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MOTION 1a | WB Composition
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17/04/2026 5:48 pm
MOTION 1a | World Board Composition
The World Board Composition is addressed by two mutually exclusive motions: Motion 1a and Motion 1b. Motion 1a is part of the consolidated governance options developed by the World Board. Motion 1b is drawn from the federated subsidiarity model proposed by the Governance Advisory Board.
Since both motions cannot be adopted simultaneously, the General Assembly will proceed in two steps.
- First, members vote to determine which motion is brought to a substantive vote. The motion receiving the greater number of votes in this preliminary round proceeds to a final vote.
- Second, the selected motion is put to a vote and requires a two-thirds majority of votes cast, as both motions involve amendments to the Statutes.
If the selected motion does not achieve the required two-thirds majority, the current statutory provisions governing World Board composition continue to apply.
Each motion is a different forum. Please click on the respective forum to comment, propose amendments, and/or second amendments.
Remember
Read the How to section to understand how to write your feedback.
Within the proposed text; the red color indicates modifications to the Statutes.
Note: Please keep in mind that while comments are welcome from all affiliates. Amendments to motions and seconding a motion amendment are only possible for voting members who have paid their membership fee in 2026.
MOTION 1a | World Board Composition
⚑ 2/3 MAJORITY — STATUTES CHANGE – Mutually exclusive with Motion 1b
Motion text
The General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International resolves to take forward the following changes to the current World Board Composition
1 - Amend § 7 of the Statutes to read as follows:
7. Elections
Every regular General Assembly elects ten World Board members as follows:
(a) Continental seats (6): One seat is reserved for each of the six major geographical regions of continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America (Including Mexico and Central America,) North America (all English-speaking countries), and Oceania. Candidates for continental seats shall be pre-selected by the IFOAM members affiliated with that continent through a process established in the Rules of Procedure. The continental pre-selection shall elect two to three candidates per seat, from whom the General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International elects one.
(b) Constituency seats (currently 1): One seat is reserved for the constituency of organic farmers' organisations (currently represented by INOFO). The constituency group shall nominate two to three candidates through its own democratic procedures, from whom the General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International elects one. The General Assembly may, by ordinary resolution, recognise additional constituencies and assign them a reserved seat, provided the total number of seats does not exceed ten (10) without a further statute amendment.
(c) Council Chair seat (1): The elected Chair of the Council of Regional Bodies and Self-Organized Structures (§ [new Council article]) shall serve as a member of the World Board for the duration of their term as Council Chair. This seat is ex officio. If no Council exists, this seat shall be filled as a free seat under (d).
(d) Free/open seats (currently 2): The remaining seats (currently two) shall be filled by open election from an unrestricted pool of eligible candidates. Any individual meeting general candidacy requirements may stand.
Candidacies for all seats must be received at least three months before the regular General Assembly and must be endorsed by five members. A presentation of the candidates must be sent to the members at least 60 days before the General Assembly.
The World Board chooses an Executive Board (see § 8) from amongst the elected members before the end of the General Assembly. The World Board may co-opt up to three further World Board members to address gaps in competencies, diversity or social inclusion. Co-opted members have full World Board voting rights.
The World Board may elect additional Executive Board members and replace them as appropriate during the term.
Rationale 1
The current statutes (§ 7) provide only for election of ten members by the General Assembly with no structural requirements on representational balance. This amendment introduces a federated composition that guarantees representation of all continents, INOFO (farmer constituency) and the IFOAM Council while preserving direct democratic accountability to the full membership through the GA election. By requiring continental pre-selection to elect 2–3 candidates, the mechanism combines regional participation, vetting and legitimacy with genuine GA choice. Existing co-option powers are retained.
Statute sections affected: § 7 (Elections). Cross-reference: new Council article for sub-section (c).
2. Establish the Continental Pre-Selection Process
The General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International instructs the World Board to establish, within six months of adoption of Motion WB-1, a Continental Pre-Selection Procedure as part of the Rules of Procedure for the World Board Elections, covering the following elements:
- Definition of continental affiliation: The World Board shall define clear criteria for the continental affiliation of IFOAM members (place of incorporation, primary area of operation, or member's own declaration subject to WB approval).
