Feeding theWorld – The Contribution of IFOAM Principles - Re-Thinking Organic Food and Farming in a Changing World - page 90

integration of consumers and traders in the IFOAM Norms and also in the Principles
reduces the potential and options of the organic system to contribute as a whole to
food security.

5.4.1 The IFOAM Standards Requirements

The statement of the IFOAM Standard Requirements cover a wide range of
production and processing practices introduced in the IFOAM Principles. Several of
these offer technical and ecological grounds achieving food security. Remarkably,
only one paragraph refers to social aspects (IFOAM 2012 , p. 19):
“10. Fairness, respect and justice, equal opportunities and non-discrimination is afforded to
employees and workers: Organic operations in countries where social legislation is not in
place or not enforced have social policies in place. Such policies should be in accordance
with the International Labor Organization's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and
Rights at Work.”

A commentary to the paragraph states: “this objective is commonly addressed in
private standards although not usually in the scope of government organic standards
(ibid, p. 19).” This commentary indicates that little importance is given to this
issue. Although the IFOAM Standards Requirements directly address the IFOAM
Principles of Health and Ecology, they do not similarly discuss or elaborate upon
the Principle of Fairness and Care. As a result, there is no obligation or even
recommendation to address social and economic justice.

5.4.2 IFOAM Standards

The IFOAM Standards are fundamental to the quality of organic agriculture and to
its claim for sustainability. The Standards elaborate and confirm the contribution of
organic to meeting practical ecological and health concerns similar to the IFOAM
Standard Requirements. These include a wide range of technical and ecological
concerns, such as how to fertilize, the exclusion of chemical pesticides or access
and duration of animals to pasture. It also further covers a range of food safety
relevant procedures (cf. Hansen et al. 2002 ).
With respect to social issues, the Standards deal exclusively with worker and
labor rights. They identify fairness, respect and justice, equal opportunities and non-
discrimination for employees and workers. This objective “is commonly addressed
in private standards although not usually in the scope of government organic
standards” (IFOAM 2012 , p. 62). The social justice objective is defined as: “Social
justice and social rights are an integral part of organic agriculture and processing”
(Ibid, 62). More specifically, the Standards recommend that: “Operators should
positively and actively encourage the collective organization of their employees or
contracted smallholders.”