comprehensive products analysis, including residue tests, and assessment of nutritional values. [Available only in English]. | |
| Essay on traceability |
| For the information of all interested, FAO has recently prepared an essay on traceability, including 3 case studies related to traceability implementation in developing countries, its possibilities and its constraints. This essay is NOT an official FAO publication and does not necessarily reflect FAO¿s position on the matter, but is provided for information of all interested parties. The subjects of the case studies include 1) production of bovine meat; 2) pistachio production; and 3) organic agricultural products. | |
| Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) |
| The ETI is an alliance of companies, NGOs, and trade union organisations committed to working together to identify and promote good practice in the implementation of codes of labour practice, including the monitoring and independent verification of the observance of code provisions. The website contains ETI code of labour practice - the 'Base Code' - reflecting the most relevant international standards with respect to labour practices that are used as the basis of its work. [Available only in English]. | |
| EU Organic Regulations |
| This website contains the Council Regulation (ECC) No. 2092/91which is the European law regarding organic production of agricultural products and foodstuffs. A consolidated version of EU legislation and its amendments can be found at: http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l21118.htm. [Available only in English]. | |
| European Information System for Organic Markets |
| European markets for organic products are developing fast. In order to adjust production and consumption levels, detailed market information is needed, especially where decisions with a long-term impact need to be taken. The EU concerted action European Information System for Organic Markets (EISfOM) is attempting to take the first steps in solving problems of missing valid, accurate and up-to-date information, which is essential not only for farmers and growers, but also for policy-makers, consultants, processing industry etc. | |
| European Network for Scientific Research Coordination in Organic Farming (ENOF) |
| The objective of ENOF, funded by the Commission of the European Communities and managed by the Direction General of Agriculture, is to encourage collaborations within Europe in the fields of organic agriculture education, research, experimentation, and technical knowledge. Research is focused on five main topics: crop production and weed control; soil fertility and environmental aspects; animal husbandry, grasslands, and fodder production; legal and economical aspects; and crop protection. [Available only in English]. | |
| European Society for Agriculture and Food Ethics (EurSafe) |
| EurSafe is an independent organisation, which provides a focal point for those who have a professional interest in the ethical issues involved in agriculture and food supply. Their website contains descriptions of and links to a variety of books, journals, and periodicals which are relevant to ethics in agriculture and food. EurSafe also produces a newsletter which is available through their website. [Available only in English]. | |
| European Weed Research Society (EWRS) |
| The EWRS working group on biological control of weeds focuses on fundamental and applied aspects of weed control through sustainable and environmentally sound methods. One of the main objectives of the group is to bring together scientists from the scattered biological control community throughout Europe to promote discussion and joint experimentation. To this end, workshops have been held every 2-3 years. [Available only in English]. | |
| Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel |
| This website provides information about the staff, publications, and research activities being carried out in the Department. The Department of Organic Farming and Cropping Systems also offers courses in ecological agriculture through the SOCRATES - Common European Specialisation in Ecological Agriculture. [Available only in English and German]. | |
| Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) |
| The site includes information related to fair trade labelling principles and standards in over 20 countries. [Available only in English and Spanish]. | |
| FAOLEX |
| FAOLEX contains treaties, laws, and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources worldwide. Most of these come from the official gazettes sent by Member Nations to FAO. Under organic production the database contain organic legislation from more than 60 different countries around the world. The information in FAOLEX is classified firstly by main subject (e.g. "Agriculture", "Environment" and "Fisheries"), secondly by key words, and thirdly into four major categories of "type of text". To find information about organic agriculture, select your main subject and then under key words type "organic production". | |
| Farming Solutions |
| Farmingsolutions website provides stories of sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture in developing countries. The site also presents information on food security issues and statistics on population, food insecurity, land use, and biodiversity for many developing countries. | |
| Feasibility study for the establishment of certification bodies for organic agriculture in Eastern and Southern Africa |
| Organic agriculture has proven to be an interesting option for developing countries. Critical for marketing is that the production is certified as organic. Most organic products from Africa are exported, therefore any certification organisation must be internationally recognised. As of today there are few African organic certification bodies and all African organic products for exports are certified by European or US certification organisations. Therefore, a study of the feasibility of the establishment of local certification organisations in Eastern and Southern Africa has been commissioned by Sida. | |
| Foodfirst |