- Pre-selection mechanics: At least ninety (90) days before each General Assembly, a continental caucus process shall be convened (e.g. by electronic ballot or virtual/physical meeting) through which members affiliated with each continent may nominate and vote to produce a short-list of two to three candidates.
- Facilitation: The IFOAM – Organics International office shall facilitate the continental pre-selection process and publish the results, together with candidate profiles, at least sixty (60) days before the General Assembly. Where existing Regional Bodies exist, there is an option for the regional body to facilitate elections of representatives from that continent where they can demonstrate capacity and procedures ensuring transparent elections accessible for all IFOAM - Organics International members on the continent.
- Fall-back provision: If a continent fails to produce a valid short-list within the prescribed deadline, the position shall be filled as a free seat (§ WB-1(d)) at that General Assembly, and the World Board shall investigate the cause and report to the subsequent General Assembly.
Rationale 2
The pre-selection mechanism is the procedural engine of the continental seats describe above. It ensures that the people ultimately elected by the full GA have genuine support from their regional constituency, without creating a separate, parallel election outside the GA.
3. Constituency Pre-Selection Process
The General Assembly of IFOAM – Organics International instructs the World Board to establish, within six months of adoption of Motion WB-1, a Constituency Nomination Procedure as part of the Rules of Procedure for Elections, covering the following elements:
- Recognised constituencies: Each constituency holding a reserved seat under § WB-1(b) shall submit to the World Board, at least three months before the General Assembly, a short-list of two to three candidates, together with a description of the democratic process used to select them.
- Approval: The World Board shall review the process description and confirm its alignment with democratic principles. It shall not substitute its own judgment on the merits of individual candidates.
- Transparency: Candidate profiles shall be published together with those of all other WB candidates at least sixty (60) days before the General Assembly.
Rationale 3
This motion operationalises the constituency seats created by Motion WB-1(b). It ensures that the internal processes of constituencies like INOFO are transparent and democratic, while respecting their autonomy. The two-to-three candidate requirement prevents constituencies from presenting a single uncontested nominee to the GA, preserving genuine GA choice.
This topic was modified 4 months ago 5 times by Andrés González
This topic was modified 3 months ago by Andrés González
27/04/2026 1:59 pm
Hi, this is Markus Arbenz from FiBL (in this forum obviously linked with Organika). Can't see any discussion here ...
So, I try to break the ice with a first simple, rather detailed (and not highly relevant) questions: I guess that red in the motion text is new in the statutes and that black is already part of the present statutes. Correct? Why is then some red text in bold and other not? What is the difference?
And a second formal detail comment: You mention various times "currently" in brackets. That may be a nice explanation, but does that really belong into statutes? Statutes should be legal text and as short a possible.
This post was modified 4 months ago by ORGANIKA
30/04/2026 8:30 am
Hello, everyone! We are from MASIPAG (Farmer-Scientist Partnership for Development) in the Philippines. We are a farmer-led network of farmers, scientists, and NGOs and have been with IFOAM for over 35 years. We are very eager to join these motion discussions.
On this Motion 1a, recognizing the importance of farmers in the organic value chain, we would like to ask how can farmers be better represented in the WB? We appreciate assuring INOFO one seat, but could small farmers be better represented beyond this?
01/05/2026 12:01 am
Original model: (d) Free/open seats (currently 2): The remaining seats (currently two) shall be filled by open election from an unrestricted pool of eligible candidates. Any individual meeting general candidacy requirements may stand.
My suggestion: (d) ~~Free/open seats~~ Development and Equity seats (currently 2): The remaining seats (currently two) shall be filled by ~~open~~ election from an ~~unrestricted~~ targeted pool of eligible candidates. ~~Any individual meeting general candidacy requirements may stand.~~ These seats shall be explicitly reserved to correct systemic imbalances, prioritizing candidates from underrepresented regions currently lacking a recognized Regional Body, or candidates representing critical developmental demographics, such as youth in organic agriculture.
Rationale for Amendment: While Motion 1a attempts to balance geographical representation, leaving two seats completely "unrestricted" and "open" functionally preserves the inequitable "winner takes all" dynamic that has historically disadvantaged developing regions.
