Position and task of IBDA in the biodynamic movement

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The biodynamic impulse can only be understood individually. Any individual human being who feels deeply moved develops his or her very own personal relationship to biodynamics. Our movement has two sources. First the insights of Rudolf Steiner, illustrated in the discourses of Koberwitz; secondly the individual commitment to action and consciousness of any person associated with the impulse. in the biodynamic movement reflect these sources. In every organisation both sources are active. But every organisation has its origin nearer to the one or to the other source. The School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum, the agricultural section is located at one end of the spectrum.
At the other end of the spectrum, where the existential fellowship of the individual is the source, are the member organisations of the different countries.
In between are graduations like for instance organisations focussing on particular interests. In particular there are Demeter organisations, which ensure the quality –the guidelines –, and license the rights to use the trademark Demeter.
This point of view shows that the trademark Demeter is an instrument to transform the biodynamic impulse into the language of the market. In doing so, the Demeter organisations are not participants in the marketplace, but caretakers representing the impulse behind the labelled products.
Who is the owner of the Demeter trademarks? It should be an organisation, which is located near the agricultural section as one source and near the member organisations as the other source.
IBDA has its origin at the crossroad of the two sources: On one side we see IBDA as a shadowing of the section on the legal ground of Switzerland and on the other side as an international union of all BD member organisations.
As IBDA is closely connected with both sources, it should have the capability to handle the ownership of the Demeter trademark as a service for the biodynamic movement.
In addition to that, IBDA, can carry out different other duties on the spiritual field of the biodynamic impulse. Thereby, every member in the biodynamic association can vote on the central concerns the IBDA faces.

Ueli Hurter