Many discussions took place at the recent International Organic Wine Expo covering such issues as the environment, health, sustainability and marketing both in the USA and Europe.
Antonio Compagnoni is the international relations officer of AIAB-ICEA (Associazione Italiana per l’Agricoltura Biologica – Instituto per la Certificazione Etica ed Ambientate, ‘National Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification’ which is the largest organic agriculture and certification organization in Italy. He has served on the world board of IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) since 1988 and fully active in organic farming for over 15 years. With 13,000 members consisting of farmers, processors, traders, environmental and consumer organizations, IFOAM is recognized by the Italian government and covers all the European regulations on organic agriculture.
Compagnoni spoke on the History, Certification and Production of Agriculture & Vino Biologico. He went into detail about standards, labeling, inspection and control of imports from other countries. He also discoursed on the positive use of natural fertilizers, processing agents and organic foodstuffs.
IFOAM affords its members the exchange of knowledge and expertise; it informs the public about organic agriculture – developing and revising standards of organic agriculture and processing. It guarantees organic quality worldwide and ensures equivalency of certification programs worldwide.
Mr. Compagnoni also talked about the complexity of different Italian regions – 15,000 wine processors; 50,000 organic farms of which only 10,000 are marketing organic, most of the remainder farming for themselves and their families. For making wine, there are between 9,000 and 11,000 farming organic methodology.
He ended in an exemplary way telling us that IFOAM excludes GMO’s - in fact there is a complete ban on these infamous organisms, that “organic is a cultural thing, and organic wine makes good blood”.
Brian Leahy is the Executive Director of the California Certified Organic Farmers Association and began farming organic rice on 900 acres in northern California in 1980. He discoursed on ‘Organic Wine under the USDA National Organic Rule’ - how many small farms and a few large ones account for 50% of organic sales and that these farmers grow crops that make sense in specific regions so each farmer brings different skills, different crops to the marketplace. Working with nature with what nature provides, farmers grow food naturally and feed people with natural products.
Some natural fertilizers used by California farmers are green manure, compost, vetch and potash which is worked into the soil. Lupins are also grown on the land. The key is that nature will take care of you if you watch and observe nature at work, together with Biologique research.
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