Coordination of European transnational research in organic food and farming

Research in organic food and farming is a fairly new, but rapidly ex-panding, discipline on the European research scene. One of the problems faced by the authorities seeking to initiate research programmes in organic food and farming is that the present research effort in Europe is caracterised by small research communities, which are often scattered and fragmented both geographically and institutionally. Therefore a gathering of the dispersed expertise to a critical mass in order to increase the competitive quality and relevance of the research as well as the dessemination and use of research is needed

CORE ORGANIC – Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food and Farming (www.coreorganic.org)

CORE Organic is a 3-year FP6 ERA-NET cooperation project between the public bodies responsible for the national funding of research in organic food and farming in 11 EU countries, AT, CH, DE, DK, FI, FR, IT, NL, NO, SE and UK. The overall objective of the project, which started in 2004, was to enhance the quality, relevance and utilisation of resources in European research in organic food and farming by gathering a critical mass and establishing a joint research programme. Project activities have focused at: · Increased exchange of information and establishment of a common, open web-based archive (Organic Eprints: www.orgprints.org) · Coordination of existing research and integration of knowledge · Sharing and developing best practice for evaluating organic research · Identification and coordination of future research In 2007 the CORE Organic partners launched a pilot call for joint transnational research projects in organic food and farming, and 8 research projects were selected for transnational funding by means of a virtual common pot approach. The overall funding budget for the 8 projects, which will be running for 3 years, is about 8.2 million EUR

ORGANIC REVISION – Research to support the revision of the EU Regulation on organic agriculture (www.organic-revision.org)

The FP6 project, EEC 2092/91 (ORGANIC) REVISION www.organic-revision.org has delivered important inputs for the ongoing revision of the Council Regulation (EEC) 2092/91. The project has identified basic ethical values and value differences in organic agriculture and developed a procedure for balancing and integrating these basic values in the revision of the (EEC) 2092/91. It has also established an organic standards database www.organicrules.org on differences of 35 national standards from 14 European countries and the USA and 3 international organic standards compared with the (EEC) 2092/91. as a basis for identifying areas of the (EEC) 2092/91 where harmonisation, simplification or regionalisation could be recommended. The project has also analysed organic feed availability in relation to dietary requirements of pigs and poultry and provided specific recommendations on the criteria for approval of feed inputs. Further, the availability of organic seeds and propagation materials has been assessed, and recommendations on information exchange and decision criteria for the seed derogation regime have been developed. The EEC 2092/91 (Organic) Revision project has contributed to the ongoing revision of the (EEC) 2092/91 by delivering background information for the negotiation process on several issues, such as the integration of objectives and principles based on values in the new Council Regulation (EC) 834/2007 and criteria for the approval of conventional feed ingredients

How to improve end-users' use of research results

The objective of this questionnaire study in 18 European countries is to contribute to the identification of the best ways for disseminating organic research results to stakeholders and end users on a national and transnational level across Europe in order to increase the use of these research results in practice. Another objective is to be able to give better guidance to project participants on how best to plan and disseminate their research in relation to the needs of relevant stakeholders and end-users. Based on the results of the study 8 recommendations are highlighted

Organic Rules and Certification

Development of the database, www.organicrules.org: The database was developed by ICROFS (DARCOF) and FiBL in 2005 - 2006 for comparison of European and international standards with the EU Regulation 2092/91 in the EU FP6 project, ”EEC 2092/91 Revision” (www.organic-revision). In the EU FP7 project, Economic Analysis of Certification Systems in Organic Food and Farming, www.CERTCOST.org (2008-2011). The database has been further developed by ICROFS. The information for the database is collected by the 9 partners of the CERTCOST project, and it is edited by Lizzie Melby Jespersen, ICROFS

Bedre økologisk kontrol og certificering i Europa

Poster presented at the Danish Organic Congress, 17.-18. November 2009, Odense, Denmar

The European Regulatory Framework and its implementation in influencing organic inspection and certification systems in the EU

