2001 Consultation of organic farming research priorities in the UK

The following reports a consultation of organic farming research priorities in the UK in 2001. The information was collated by Organic Centre Wales, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth on behalf of MAFF organic farming unit and UKROFS A total of 62 responses received, of which 24 from farmers, 12 from researchers and research organisations and 26 from organic producers and other farming organisations Information on ongoing research was derived from the MAFF 2001 organic farming research review, SERAD listing of organic farming projects and MAFF project OFO171, Review of current European research on organic farming

Workshop and desk study to appraise technical difficulties associated with organic breeder flocks and organic hatching

BACKGROUND To date, Regulation (EC) 1804/1999 and UKROFS Standards allow conventionally produced day old chicks up to three days of age to be brought into systems of organic table chicken production. Chicks must be reared according to the rules laid down in Regulation (EC) 1804/1999 and according to UKROFS Standards for at least 70 days before the birds may be sold as being organic. The derogation for organic breeder flocks was agreed for a transitional period expiring on 31st December 2003. An extension to the derogation is being discussed at EU level (Article 14 Committee) but, as an interim measure, a new end date has not yet been published in the Official Journal. If chicks are to be produced from breeder flocks in accordance with Regulation (EC) 1804/1999 this may potentially create a number of scientific and technical problems. A series of workshops and a literature review were commissioned by Defra to provide possible solutions to these problems. OBJECTIVES 1. To organise a workshop involving key representatives of Defra, Soil Association, the poultry industry (organic and conventional), feed trade and scientific community and poultry veterinary practitioners in order to identify the important technical problems and limiting factors, and to identify possible solutions. 2. To address some of the perceived technical and scientific problems by means of a review of the scientific literature. 3. To convene a second workshop to review progress and to discuss the findings of the literature review. The second workshop also considered future research needs and mechanisms for technology transfer. The initial workshop identified factors likely to limit the success of organic breeder production, and therefore of organic table chicken production. The priority issues were: the energy balance of breeders on range; supplying protein and amino acids; the future needs for 100% organic feed ingredients, including difficulties in meeting energy and protein requirements from organic sources; assessing the impact of diet on manure nutrient content; and health and disease. IMPLICATIONS OF FINDINGS, FUTURE WORK AND POLICY RELEVANCE The project addressed Defra’s policy of supporting the development of organic poultry production in the UK. The work identified specific difficulties associated with organic breeding and hatching. Although information collected through consultation and literature review, provide some insight into the technical issues, significant information gaps remain. Requirements for further research were considered by workshop participants, and their recommendations include; 1. Bioenergetics Research into the energy balance of female birds, in particular the effects of feather cover and locomotion, and the time spent outdoors, has a high priority. The provision of outdoor shelter is also worthy of calorimetric investigation. 2. Nutrition Choice feeding may offer an approach address the problems of energy and protein balance, as related to the thermal environment. 3. Monitoring disease status The effects of rearing according to the organic requirements requires monitoring both for bird welfare and public health. 4. Nutrient budgets The monitoring of inputs and outputs in order to calculate plant nutrient budgets is required both on an individual farm and local co-operative basis. This requires data on manure nutrient content. 5. Sex ratios Outdoor systems may require different male:female ratios. 6. Management of slow growing breeder hybrids This has not yet been assessed in UK outdoor systems. Factors to be investigated include target body weights and variations in body weight. Flock performances, labour costs, and optimal flock life are factors requiring further investigation before sound advice, including guideline costings, can be offered to producers

Elm Farm Organic Research Centre Bulletin 83 April 2006

Regular bulleting with technical updates from Organic Advisory Service Issue contains: Testing for Tolerance - a pragmatic view GM Debate Vaccination nation - to jab or not to jab Future shape of OCIS Evolutionary wheat makes the grade? NIAB tracks health of organic cereal seed Stopping erosion of soil quality - the organic way Care needed to halt butterfly collapse Aspects of poultry behaviour: How free range is free range? On choosing an organic wheat A local education challenge New Wakelyns Science Building Organic vegetable market growt