| Foodfirst is a company based in the UK that offers a directory of wholesalers, retailers, producers, and suppliers of speciality and organic food and drink. The websites features searches by product, by country/region, and by alphabetical company name. [Available only in English]. | |
| Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) |
| The FSC is an international non-profit organisation which supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. The site gives general information FSCs international labelling scheme, certification and accreditation, and membership application. It also provides information on FSCs national initiatives as well as a map of certified forests sites endorsed by FSC, a list of accredited certification bodies, a publication list, and news. [Available in English and Spanish]. | |
| Gateway to Farm Animal Welfare |
| The Gateway provides a single access point for a wide range of information related to the welfare of farm animals. It is a participatory platform to retrieve and submit information, as well as to engage in commonly developed projects and thematic discussions. | |
| German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture (DITSL) |
| DITSL is an NGO which fosters sustainable rural development in the Third World through technology transfer, resource management of agro-ecosystems, and organic farming. | |
| Goetheanum Section on Agriculture |
| The Section on Agriculture is situated at the Goetheanum (Dornach, Switzerland), where it collaborates closely with the Research Institute of the Science Section. Its work focuses on research projects such as: development of an extended understanding of warmth in agriculture and nutrition; copper as a pesticide; individualising nature-protection measures; access to matter and process with the example of nitrogen; image-creating methods; research on plants with transferred genes; hygiene and nutrition and biodynamic agriculture. It creates meeting points through courses, conferences and practical work on farms. Annual international conferences on biodynamic agriculture are held in February, at the Goetheanum. | |
| Green Trade Net |
| World-wide trade contacts for organic products including a database that links exporters of organic products to importers all over the world. Vendors can post products directly on the website and buyers can make direct offers. Green Trade allows searches for buyers or sellers by country, product or general category and provides links to other market relevant web-sites. [Available only in English]. | |
| Grolink and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) |
| The Advanced International Training Programme in Organic Agriculture is being organized and administered by Grolink in cooperation with an African Institution. The objective of the training programme is to provide expertise and experience of selected topics that are of strategic importance in the development of organic agriculture in developing countries. | |
| Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture |
| Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture, Vol. 1, presents the first results of the International Task Force (ITF) on Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture. Organized by the FAO, IFOAM, and UNCTAD, the ITF is seeking solutions to international trade challenges that have arisen as a result of the numerous public and private standards and regulations for organic products that now prevail worldwide. This volume features four background papers that describe the current situation in organic regulation and trade, and offers some models that could apply to potential solution. A Terms of Reference for the ITF and reports of the first two task force meetings are also included. | |
| Henry A. Wallace Centre for Agricultural and Environmental Policy at Winrock International |
| The Institute aims to encourage and facilitate the adoption of low-cost, resource-conserving and environmentally sound farming systems in the U.S. by providing the leadership and policy research and analysis necessary to influence national agricultural policy. The site contains an overview of programmes, projects and publications on sustainable agriculture, including among others, organic agriculture documents. [Available only in English]. | |
| Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) |
| A non-profit association of trained and qualified farm and processing inspectors dedicated to the verification of organic production practices. The training page includes information on how to become an inspector, upcoming training events, a food safety virtual university, and other distance learning options. The site provides links to organic certifiers and consumer groups as well as publications and news. [Webiste available only in English and Spanish, but training courses provided in other languages as well]. | |
| Indonesia Organic |
| Indonesia Organic is a website promoting the expansion of the organic industry in Indonesia. It provides the links to connect the industry to the rest of the world and creates access to the rapidly expanding amount of information, education and businesses in Indonesia. | |
| Information Network on Post-Harvest Operations (InPho) |
| InPho is an information network on post-harvest operations by FAO in partnership with GTZ and CIRAD. Their website contains a virtual library, a list of links, a who's-who in post-harvest, a cookbook, a question and answer service, and a monthly newsletter. Of particular interest is its collection of traditional storage methods and techniques. | |
| Institute for Biodynamic Research |
| The Institute is based in Germany and focuses its scientific research on biodynamic and organic agriculture. Among other topics, the Institute has researched long-term soil organic matter content of land used for organic farming, yield output of crops using various production methods, and plant breeding. [Available only in English and German]. | |
| Institute of Organic Agriculture (University of Bonn, Germany) |
| The Institute is at the University of Bonn, Germany. The site contains information on main research results and on-going research as well as publications and web-links. | |
