Book review: beyond mechanical markets: asset price swings, risk, and the role of the state

Barbara Richter gets to grips with the serious possibility of a new economic model, finding many ideas that deserve to be read and discussed

Results of the EISfOM project investigation into the current situation of data collection and processing

Conclusion - Currently few public data collection and processing systems on an international level exist with regard to the organic agriculture and food sector (however FAO, EUROSTAT, IFOAM have startes activities). - Less activities aree run to harmonise national organic data collection systems on an international level. - Investment decisions of market actors and support decisions of policy makers are taken under conditions of great uncertainty. - Organic data know-how in most countries concentrated on less and private minds. - Public demand for organic data presently often are just statements and action plan points to support organic farming in theory. - Partly the link is missing between political objectives (on national and international level) and realisation by statistic authorities. - The EU-project European Inforamtion Systems for Organic Markets will assist all national and international efforts to improve organic data collecting in next two years