In a purely open global vote, sections of our movement that have gathered obvious historical advantages in population, funding, and institutional development will invariably capture these seats. This restricts the participation of emerging regions in leadership and decision-making processes, directly stunting their growth.
If our governance is to genuinely emulate a living, healthy ecological system, the effort to support developing regions must be targeted and intentional. Repurposing these two seats as "Development and Equity seats" ensures we actively correct resource inequalities, rather than allowing them to persist under the guise of an open vote.
02/05/2026 5:39 pm
Question: What are the Rules of Procedure mentioned in the motion? Each RB and SP has its own RoP, but those are not explicitly referred to here. The Motion should require that relevant RBs' RoP are used (and that those RoP are indeed complete enough to address the nomination process).
02/05/2026 9:08 pm
@gmail.com
04/05/2026 12:05 pm
Hi, I support this motion except for the council seat allocation. There is no need for a network council as the world board composition should function as such.
04/05/2026 12:38 pm
Hi, this is Markus from FIBL.
This reform is a big step from what we have now and it addresses the concerns of many for a fair distribution of seats and the principle that all members vote for all World Board members and not just a representative. It achieves the objectives that were set for this governance reform. It is in the interest of A) underrepresented regions and B) underrepresented constituents, assuring at the same time a) Operability of the World Board and b) Flexibility to get the skills we need in the World Board.
So, yes we strongl SUPPORT this MOTION 1A.
And we absolutely oppose MOTION 1B, which poses a risk to the organization. Better Status Quo than 1B.
04/05/2026 4:42 pm
Hello, Asta from IFOAM Organics Europe (Regional body). What role would Nominations Committee have in this nomination process? How would it work, would there still be a Nominations Committee? Thank you.
04/05/2026 6:23 pm
OTA supports the direction of Motion 1a because it improves geographic representation while preserving General Assembly accountability and member choice. The continental pre-selection process can create a more balanced World Board, but only if it is open, transparent, and accessible to all IFOAM-OI members in the relevant continent.
OTA recommends clarifying that a Regional Body may facilitate a continental pre-selection process only when it demonstrates active member engagement, transparent procedures, open nomination opportunities, and fair access for all IFOAM-OI members in that continent. Where those standards are not met, IFOAM-OI should facilitate the process directly. This is particularly important in regions where the Regional Body may not be fully representative of the market or sufficiently connected to members. Regional representation should not become a proxy for member representation unless Regional Bodies are held accountable to be reflective of organic movement in their region.
04/05/2026 9:02 pm
Agree with proposed amendment
05/05/2026 12:29 am
General Suggestions
All proposed motions this time are acceptable for us; however, we need more basic and target IFOAM governance motions soon.
They are as below.
[1] Raison d'être of IFOAM
To extend organics around the world is most significant for us.
We must reconsider why the global organic land share is still 2.1% since the establishment of IFOAM in 1972. We must make our best effort to enhance IFOAM credibility and to get more donations worldwide.
[2] Unified nomenclature for WB, Sector platform, Regional Body
A proposed simplified IFOAM structure is shown in Figure.
We say STUDY GROUP as unified one.
[3] ORGANIC 3.0
Realization process of ORGANIC 3.0
- Conversion
- Sustainability
- Inclusiveness
How would these three elements be proceeded.
[4] OWC
Following matters seem necessary:
- Paper selections: Reviewers, Quality, Paper inclusion possibility to the conference proceedings for accepted but no attendance at conference.
- Guidelines for attractive events during the conference.
For MOTION 1a
Comment: A restructured model figure must be prepared to show the clear differences between previous structure and restructured one.
Question: Job descriptions/expertise should be defined for individual STUDY GROUP (See [2] in General Suggestions).
This post was modified 3 months ago by Organic Shizukuishi
05/05/2026 7:50 am
"Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America (Including Mexico and Central America,) North America (all English-speaking countries), and Oceania."
Continents as criteria are so 19th century!
They are not a good basis for regional representation:
Inhabitants in Mio:
Asia 4780
Africa 1470
Europe 774
Latin America 662
North America 389
Oceania 46
Also the balance of voting IFOAM members is uneven distributed if we use the continental criteria.
The number of inhabitants, states and voting IFOAM members is too unbalanced,
it also does not allow enough weight to other important groupings within IFOAM,
therefore I believe 1b is the way to go.
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