| Instituto Biodinamico Certification Association (IBD) |
| IBD is a Brazilian non-profit that that works with certification and control of organic and biodynamic production and processing, as well as of sustainable wild crop harvesting in Brazil and South America. IBD is accredited by various international bodies such as US Department of Agriculture, Demeter, and IFOAM. [Available in English and Portuguese]. | |
| Intergovernmental Group on Citrus Fruit |
| This link features the agenda and documents from the twelfth session of the Committee on Commodity Problems from the Intergovernmental Group on Citrus Fruit held in 1998. The list of documents includes a report on the marketing prospects for organic food and beverages. [Available in English, French, and Spanish] | |
| International Organic Accreditation Service (IOAS) |
| IOAS is a non-profits agency that works on behalf of organic producers, consumers, traders and retailers, certification bodies, and government authorities to ensure trust and fair trade in products labelled as organic. IOAS independently verifies the competence of certification bodies active in the field of organic agriculture. Their website contains information about regulating organic agriculture, certification bodies, and accreditation. [Available only in English]. | |
| International Research Association for Organic Food Quality and Health (FQH) |
| The FQH encourages, co-ordinates, and disseminates research in the field of organic food and health. Interdisciplinary as well as specialised investigations into organic food quality concepts and novel research methods to study the influence of organic food on human health are promoted. The site links to a newsletter with articles on current research. [Available only in English]. | |
| International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL) |
| ISEAL is a membership organisation whose mission is to strengthen credible and accessible voluntary standards and to promote them as effective policy instruments and market mechanisms to bring about positive social and environmental change. ISEAL has established credibility tools for evaluating environmental and social standards and labels, provides research on standards, and advocates for its members. [Available in English and Spanish]. | |
| International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR) |
| ISOFAR promotes and supports research in all areas of organic agriculture by facilitating global co-operation in research, methodological development, education and knowledge exchange. ISOFAR supports individual researchers through membership services, publications and events and by integrating stakeholders in the research process. [Available only in English]. | |
| International Trade Centre's (ITC) Organic Link |
| The ITC provides information on trade in organic products and on export development activities to enable developing countries to benefit from market opportunities. It also assists visitors in finding other relevant information on organic products and markets especially for developing countries. [Available only in English]. | |
| Introduction to the First Regional Round Table on Sustainable Organic and Specialty Coffee, Production Processing and Marketing |
| This report gives a brief overview of the purpose and issues behind the first regional round table on sustainable organic and speciality coffee, production, processing and marketing. | |
| Japan Agricultural Standards for Organics |
| The US Foreign Agricultural Service Report contains an unofficial translation of the Japan Agricultural Standards for Organic Agricultural Products and their Processed Foods. [Available only in English]. | |
| Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture |
| Based out of Iowa State University, the Leopold Center focuses on sustainable agriculture in the Midwest US. The website offers a wide selection of articles, reports, opinion papers, research, technical advice, fact sheets, and statistics about US agriculture. [Available only in English]. | |
| Louis Bolk Institute |
| The Louis Bolk Institute (LBI), based in the Netherlands, is a non-profit organisation and the natural source of knowledge to encourage scientific research and provide new insight into organic and sustainable agriculture, nutrition and health care. It links social issues with groundbreaking research, and bridges the gap between scientific objectivity and personal involvement. The LBI works on four main issues (human, animal, plant and soil) and helps farmers with practical solutions for farm management, provides greater insight into healthy nutrition, helps doctors to promote human health and vitality and helps researchers throughout the world with scientific innovation. | |
| Market Briefs |
| The Foreign Affairs Service of US Department of Agriculture provides a number of world market and commodity analysis reports for organic products. Currently about 40 countries are featured with more than 100 reports from the past decade. [Available only in English]. | |
| Market potentials and willingness to pay for selected organic vegetables in Kandy |
| Organic products are considered to be superior in quality compared to conventionally produced products, since it has been proved that organic products help prevent several health hazards. Therefore, demand for organic products are increasing all over the world, as well as in Sri Lanka. Given this increasing demand for organic products, this study was conducted with a view to identifing the market potentials for organic products and consumer expectations in Kandy. Further, it identifies the factors that influence the additional willingness to pay for organic vegetables. The research was conducted in three supermarkets, namely, Cargills, Dhanasiri and Royal Garden Mall. Thirty respondents were randomly selected from each of the supermarkets. Results reveal that most of the consumers are aware of organic products and this awareness has influenced their consumption of organic products in the past. | |
| Michael Fields Agricultural Institute |