The report presents a review of the most important European and international legislation that set the framework for organic certification, of reports prepared by international agencies working with organic standard setting and certification, and of relevant scientific literature. It discusses problems, future challenges of the organic control systems in Europe leading to suggestions for improvement. Food quality assurance is of key importance for the future development of the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU. A large number of mandatory and voluntary assurance and certification schemes exist for agriculture and in the food industry leading to the risk of increased costs for producers and confusion of consumers. Such schemes include the setting of requirements and bodies that undertake control and provide certificates. Requirements can be divided into statutory regulations regarding food safety and good agricultural practice and standards for voluntary attributes. Basic requirements of food safety, animal health and animal welfare are controlled by the Official Food and Feed Control (OFFC) systems, governed by Council Regulation (EC) 882/2004. Third party certification provides credibility to claims related to voluntary standards and is communicated to the consumers through the use of certification marks. The EU has developed a legislative basis for quality claims in relation to geographical indications, traditional specialities and organic farming and considers introducing labelling rules in relation to animal welfare, environmental impact and the origin of raw materials. Organic certification is one of a number of overlapping and competing schemes. The development of organic standards and certification in Europe started with private standards and national rules, leading to Regulation (EEC) 2092/1991. The requirements for competent authorities, control bodies and operators in this regulation regarding the control systems are reviewed. The discussion highlights the low level of knowledge among consumers of the requirements of organic certification, a weak emphasis of the control system on operator responsibility for organic integrity, issues of competition and surveillance of control bodies, a lack of consideration of risk factors in designing the inspection systems and a lack of transparency. A total revision of the European Regulations on organic production began in 2005. One important change introduced by the new Council Regulation (EC) 834/2007 for Organic Food and Farming is that the organic control system is placed under the umbrella of Council Regulation (EC) 882/2004 on Official Food and Feed Controls. Regulation (EC) 834/2007 also requires that control bodies have to be accredited according to general requirements for bodies operating product certification systems (ISO Guide 65/EN 45011). From July 2010 packaged organic products will have to carry the new EU logo as well as the compulsory indication of the control body. The report reviews the requirements for competent authorities, control bodies and operators from the various legal sources. The discussion highlights a lack of clarity on the impact of the OFFC regulation on the organic control system including how risk based inspections are to be implemented and the potential for in-consistencies in the enforcement of the regulation. A number of international initiatives concerned with the harmonisation of organic standards and to a lesser extent certification are reviewed, such as the International Task Force on Harmonisation and Equivalence (ITF)1 Two main alternative guarantee systems for organic production have been developed and researched by a number of organisations including IFOAM, ISEAL, FAO and the EU Commission. Smallholder Group Certification based on an Internal Control System (ICS) and Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) could also represent ways to minimize certification costs also for European farmers, in particular for operators that market directly or through very short supply chains. Both systems also illustrate examples of certification systems with a focus on system development and improvement. , the European Organic Certifiers Council (EOOC), the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL) and the Anti-Fraud Initiative (AFI). The multilateral initiatives have led to a better understanding of current problems and the scope and limitations for harmonisation. They have also contributed to the sharing of tools and methods and the identification of best practice. Apart from organic farming the European Union has two other food quality schemes: Regulation (EC) 510/2006 on geographical indications and Regulation (EC) 509/2006 on traditional specialities. The report explores the potential for combining these with organic certification, and draws lessons for organic certification based on Italian experience. The final chapter summarises problems and challenges from the previous chapters. Suggestions for improvements of the organic control system focus on two issues: the need for further harmonisation of the surveillance of control bodies and enforcement of the regulation and how operators’ responsibility for further development of organic systems could be supported in the control and certification system

Contribution of organic farming to public goods in Denmark

The potential contribution of organic farming to the public goods, ‘Nature and Biodiversity’, ‘Environment’, ‘Energy and Climate’, ‘Human Health and Welfare’ and ‘Animal Health and Welfare’ in Denmark is guided and partly secured by the principles and specific requirements of the EU Organic Regulation. However, other factors, such as the production type, farm size, geographical location and—not the least—the management of the farm, also influence the contribution. Using the ban on synthetic pesticides and restricted use of antibiotics, including the requirements to compensate for and prevent such uses in organic farming, as examples, the positive and negative contributions of organic farming in relation to selected public goods were analysed. The contributions of organic farming to Nature and Biodiversity and Human and Animal Health and Welfare are mainly positive compared to conventional farming for all farm types, whilst the effects on Environment and Energy and Climate are mixed; i.e. some effects are positive and others are negative. The analysis revealed a need for further documentation and revision of the organic principles and specific organic requirements— in particular in relation to the public goods Energy and Climate, which at present are not addressed in the EU Organic Regulation. Moreover, some organic farming requirements and practices cause dilemmas; e.g. more space per animal and outdoor access improves Animal Health and Welfare but at the same time has negative effects on Environment, Energy Consumption and Climate Change. These dilemmas should be solved before OA may be fully attractive as an integrated policy measure supporting jointly several public goods objectives

Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda for Organics and agroecology

TP Organics is one of the 40 European Technology Platforms recognized by the European Commission. Since 2007, TP Organics has been shaping research and innovation agendas to advocate for more sustainable food and farming systems in Europe based on organic and agroecological principles. The research priorities outlined in this publication are the result of intensive discussions, workshops and consultations that TP Organics held in 2018–2019. The priorities are the reflection of the knowledge and innovation needs of farmers, processors, companies, and civil society groups. They are eager to work with researchers and transform the food and farming systems of Europe. Our food and farming systems need to be climate-neutral, circular, diverse and fair. They need to be prepared for the rapid digitalisation of our economies, which brings new opportunities but also comes with risks. To achieve this, all actors need to change the way we produce and consume our food. Policy makers have a crucial role to play in this transformation. Their role is to ensure a common, integrated and holistic approach to food policy. An approach that has a long-term vision for the future, harmonizes goals, strategies and actions across sectors1, prioritizes investment for public goods and engages diverse actors in making this happen. TP Organics is convinced that research and innovation on organics and agroecology can enable the transition of our food systems towards a more sustainable future for all. The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda shows concrete research areas and priorities that need to receive proper support at EU level, in particular through Horizon Europe, the European Partnerships and Missions as well as EIP-AGRI, in order to leverage the potential of organics and agroecology