Organic Business Guide launched!

Over the past 9 months we worked on the ambitious project of elaborating an Organic Business Guide. It is a joint project of Helvetas, Agro Eco Louis Bolk Institute, ICCO and IFOAM, with support from ICCO, SECO, UNEP and SIDA. Numerous people from other organisations also contributed in some way or the other to the book.

We are now happy to present you the result of this work. Print copies will be launched during Biofach at the following occasions, to which you are most welcome:
Tue 16.2.: IFOAM Trade Symposium
Thu 18.2.: Organic Night, receptions at the IFOAM stall (18.00h) and African Pavillion (20.00h)
Fri 19.2.: Organic Africa Symposium (11.00h)

Thereafter, print copies can be ordered from http://shop.ifoam.org/bookstore. The pdf version will also be available for free download from there. We will send you the agreed free copies after Biofach. In case you are at Biofach, please let me know, so that we can hand over the copies there. If we miss each other at Biofach, please pick up your copies from the IFOAM booth.

Maybe when reading the document you find that some aspects could be elaborated further, or additional examples or tools come to your mind that you think should be included? No problem! We also set up an interactive wikibook-version at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Organic_Business_Guide. You can edit the book there and thus further develop it.

The French edition is in preparation and should be ready by mid March.

Now we need your support in making the book widely known among the target groups. You could for example:
Mention the book at your website, with a link to the IFOAM bookstore and to the wikibook
Inform your network about the book by e-mail or include it in your newsletters
Mention the book in presentations (e.g. using the attached slide)
Distribute copies of the book among the target groups (let us know in case you require additional copies, against shipping costs)

We want to use this occasion to wholeheartedly thank all of you who contributed to this project. A special thanks to ICCO, SECO, UNEP and SIDA for their generous support.
And of course we are looking forward to receiving your feedback!

Best regards,

Frank Eyhorn
Helvetas Organic & Fairtrade Competence Centre

and

Bo van Elzakker
Agro Eco Louis Bolk Institute