| The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, based in the USA, is a public non-profit institute which acts as a catalytic agent, cultivating agricultural solutions for environmental and social healing. Its programmes include crop and soil research, farm and food education, public policy, farming systems (implementation of research findings) and urban agriculture (community gardens and collaborations with schools). | |
| Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA) |
| MESA is a non-profit organisation, which facilitates US organic on-the-farm training programmes for international farmer interns. It arranges 8-month US experimental training programmes in sustainable and organic agriculture for young international farmer interns and conducts 7-14 day ecological tours of organic farms. [Available only in English and Spanish]. | |
| National Organic Program |
| This Agricultural Marketing Service site of the US Department of Agriculture provides information about the National Organic Program (NOP). It contains links to the NOP regulations and guidelines, the National Organic Standards Board, NOP policies and news updates as well as other resource materials on organic production. It now features the new National Organic Program policy for apiculture, greenhouse, hydroponics, mushroom, and aquatic animal products. [Available only in English]. | |
| Natural and Organic Products Europe |
| Natural Products Europe is a large, international trade show for natural and organic products hosted in the UK. This website contains information on exhibitors, seminars, and upcoming events | |
| Natural Resources and Ethical Trade (NRET) |
| NRET works with NGOs, businesses, fair-trade organisations, governments, and trade unions to introduce viable socially and environmentally responsible policies and practices into their core operations. The website provides information on standards and codes of practice, integrating supply chain management, policy information, producer-market linkages, and leveraging corporate responsibility. Publications explore these topics in the context of actual business and government operations. [Available only in English]. | |
| Nature & Progrès Belgique |
| This Belgian company covers a wide range of organic issues. It produces a bi-monthly review. | |
| Network of Researchers Involved in Organic Crop Rotation Experiments |
| This network was founded in October 1998 by the FAO regional office for Europe in collaboration with Research Institute of Organic Agriculture. The site includes a list of members and their e-mail addresses together with a list of references. [Available only in English]. | |
| Nuevo CD-interactivo de la FAO Oficina Regional para America Latina y el Caribe |
| Online Information Service for Non-Chemical Pest Management in the Tropics (OISAT) |
| Operated through the Pesticide Action Network in Germany, OISAT offers web-based information relevant for small scale farmers in the tropics on how to produce key crops using affordable, preventive, and curative non-chemical disease and pest management practices. Information is provided by crop type, pests, and control method and is geared towards trainers, extension workers, and farmers. [Available only in English]. | |
| Organic Agriculture and Fair Trade in West Africa |
| Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, biodiversity and people. It relies on ecological processes and nutrient cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of external inputs with adverse effects. Organic agriculture combines traditional knowledge, innovation and modern science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all involved (IFOAM, 2004). | |
| Organic agriculture and rural poverty alleviation - Potential and best practices in Asia |
| This publication presents the results of this undertaking. A comprehensive global and regional overview study is followed by country reports on China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand. All reports contain a number of success cases, real life examples of how organic farming has been a valid strategy to better the life of poor farming families, albeit on a small scale. The outcome of a lively and intensive regional workshop held in November 2001 is also presented in this publication. Recommendations put forward by the workshop participants are well worth studying in closer detail. They indicate the great challenges and path ahead in further developing the potential of the organic sector to improve the lives of the rural poor in Asia. | |
| Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) |
| OACC is a research and education initiative dedicated to building sustainable communities for organic producers and consumers. Their research focuses on all aspects of organic farming from soil health to food quality. OACC offers extension services, bulletins on technical knowledge, as well as web- and campus-based courses. [Available in English and French]. | |
| Organic Agriculture Information Access |
| The Organic Agriculture Information Access is a searchable electronic collection of historic US Department of Agriculture publications related to organic agriculture. [Available only in English]. | |
| Organic Agriculture Perspectives |
| This is a report prepared for the Conference on Supporting the Diversification of Exports in the Latin America and Caribbean Region through the Development of Organic Agriculture in 2001 | |
| Organic Agriculture: An old response to the problem of a new era? |
| This opinion paper considers the various benefits of organic agriculture for Latin America and the Caribbean. [Available only in Spanish] | |
| Organic and Like-minded Movements in Africa |
| SEKEM, an Egyptian organic agriculture company, won the Right Livelihood Award in 2003. Few know that there are many other African organisations that would equally merit public attention. The right time has come for organic agriculture in Africa, and a new analysis and documentation is presented by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) to point out this important development. Whether certified or not, organic agriculture has grown in Africa to a point at which the potential can't be ignored any longer, for exports as well as for local supplies. | |