Towards animal oriented rearing methods in organic production systems

One of the foundations of organic animal production systems is that animals are kept in a more natural way. In terms of housing, animals get more space, have access to outside areas and are fed organic rations. This results in unique, farm-specific production systems with emphasis on animal welfare and product quality. In recent years it has become clear that strategies to rear replacement animals are getting more important. There is a public demand for more animal oriented, sustainable production systems. Also farmers realize that rearing is the key to raise suitable animals that fit into their production system. Circumstances during the rearing period affect health, wellbeing and production, not only during the rearing period itself, but also during later life. In organic egg production and in organic milk production farmers realize that organic production requires organically sound rearing practices

The effect of organic farming systems on aspects of the environment - desk study OF0123

Key Conclusions 1. The crop rotations of organic systems maintain landscape diversity and biodiversity whilst the maintenance of field boundaries on organic units produces benefits to a wide range of organisms. 2. Inorganic nitrogen fertilisation and herbicide treatments of conventionally managed grassland has reduced the floral diversity of permanent pastures and maintained the low diversity of re-seeded pastures, greatly reducing their value as wildlife habitats. 3. Pesticide use is responsible for the removal of food sourcesfor birds and mammals in the form of weeds and invertebrates, as well as removing whole populations of potentially beneficial insects. 4. The majority of water pollution incidents from farms are caused during storage and spreading of cattle and pig slurries. A higher proportion of organic cattle and virtually all organic pigs are kept on solid manure systems and therefore are les of a risk. 5. The nitrogen balance of individual 'conventional' and 'organic' systems will depend greatly on the circumstances and management practices of the individual farms. Consequently it is not possible to generalise that one system is always better than the other in terms of nitrate leaching risk. With this qualification the literature does indicate that generally, organic systems offer less risk of nitrate leaching. 6. Organic systems are less likely to cause loss of phosphate into surface and ground waters. Both leaching and loss in eroded soil are likely to be reduced. 7. Organic management practicess such as rotations, the regular use of manures and non-use of pesticides usually increase soil organic matter contents. 8. Organic practices are likely to increase earthworm numbers compared to conventional systems. The increased numbers are universally acknowledged to benefit soil fertility although such effects are difficult to quantify. 9. Soil erosion is less of a problem on organic units. 10. Accumulations of copper and zinc in soils are much reduced in organic systems because organic pig and poultry producers do not supplement feeds with these metals as growth promoters. Copper fungicides are more widely used on organic farms and their use should be carefully monitored to prevent harmful effects. 11. The practices adopted by organic farmers can reduce emissions of nitrous oxide and methane. Ammonia emissions will not necessarily be less in organic than in conventional farming. 12. Organic farmers adopt practices which benefit the landscape. They maintain and introduce features largely because they are required by the Organic Standards to do so. They introduce such management practices because they are technically necessary for successful organic production

Scavenging Poultry for Poverty Alleviation: A review of experiences with a focus on Bangladesh

Report prepared for International Livestock Research Institute.Food Security and Poverty, Livestock Production/Industries,

THE DIFFUSION OF LIVESTOCK BREEDING TECHNOLOGY IN THE U.S.: OBSERVATIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TECHNICAL CHANGE AND INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

Livestock Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Yearbook of Organic Farming in the Czech Republic 2009

The yearbook brings summary of situation on field of organic farming, production, sale, distribution, consumption, promotion, education and research in the Czech Republic. The total acreage of organically farmed land at 31. 12. 2009 had increased to 398,407 ha, which represents 9,38 % of total agricultural land in CZ. Acreage under conversion had reached 26 % (i.e. 103,964 ha). This means the biggest yearly increase in the whole history of OF development (i.e. an increase of 56,775 ha)

The poultry and pig sector in Argentina : husbandry practice and animal welfare

This report gives an overview of the current husbandry and management practices in the poultry and pig sector in Argentina related to animal welfare. The research centered on a description of the broiler, layer and pig sector in Argentina, the regulatory framework in force in Argentina with respect to animal welfare and a survey on husbandry practice in the poultry and pig sector