Workshops
Getting organics on the offensive in Retail Supermarkets,Local Markets and Online Sales
Introduction
Workshops are independently organised one or more sessions during the Organic World Congress. Workshops allow researchers, farmers, experts and students to meet face-to-face and have interactive discussions.
Workshops address various topics by extending the content of the 4 Tracks through case studies and group discussion.
Detailed Information
This session is targeted track “Growing Organic Markets, rooted in organic principles”
By sharing solutions that are working today, it underpins the OWC theme “Cultivating Organic Solutions for True Sustainability.
Main Topics
- How farmer and processor organizations can build capacity for market
development. - Strategies to motivate supermarkets and create impactful partnerships for organic
market growth. - Supporting small companies in growing organic product offerings.
- Impactful consumer awareness campaigns.
- Policy measures supporting organic market development.
- Success with short chain sales, including farmer-led supply chains and online sales.
Main Objectives of the Workshop
- The workshop aims to inspire stakeholders working on market development in their national and local contexts by highlighting successful cases, lessons, and pathways for increasing organic sales.
- It seeks to create a space for discussion and knowledge sharing on how to enhance organic retail opportunities.
Main outcomes expected
Participants will walk away with new ideas (and hope) about how to grow the market for organic foods via retail sales, and how to mobilize organic producers in shared efforts to succeed in the market. They will understand the many approaches and strategies that are already working today in the global north and south and identify which partners and competencies they will need going forward.
Stakeholders and policy makers will also learn about how policy can support differentiated organic market development approaches for the benefit of farmers, consumers and everyone in-between. The session will contribute to greater success with organic market development, boosting organic resilience and livelihoods.
Targeted Public
- Primary target: Organizations working on organic market development.
- Secondary target: Processors, traders, farmers working with retail supermarkets and shorter chain sales, policymakers, and philanthropic organizations interested in market development.
Key Info
Dates:
4 Dec 2024
15：15 - 16：45 （GMT+8）
conference room：
C322
Format:
English (with translation if necessary)/Mandarin
Contact:
Paul Holmbeck, World Board Member IFOAM – Organics International
Director, Holmbeck EcoConsult (Denmark)
Website: https://paulholmbeck.com/
Target Audience:
Maximum Participants: 50-80 people
Chariton D.B. Namuwoza
CEO, National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU)
CEO, National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU) since 2020 and elected President of African Organic Network, AfrONet, a continental platform dedicated to advancing organic agriculture, in january 2024. https://afronet.africa/
As CEO of NOGAMU, I work with advocacy, national policy and market development, working closely with members and resource poor communities while mobilizing and integrating farmers into Global Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains through creating firm market linkages between Ugandan and other African Farmer Associations/Cooperatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises/Multinational companies and Global Importers of Organic, Fair trade and Utz/Rain Forest Alliance Products.
My Global Marketing experience covers the East African Community, European Union, United States, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and India. With a educational background in Agricultural Economics and Business Administration, I have worked extensively over two decades with Global Marketing, Agribusiness Management, Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience, Value Chain Development, and Multi Stakeholder Partnership Building and Management.
Matthew Dillon
Co-CEO, Organic Trade Association
Matthew Dillon serves as a co-CEO at the Organic Trade Association. He joined the trade association in January 2024, bringing a lifetime of work in food and farming. Together with the Board of Directors and co-CEO Tom Chapman, he is responsible for defining the association’s mission and establishing shared objectives for OTA’s member companies. Matthew leads the associations public relations, policy agenda, member engagement, and fundraising. He represents both the association and the organic trade in an official capacity when interfacing with members of Congress, the Executive Branch, media, stakeholders, and strategic allies.
Raised in an agricultural family and community in Nebraska, Matthew has held diverse roles in the organic sector, working from seed to shelf. He most recently served as a sustainability advisor to consumer-packaged goods companies, Chief Sustainability Officer for Farmer Focus, and spent ten years at Clif Bar in numerous positions with his final role as VP of Impact and Government Relations.
After being introduced to organic farming while in high school, raising produce with the monks at Mount Michael for a natural food store in Omaha, he later farmed vegetables, flowers, and seed crops in Philo, California and developed an interest in developing the organic seed sector. He served as Executive Director/CEO of Abundant Life Seed, one of the first organic seed companies in the US, managing a network of organic farmers and a collection of over 2,000 rare seed varieties. In 2003, Matthew founded Organic Seed Alliance, the nation’s first organic seed advocacy and plant breeding organization. He was appointed to the USDA National Genetic Resource Council, held a role on the board of advisors to The Bread Lab, and the board of directors for the Organic Trade Association and Organic PAC.
Markus Arbenz
dipl. Ing. Agr. ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Markus Arbenz is a senior scientist and consultant at FIBL, Switzerland’s Research Institute of Organic Agriculture. With over two decades of international experience in the organic movement, he works at the crossroads of Organic Agriculture/Agroecology and International Development Cooperation for FiBL and for his consultancy Organics4Development. With his expertise and experience, he serves organic movement initiatives worldwide, to which he contributes with his own actions and advice to sector, institutional, and individual capacity building with assessments, strategy building, and management. He had many roles in his career, including development programs leader for Helvetas and the Executive Director for Bio Suisse and IFOAM Organics International. In his nine years with IFOAM Organics International, he played a pivotal role in organizing the OWCs and GAs in 2011 (Korea), 2014 (Turkey), and 2017 (India). Among his many initiatives, he, with the World Board, initiated, led, and ratified Organic 3.0. He also serves on the governance boards of HEKS, Smartpeace, and Kupanda Mbegu, three civil society organizations supporting peace-building and sustainable development.
Paul Holmbeck
World Board Member, IFOAM – Organics International, Director, Holmbeck EcoConsult, fmr Director Organic Denmark.
Paul Holmbeck played a leading role over 25 years in developing Denmark’s ambitious organic goals and policies and a strong organic organisation as a driving force for change in the market, in farming and public sector meals.
Paul’s team spearheaded policy and collaborations towards Denmark’s goal of 60% organic in public meals, and the market partnerships with major retailers that – together with effective consumer communication and policy action — made Denmark the world leader in organic sales, with organic market shares of 30-60% for basic foods like milk, eggs, flour and many vegetables and fruits.
Since 2020, Paul has been advising leaders in government, business, and NGOs around the world on organic policy, advocacy strategies and organic market development. Most recently chosen by the European Commission to present best organic policy practice for ministry officials from the 27 EU member nations, and providing advocacy masterclasses for members of IFOAM Organics Europe. Paul is currently advising in The Netherlands, Canada, Tanzania and Uganda.
Articles and more info: https://paulholmbeck.com/ and Linked In.
Sylvia Kuria
Organic farmer and entrepreneur
Sylvia Kuria is a dedicated smallholder organic farmer and entrepreneur from Kenya, passionate about making organic food accessible. With 15 years of experience, she began her journey on a 0.5-acre family farm, gradually expanding to 4 acres, where she has cultivated both crops and a deep connection to her land.
In 2016, Sylvia launched Sylvia’s Basket, focusing on home delivery of fresh organic produce. From 2019 to 2023, she operated a retail shop and in early 2024, transitioned her business to establish an aggregation hub, working with over 50 farmers across Kenya to create a supportive marketplace while supplying more than 5 tonnes of organic produce monthly to bulk buyers.
Sylvia enjoys training fellow farmers in organic production and market access, recognizing that these tools are essential for transitioning to new farming practices. Her commitment to education helps fellow farmers navigate the challenges of adopting organic methods, empowering them to thrive.