| Organic and Like-minded Movements in Africa. Development and Status. |
| SEKEM, an Egyptian organic agriculture company, won the Right Livelihood Award in 2003. Few know that there are many other African organisations that would equally merit public attention. The right time has come for organic agriculture in Africa, and a new analysis and documentation is presented by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) to point out this important development. Whether certified or not, organic agriculture has grown in Africa to a point at which the potential can't be ignored any longer, for exports as well as for local supplies. | |
| Organic Centre Wales |
| The Organic Centre Wales is operated from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. The website offers technical information for farmers including information on conversion to organic farming, training courses, and publications on marketing and processing organic foods. The Centre has a wide range of publications from research to technical guides and offers a searchable database of articles. [Available only in English and Welsh]. | |
| Organic Consumers Association (OCA) |
| OCA is a US consumer advocacy organisation promoting organic food and fibre production and is affiliated with the Campaign for Food Safety. The page provides information on legislative action and campaigns for sustainable agriculture and organics as well as an extensive directory of eco-friendly and organic food and products. Links to a variety of topics related to organic agriculture are also provided. [Available in English and Spanish]. | |
| Organic E-prints |
| This website is an open access archive for papers related to research in organic agriculture. Users can browse the archive by subject area, country, organisation, project or year. [Available only in English and German]. | |
| Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) |
| The OFRF sponsors research related to organic farming, disseminates research results to organic farmers, and educates the public and policy-makers about organic farming issues. The site presents details on OFRF-funded research projects, procedures for grant applications, information about US federal policy issues, and links to other organic research entities. [Available only in English]. | |
| Organic Fertilisers and Water-Retaining Products Database |
| The Land and Plant Nutrition Management Service of FAO has initiated the compilation of a production information database of commercially available organic fertilisers, organo-mineral fertilisers, organic amendments and water-retaining products. The objective of this database is to inform decision-makers, extension services, and eventually farmers, particularly in developing countries, of the range of products that are available in the international market and their salient features. [Available only in English]. | |
| Organic Field Crop Handbook 2nd Edition |
| The book is a practical reference guide for both organic field crop farmers and conventional farmers who are considering making the transition to organic farming. The handbook contains updated information on growing methods, organic certification and the economics of organic farming in Canada. The Organic Field Crop Handbook contains a detailed worksheet to help farmers develop their own crop rotations. A new chapter has been added including detailed information about intercropping. As well, the 2nd edition contains several new examples of crop rotations from farms in the Prairies, the Maritimes and Central Canada. Approximately one third of the book is devoted to detailed descriptions of how to grow various field crops. | |
| Organic Livestock Handbook |
| Written and compiled by Anne Macey with contributions from writers and farmers across Canada and the northern U.S. The Organic Livestock Handbook is divided into three sections: Section 1 explains the principles of organic livestock husbandry and includes chapters on animal welfare, nutrition and health care, and converting to organic methods. Section 2 provides information on various management tools available to the farmer. Topics covered are health care alternatives, methods to control internal parasites, management-intensive grazing, manure management, fly control, handling to minimize stress, marketing, certification and record keeping. Section 3 addresses those aspects of management for each livestock type which are particularly significant in an organic farming system. It uses examples from Canada and the northern United States to illustrate the various types or organic livestock enterprises that exist today, from dairy cows to honey bees | |
| Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) |
| OMRI reviews products intended for use in certified organic production, processing, and handling and makes recommendations based on the US National Organic Standards. OMRI produces a complete directory of products used in organic production and processing as well as assessment of generic materials used in production and processing. | |
| Organic Monitor |
| Organic Monitor provides a marketing service and a research and consulting service to help companies and growers in the marketing and distribution of their organic produce in the local, regional and international arena. This site monitors and reports on developments in the international organic food industry, posts current research publications, and features the latest news on the organic industry. [Available only in English]. | |
| Organic Research Database |
| Organic-research.com is an online community for organic farming and food, developed by CABI Publishing. CABI Publishing endeavours to provide impartial information of high quality, recognising worldwide interest in organic farming and related sustainability issues. Paying members can access commissioned research papers, a sample of conference and workshop reports, and lists of current and completed research projects worldwide. [Available only in English]. | |
| Organic Trade Association (OTA) |
