ORWINE: towards a European regulation for organic wine-making

The project aims at solving the legislative problem of the lack of EU regulation on organic wine-making by producing a scientific data set to support the EU commission to develop the legislative framework. Data about currently applied practices, consumer and market needs in significant areas were gathered in all significant wine producing areas of EU and some new member states. Test series with suitable and innovative technologies to improve the quality of wines from organic viticulture, allowing using a low level of sulphites are conducted and validated on selected pilot wineries. Moreover the results and regulatory proposals are discussed with a participatory approach with stakeholders on national levels as well as on European level, ensuring a high acceptance of the proposed legislative framework. Besides a code of best practices as well as a simplified environment assessment tool will be developed to give guidance to produce high quality wine while limiting the impact on the environment

THE SEED SOURCES OF ORGANIC FARMERS IN ITALY

This paper presents the result of the survey done in 2010 by AIAB on the seed sources in Organic Agriculture (OA) in Italy. The aim of this work is to better understand and clarify the relationships between the formal and informal seed system (Almekinders and Louwaars, 2000) and quantify the role of the latter in OA. In a time where the choice of the varieties to grow will be in the hands of public institutions or seed industries (GRAIN, 2008), it is pivotal to check the needs of Organic farmers and the seed they are sowing. The questions addressed were: a. Are Organic farmers still self-producing seeds? b. Are they using only varieties listed in Official National Catalogue? c. What is the role of old varieties not listed anymore or local varieties in organic systems? d. What is the role of exchange amongst farmers in the supply of new varieties? e. What are their needs in term of variety characteristics? This survey was undertaken within the EU project SOLIBAM and in the framework of the Italian National Plan on Organic Seed

New criteria for inputs

Hot points of the actual version of art.7 Non-contact clause “the conditions for their use preclude any direct contact with the seed, the crop, crop products or livestock and livestock products; however, in the case of perennial crops, direct contact may take place, but only outside the growing season of the edible parts (fruits) provided that such application does not indirectly result in the presence of residues of the product in the edible parts” Traditional use condition “The conditions provided for in paragraph 1 shall not apply to products which were in common use before the adoption of this Regulation according to the codes of practice on organic farming followed in the Community.

The potentials of organic farming in the European Innovation Policy

The presentations shows how the entrepreneur organic farmers have contributed to increase the common knowledge even before the implementations of EIP-Agri. That's why they have now the best potentials for being active parts fo the different European innovation iniciatives

EU Organic Wine Regulation: Conclusions from the ORWINE Project

Results from the ORWINE project on the EU regulatio

On-going work of Focus Group Organic Farming

On-going work of Focus Group Organic Farming

Identification of the best methods for learning and knowledge exchange. Organic Knowledge Network Arable Report D 3.2

The main goal of the report was to identify processes and tools that better facilitated learning and knowledge exchange among farmers and advisers as well as among farmers, advisers, researchers and the agriculture community as a whole. The main topics of the knowledge exchange were related to organic arable crops. The outcome will serve as a guide to use the knowledge gathered within the project but will also serve for a broader scope

D.3.3: Collection of end-user material

The main aim of OK-net Arable project is to make available tools that facilitate exchange of knowledge and promote co-production of knowledge relevant for farmers to help them improve organic arable cropping. This report is the main outcome of task 3.3 of the project. The goal of this task was to identify criteria for relevant end-user and education material, select the best materials among those already available and develop new material, based on state-of-the-art research results and best practices (deliverable D3.1) and the recommended methods and tools for knowledge exchange (deliverable D3.2) in each of the thematic areas important for organic arable farmers (soil quality & fertility, nutrient management, weed control, pest & disease control as well as cropping systems and crop specific tools)

Technology Platform Organics: Knowledge Generation and Exchange in Organic Food And Farming Research

The paper illustrates the role and activities of Technology Platform Organics (TP Organics) in addressing the requirement that research in organic food and farming systems generates output of relevance to wider end-users. It describes approaches to research and knowledge exchange and suggests that a more participatory approach can improve organic research outcomes. It describes different models of research and knowledge exchange and their pros and cons. The criteria for success of a participatory approach to research also need to be different. These are discussed

