The position paper represents a real milestone and provides for a guide that has been expected from many organic stakeholders within and outside the EU. With this position paper we aim to make it widely recognized that organic production is performed in a contaminated world with the omnipresence of pesticides having all its adverse consequences as well as we propose a harmonized approach to the management of residue cases under the relevant rules set by the EU Organic Regulation by operators and by control bodies/authorities.

The new position paper in the final outcome of IFOAM Organics Europe’s Pesticide Use & Contamination project, the main objective of which was to agree on a common approach of the organic sector and movement on how to deal with pesticide residue findings still before 2025, when the Commission will issue the report on implementation of current rules and a possible legislative proposal for an improved harmonisation.

To achieve that, the project had four purposes:  

• understanding the level of pesticide presence and contamination affecting the food and farming sector, with a focus on organic and the environment, 
• understanding how competent authorities, control bodies & authorities and organic operators are dealing with pesticide presence and contamination,
• reaching a fair and improved legislative framework for the organic agri-food sector with harmonized procedures for operators, control bodies & authorities in case of residue findings, 
• better integration of the IFOAM principles of organic farming into EU legislative frameworks (Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 on Plant Protection Products) and stronger coherency of indicators in the framework of the application of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (SUD) 2009/128/EC.