| OTA represents the organic industry in Canada and the United States. It works on the promotion of organic products in the marketplace and protection of the integrity of organic standards. The web page presents information about US, Canadian, and international organic standards and legislation, news, events, and various directories of organic businesses, exporters, supplies, and ingredients. [Available only in English]. | |
| Organic X Seeds |
| This site provides a database with up-to-date information on the availability of organic seeds and transplants in Europe. [Available in Dutch, English, French, and German]. | |
| OrganicAgInfo |
| The OrganicAgInfo website was designed to provide information on production, economic data, research results, farmer anecdotes, certification information, transition strategies, as well as many other subjects related to organic agriculture. The website features many broad topics and specific subtopics which link to scientific journal articles, statistics, workbooks, websites, meeting notes and more. Each link is annotated with a short description of the content. [Available only in English]. | |
| Organics Products |
| This site operated by the US Department of Agriculture, features attach reports on foreign organic markets, reports on US domestic organic markets, and information about US legislative action pertaining to organics. [Available only in English]. | |
| Peaceful Valley Farm Supply |
| Peaceful Valley Farm Supply provides tools and supplies for organic gardeners and farmers. Additionally, their website offers information and resources for organic growing and an on-line ordering system. [Available only in English]. | |
| Permaculture International, Ltd. (PIL) |
| PIL is an Australian-base organisation that provides support for permaculture and permaculturists. PIL also serves as an information and communication hub and to that end, the website provides an international directory of permaculturists, recent news, related articles, trainings and courses, and up-coming permaculture events. [Available only in English]. | |
| Pesticide Action Network (PAN) |
| PAN brings together NGOs, institutions, and individuals worldwide to fight pesticide use. There website provides position papers, alerts, and political actions. The Pesticide Action Network of North America (PANNA) (link:http://www.panna.org/) provides information on the dangers of pesticides for consumers, agricultural workers and the environment and promotes alternatives to chemical pesticides in Canada, US, and Mexico. | |
| Pests and Diseases in Organic Management |
| This informative publication is an important tool for the toolbox of organic farmers and anyone interested in organic agriculture. Learn how organic farmers in Latin America use sophisticated methods to effectively disrup the habitat for weeds, insects, and disease organisms. | |
| Production and Trade opportunities for Non-Wood Forest Products, particularly food products for niche markets |
| This report by the FAO Forest Products Division outlines non-wood forest products, their socio-economic impact on households, and trade opportunities and issues. | |
| SANA |
| Italys International Exhibition of Health Food, Health, and Environment is an exhibition of vendors and producers of natural food, medicines, clothes, packaging, equipment, and technology. [Available only in English and Italian]. | |
| Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) |
| This site includes a rich selection of SAC publications on organic farming, categorised into animal health, crop and soil systems, land economy and environment, and sustainable livestock systems. SAC also operates an organic help-line, offers education and training opportunities, offers an organic information pack including facts about conversion, prices, market outlets, costs of certification, and farming practices. [Available only in English]. | |
| Seeds of Change |
| A North America non-profit agency that offers certified organic seeds, plants and foods, including open-pollinated varieties, GMO-free seeds, and rare traditional varieties. The site also includes organic growing information and tips. [Available only in English]. | |
| Social Accountability International (SAI) |
| cSAI is an international non-profit organisation, dedicated to the ethical treatment of workers around the world. SAIs mission is to develop and verify the implementation of voluntary corporate social responsibility standards, the first of which was the Social Accountability 8000 which sets working condition standards. The site contains SA 8000 social accountability requirements, as well as certification and accreditation criteria, relevant publications, events, news, and courses. [Available only in English]. | |
| Sociedad Española de Agricultura Ecológica (SEAE) |
| SEAE was established in 1992 to combine the efforts of farmers, technicians, scientists and others to develop socially, economically and environmentally sustainable agricultural systems. The fundamental objective of ecological agriculture movements is to produce premium food and raw materials while safeguarding the environment and soil fertility through the optimal use of local resources and a stronger focus on rural cultures, ethical values of social development and quality of life. [Available only in Spanish]. | |
| Soil Association |
| The Soil Association provides a great deal of information on a variety of organic farming issues. Through their website there is access to over 400 documents in their virtual library and a list of their own publications, which can be purchased on-line. The site also contains an organic directory with details of over 1200 organisations supplying organic goods and services, information about organic standards, and educational resources for both teachers and students. [Available only in English]. | |
| Soil Biodiversity Portal |
| The Land and Water Development Division of FAO has created this site providing general information on the meaning and significance of soil biodiversity, the role of FAO in soil biodiversity, and the importance of soil biodiversity to agriculture. The site provides an electronic newsletter called "RooTalks" as well as fact sheets aiming to disseminate information on activities about soil biodiversity management and conservation in agricultural systems and to enhance networking and collaboration. [Available only in English]. | |