Implementation Action Plan for organic food and farming research

The Implementation Action Plan completes TP Organics’ trilogy of key documents of the Research Vision to 2025 (Niggli et al 2008) and the Strategic Research Agenda (Schmid et al 2009). The Implementation Action Plan addresses important areas for a successful implementation of the Strategic Research Agenda. It explores the strength of Europe’s organic sector on the world stage with about one quarter of the world’s organic agricultural land in 2008 and accounting for more than half of the global organic market. The aims and objectives of organic farming reflect a broad range of societal demands on the multiple roles of agriculture and food production of not only producing commodities but also ecosystem services. These are important for Europe’s economic success, the resilience of its farms and prosperity in its rural areas. The organic sector is a leading market for quality and authenticity: values at the heart of European food culture. Innovation is important across the EU economy, and no less so within the organic sector. The Implementation Action Plan devotes its third chapter to considering how innovation can be stimulated through organic food and farming research and, crucially, translated into changes in business and agricultural practice. TP Organics argues for a broad understanding of innovation that includes technology, know-how and social/organisational innovations. Accordingly, innovation can involve different actors throughout the food sector. Many examples illustrate innovations in the organic sector includign and beyond technology. The various restrictions imposed by organic standards have driven change and turned organic farms and food businesses into creative living laboratories for smart and green innovations and the sector will continue to generate new examples. The research topics proposed by TP Organics in the Strategic Research Agenda can drive innovation in areas as wide ranging as production practices for crops, technologies for livestock, food processing, quality management, on-farm renewable energy or insights into the effects of consumption of organic products on disease and wellbeing and life style of citizens. Importantly, many approaches developed within the sector are relevant and useful beyond the specific sector. The fourth chapter addresses knowledge management in organic agriculture, focusing on the further development of participatory research methods. Participatory (or trans-disciplinary) models recognise the worth and importance of different forms of knowledge and reduced boundaries between the generators and the users of knowledge, while respecting and benefitting from transparent division of tasks. The emphasis on joint creation and exchange of knowledge makes them valuable as part of a knowledge management toolkit as they have the capacity to enhance the translation of research outcomes into practical changes and lead to real-world progress. The Implementation Action Plan argues for the wider application of participatory methods in publicly-funded research and also proposes some criteria for evaluating participatory research, such as the involvement and satisfaction of stakeholders as well as real improvements in sustainability and delivery of public goods/services. European agriculture faces specific challenges but at the same time Europe has a unique potential for the development of agro-ecology based solutions that must be supported through well focused research. TP Organics believes that the most effective approaches in agriculture and food research will be systems-based, multi- and trans-disciplinary, and that in the development of research priorities, the interconnections between biodiversity, dietary diversity, functional diversity and health must be taken into account. Chapter five of the action plan identifies six themes which could be used to organise research and innovation activities in agriculture under Europe’s 8th Framework Programme on Research Cooperation: • Eco-functional intensification – A new area of agricultural research which aims to harness beneficial activities of the ecosystem to increase productivity in agriculture. • The economics of high output / low input farming Developing reliable economic and environmental assessments of new recycling, renewable-based and efficiency-boosting technologies for agriculture. • Health care schemes for livestock Shifting from therapeutics to livestock health care schemes based on good husbandry and disease prevention. • Resilience and “sustainagility” Dealing with a more rapidly changing environment by focusing on ‘adaptive capacity’ to help build resilience of farmers, farms and production methods. • From farm diversity to food diversity and health and wellbeing of citizens Building on existing initiatives to reconnect consumers and producers, use a ‘whole food chain’ approach to improve availability of natural and authentic foods. • Creating centres of innovation in farming communities A network of centres in Europe applying and developing trans-disciplinary and participatory scientific approaches to support innovation among farmers and SMEs and improving research capacities across Europe