DEMETER USA UPDATE

DEMETER USA UPDATES

As Demeter USA shared with its members this February, the organization has taken a number of steps to bolster the stability of its certification program and implement best practices in its systems, including:

• Updating its Quality Management System (QMS), which provides the framework for its certification system, with final policies and procedures to be implemented this year. • Creating a Standards Advisory Committee, which will have primary responsibility for the development, implementation, and interpretations of the Standards and will provide guidance about proposed changes, rule on all requested exemptions, and provide oversight to ensure the integrity of the certification program. • Providing twice weekly training for staff focused on the QMS and the Demeter Farm & Processing Standards. • Providing in-depth training for inspectors. • Working closely with Demeter International on needed improvements. • Creating opportunities for membership input. • Taking leadership in issues that impact its membership, such as the NOP’s reclassification of horn manure as raw manure. • Separating marketing and certification through the development of three trade committees.

In a later update, the Board of Directors for Demeter shared further information about changes in both Board and executive leadership, proposals at the international level, connections with the US biodynamic community, and more. For further details, please see the letters under “2019 - Emails” on Demeter’s member information page: www. demeter-usa.org/for-members/member-communications.asp.

SECTION FOR AGRICULTURE RESEARCH PROJECT: CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

At the research conference of the Section for Agriculture in Dornach, Switzerland, in September 2018, we began a research project to discuss the use of plants for compost preparations in biodynamic agriculture and horticulture in tropical and subtropical regions, and to find new solutions where necessary. We met again in the International Working Group for biodynamic preparations in February 2019 in Dornach. To exchange our experiences with valerian and other preparation plants, we would like to further develop the International Network of Preparation Plants. More detailed information to the project can be found in the appendix or on our website: https://www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/thematic-areas/preparations/ If you would like to join this research project, we request that you fill in your details and experiences in the form accessible via the following link https://www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/index.php?id=10586&L=0 We will keep you informed about the project and its findings and look forward to the exchange. If you have any further questions about the project or the cooperation, please feel free to contact the Section for Agriculture or the project manager Jürgen Momsen (juergen.momsen@t-online.de). —Jean-Michel Florin (Head of the Section for Agriculture) & Dr. Jürgen Momsen (project manager)