| Sow Organic Seed Company |
| The Sow Organic Seed Company offers over 170 varieties of certified organic vegetables, herbs, and flower seeds. The site offers information on different varieties of seed, growing tips, germination techniques, genetics, and current news. [Available only in English]. | |
| Spotlight / 1999 Organic farming |
| This is an article titled Demand for organic products has created new export opportunities for the developing world which was featured in the FAO on-line magazine Agriculture 21. | |
| SunOpta Food Group, Inc. |
| SunOpta Food Group, Inc. is a US-based manufacturer, importer, and exporter of natural and certified organic products. | |
| Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (SAC) |
| SAC is an alliance of groups that together take common positions on critical US federal agricultural and environmental policy issues and provides financial support for collective representation before the US government. The website contains a wealth of information about US legislation, proposed changes to US law, and latest news regarding sustainable and organic agriculture. [Available only in English]. | |
| Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) |
| Through the US Department of Agriculture, SARE funds projects across the US to identify practical methods to manage sustainable agricultural systems. It maintains a searchable database containing details of research projects, of which over 300 focus on organic agriculture. The site also provides a list of books, bulletins, and on-line resources related to SARE projects. [Available only in English]. | |
| Sustainable Cotton Project |
| The site includes an exhibit featuring outreach and education on reduction of chemicals in cotton farming, information on farming organic cotton, related production and processing procedures, directories, as well as description of a sustainable cotton project and organic cotton farm tours. [Available only in English]. | |
| Sustaining Animal Health and Food Safety in Organic Farming (SAFO) |
| The SAFO was a European Commission funded Concerted Action whose objective was to improve food safety and animal health in organic livestock production systems through exchange and active communication of research results and conclusions between researchers, policy makers, farmers and the wider stakeholder community, including consumers. Workshop proceedings, final report and recommendations can be found on the website. [Available only in English]. | |
| Symposium on Organic Meat and Dairy Products |
| This website displays the agenda and links to documents and powerpoint presentations for the Committee on Commodity Problems from the Intergovernmental Group on Meat and Dairy Products. [Available in English. Some features also in Spanish]. | |
| The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) Apprenticeship Programme |
| CASFS is a research, education, and public service programme at the University of California, Santa Cruz, dedicated to increasing ecological sustainability and social justice in the food and agriculture system. CASFS offers practical as well as academic training in the techniques of agroecology and organic farming for domestic and international students, researchers, and farmers. [Available only in English]. | |
| The Egyptian biodynamic association (EBDA) |
| The Egyptian biodynamic association (EBDA) is a NGO that provides biodynamic research and extension service to farmers all over Egypt. Its activities include training for farmers, multilateral cooperation with other organizations, awareness raising of the organic agricultural method, biodynamic cultivation of herbs, cereals, vegetables and cotton; moreover, the development of a knowledge database designed to facilitate communication and the exchange of information between all parties interested in organic agriculture (researchers, engineers, farmers and producers). | |
| The International Task Force on Harmonisation and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture |
| The International Task Force on Harmonisation and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture, convened by FAO, IFOAM, and UNCTAD, is an open-ended platform for dialogue between public and private institutions involved in trade and regulatory activities in the organic agriculture sector. The objective is to facilitate international trade and access of developing countries to international markets. [Available only in English]. | |
| The Natural Resources Management and Environment Department |
| The Natural Resources Management and Environment webpage features sections on bioenergy, climate change, environment, genetic resources, land, research and extension and water. | |
| The Network for Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Agriculture (NAHWOA) |
| NAHWOA was a collaborative research forum on animal health and welfare in organic livestock production, funded by the EU. The NAHWOA project ended in 2001; however, workshop proceedings and the final report can be accessed through this website. [Available only in English]. | |
| The New Farm |
| The New Farm is an on-line newsletter produced by the Rodale Institute and it provides a wealth of practical organic farming advice, opinion articles on organic farming issues, book reviews, discussion fora, and personal accounts from farmers. The international link features articles about sustainable agriculture in various countries from Senegal to Italy. [Available only in English]. | |
| The Organic Guarantee System. The need and strategy for harmonisation and equivalence |
