Every three years, voting members, board representatives and staff of IFOAM – Organics International gather during our General Assembly (GA) to exchange ideas, discuss motions, elect the World Board and decide on the following Organic World Congress host. Outside of in-person GAs, members can also contribute their voice by electronic vote during Electronic General Assemblies (eGAs).

The GA is a great opportunity to see the truly democratic and participatory nature of our organization in action. 

GA Rules of Procedure

What happens at the GA?

• Members discuss, amend and vote on motions they submitted
• Members elect the new World Board for a three-year term
• Members vote for the next OWC host city

The 2017 General Assembly was held November 12-13, 2017 in New Delhi, India directly after the 19th Organic World Congress. 

You can read the 2017 GA Minutes here. 

2017 GA Highlights

• The GA elected a new World Board (WB) and chose the host for the 2020 OWC & GA
• The GA approved the draft Position Paper on the Compatibility of Breeding Techniques in Organic Systems and the Organic 3.0 summary

Related Materials

• The IFOAM - Organics International in Action 2017 
• The GA World Board Presentation 
• The World Board Term Report 2014 - 2017 

IFOAM – Organics International has established a Nomination Committee (NC) to ensure candidacies for the World Board represent the full diversity of the organic movement. 

The NC actively identifies suitable candidates and encourages them to submit their candidacies, as well as facilitating an unbiased presentation of skills and positions of candidates.

The NC 2021 is composed of: 

• Andre Leu, Australia - Former President of IFOAM – Organics International - NC chair
• Mahesh Chander, India - Member of Standards Committee as also the Standard Requirements Committee, Nomination Committee in 2014
• George Muigai, Kenya - currently working with Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (EU funded project) as a technical Advisor, Sustainability, Certification and Digital traceability
• Sundeep Kamath, India - IFOAM Asia Board Member
• Marian Blom, Netherlands - IFOAM EU Vice President 
• M. Reza Ardakani, Iran - Director of IFOAM Iran
• Drazen Lusic, Croatia - President of IFOAM AgroBioMediterraneo

Policy regarding the Nomination of Candidates for the World Board 

Though our General Assembly is a public event and we encourage anyone interested to attend, not all can take an active part. 

Only Members of IFOAM - Organics International have the right to vote on presented Motions.

Associates of IFOAM - Organics International can contribute to the discussion but have no voting rights.                                       
                                                                                                  
Anyone, including those unaffiliated with the organisation, can attend the GA as an observer. If you are not a member of IFOAM – Organics International but wish to participate, please contact us at ga@ifoam.bio

• Policy 23 - Policy regarding IFOAM Self-Organized Structures
• Former World Board Rules of Procedure
• GA Rules of Procedure