| This book on international harmonisation and equivalence in organic agriculture, which is but one of the many outcomes from The Conference on International Harmonisation and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture organised in February 2002 by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). This publication includes many contributions from the original Conference Reader (edited by Willie Lockeretz and Gunnar Rundgren) as well as a considerable amount of new material from presentations made at the conference. It shows the wide spectrum of topics involved in the process of harmonising organic guarantee systems as well as different approaches to the subject. The result is a comprehensive publication for all stakeholders in the various fields connected with organic guarantee systems. | |
| The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) |
| The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL for its acronym in German) is the foremost authority on European organic agricultural research. The site provides a database of research as well as publications, links to a variety of other resources, and information on conferences and trainings throughout Europe. | |
| The Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics Research Unit (VEERU) |
| VEERU was established in the Department of Agriculture at the University of Reading. The aim of this research group is to improve the efficiency of livestock production in order to enhance the well being of producers, consumers, and animals. The site provides information about organic research at VEERU, projects, literature, on-line publications, and contacts. [Available only in English]. | |
| The world of organic agriculture - statistics and emerging trends 2004 |
| In 1999, BioFach/Oekowelt GmbH commissioned Foundation Ecology & Agriculture SOEL to compile statistical data and general information on organic agriculture world-wide. Since then this study has been revised annually, and the newest figures are regularly presented at Biofach, which takes place in Nuremberg, Germany, every year. Since the 2003 edition the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) have collaborated in this project. For the sixth edition, February 2004, the reports were newly written or revised and the statistical material was up-dated. An extensive chapter on standards and regulations was added. The main findings can be summarised as follows: ¿ Organic agriculture is practised in almost all countries of the world, and its share of agricultural land and farms is growing. The total organically managed area is more than 24 million hectares world-wide. | |
| Third Expert Meeting on Socially and Environmentally Responsible Horticulture Production and Trade |
| This website features the agenda from the expert meeting in 2003 focused on the theme building partners for trade and links to the presentations given during the meeting. | |
| Trading Opportunities for Organic Food Products from Developing Countries |
| The project, Strengthening Research and Policy-Making Capacity on Trade and Environment in Developing Countries (INT/98/A61), was implemented between June 1999 and April 2001 by the UNCTAD secretariat in collaboration with the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD) of the United Kingdom. It was funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID). The following countries participated in this project: Bangladesh, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, India, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda. It brought together trade and environment officials from these countries in an exchange of national experiences and discussions on key issues, aided by background papers prepared by developing country participants, consultants and staff from UNCTAD and FIELD. | |
| Traditional Use and Availability of Aquatic Biodiversity in Rice-Based Ecosystems: I. Kampong Thom Province, Kingdom of Cambodia |
| This report, published by FAO as a CD ROM, contains the findings of the first case study of the series Traditional Use and Availability of Aquatic Biodiversity in Rice-Based Ecosystems. It describes the Great Lake, Tonle Sap, ecosystem and ricefield fisheries in Cambodia, explains the scope and limitations of the study, describes the methods used in the study and examines the results obtained. More than 100 species (fishes, reptiles, amphibians crusateceans, molluscs, insects, plants) collected in ricefields and used daily by rural household are presented: the species descriptions and photos are linked to information on collection tools and methods, uses and traditional knowledge. | |
| United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) |
| ESCAP runs a few programmes working on poverty alleviation through organic agriculture. This website links to the publication Organic Agriculture and Rural Poverty Alleviation: Potential and Best Practices which looks into concepts and practices, export potential, and market developments of small and marginal farmers conversion to organic agriculture. ESCAP has also established an Asia-Pacific Organic Farming and Green Food Information Network information on which can be accessed through the website. [Available only in English]. | |
| University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC-SAREP) |
| The UC-SAREP is a California state programme that administers competitive grants for research on sustainable agricultural practices and systems, develops and distributes information, and supports long-term research in sustainable farming systems on University of California farmlands. The website contains newsletters and publications regarding the many research areas funded by SAREP as well as information regarding workshops, courses, and funding opportunities. [Available only in English]. | |
| Vida Sana |
| A Spanish website focused on organic agriculture, consumer responsibility, and environmental protection. Their website features publications on sustainable agriculture, links to environmental periodicals, information on workshops and courses, and links to entities which certify organic products in Spain. [Available only in Spanish]. | |
| Working out the Kinks: Labor in Sustainable Agriculture |
| This is a series of excerpts from the FAO review, Ceres, focused on labor in sustainable agriculture and it includes an overview of increased labor on organic farms in developing countries, a bibliography on labor and sustainable agriculture, and a case study in Japan. | |
