Seminar Organic Farming and Rural development in the context of Lisbon Strategy

1

Research to contribute to the competitiveness of
Organic Agriculture

• Seminar Organic Farming and Rural development in
  the context of Lisbon Strategy
• Brussels (Belgium)
• 19-20 Setember 2006

2
Research to contribute to the competitiveness of
Organic Agriculture Agenda Points

• Update about running EU Projects
• 1.2 Organic Action Plan evaluation (ORGAP)
  Dissemination activities News, Forum Discussion,
  implementation Manual and others, Early
  assessment of potential risks and implementation
  problems with the EU-AP OF F
• 1.2 Organic Revision Project vegetables organic
  seeds production, conclusions of the last
  Seminar Differences in derogations .
• 1.3 Organic wine (Orwine) Contributions for a
  definition
• 1.4 Statistics for Organic Farming (EISfOM)
• 2. Organic Farming within the 7th Framework
  Research Programme
• 2.1 Topics in the view of Organic farming and RD
  actions
• 2.2 The Technology Platform for Organic Food
  Farming  - concept and next steps
• 2.3 IFOAM EU Group in Research Dissemination
  activities in EU research events (Biofach
  Kongress Hohenheim Conference)

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1. Update about running EU Projects 1.1 ORGAP
Project Workpackages
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IFOAM EU Contribution in Orgap tasks
5
Ancona
Brussels
Frick
Brussels
Brussels
2005
2006
2007
2.1 Evaluation toolbox 2.2 Discussion nat. WS 2.3
Finalizing toolbox
3.1 AP Desk Analysis 3.2 Analysis of
evaluations 3.3 Case study analysis WS 3.4
Conflict/synergies WS 3.5 Cross-country analysis
WP 4 EAP ANALYSIS
WP 5 SYNTHESIS/RECOMMANDATIONS
6.1 Stakeholder participation WS 6.2 AC meetings
organisation 6.3 Electronic consultation
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Orgap Newsletter

• Promised 3 issues per year
• Published only the first Issue on General
  Aspects of OAP
• Second Issues Up-date of the OAP, EU National
  level
• Following Issues Covering the evaluation along
  the whole food chain, focussed in the following
  areas)
• Training, education and Research
• Information
• Production
• Processing
• Market development
• Certification
• Public expenditures

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ORGAP Discussion Forum thematics EU Regulation
again ?

• a) The current discussion on the New proposal for
  an EU Regulation is covered by several projects
  and other activities (Actions 8, 9, 10, 12, 13,
  16, 17, 19, 21)
• Action 8 Defining the principles of organic
  farming
• Action 9 Maintaining deadlines for derogations
• Action 10 Complete and harmonise the standards
• Action 12 GM contamination
• Action 13 Risk based approach cross inspections
  
• Action 16 Better co-ordination inspection
  activities
• Action 17 Specific accreditation system for
  organic inspection bodies
• Action 19 Imports and equivalency
• Action 21 International negotiation mandate

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ORGAP Discussion Forum thematics Introduction

• b) Some aspects are being discussed in other
  projects, like
• (Action 2) Internet database on the private and
  national standards (Covered by the Organic
  Revision Project)
• (Action 3) Statistical data (Covered by EISfOM,
  with ifoam eu participation)
• (Action 7) Research (covered by Core Organic
  Project ?)
• (Action 11) Expert panel for technical advice
  (covered by Organic Inputs Project)
• a) We propose a set of thematics for the rest of
  actions

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Orgap Forum discussion Proposed discussion
themathics

• Organic Promotion and communication campaings
  (Action 1)
• Rural development and organic support (Actions
  3,4,5)
• Top-up support for producer organisations in FV
  sector (Action 3) Web-based menu listing EU
  measures (Action 4) Use of RD Programme
  instruments (Action 5)
• 3. Develop sampling analytical methods (Action
  14) and partly organic research (Action 7)
• 4. Organic Inspection and Certification in the
  EU Publishing information on breaches (Action
  18) Use of land parcel identification (Action
  15). Also some aspects of Risk based approach
  cross inspections (Action 13) Better
  co-ordination inspection activities (Action 16)
  Specific accreditation system for organic
  inspection bodies (Action 17)
• 6. International standards and capacity building
  (Action 20). Partly Imports and equivalency
  (Action 19)

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ORGAP Electronic consultation
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ORGAP Electronic consultation
12
ORGAP Electronic consultation
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Early assessment of potential risks and
implementation problems with the EU-AP OFF
14
Orgap Early assessment of potential risks and
implementation problems with the EU-AP OFF

• WP4 task 4.1.- individual exercise

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Organic Revision ProjectWP 5 Organic seeds
emancipation

• Conclusions of the Seminar on vegetables organic
  seeds production in Holland (ECO-PB)
• Comparison of the information of coming from MMSS
  regarding cereals derogation and other crops (A
  Thommen)
• Organic seeds quality and use in the EU (report
  from Micheloni, Rovignoni, 2006)
• Are there some consequences for Organic seeds
  national database regulation from 2003?

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Dependence of organic vegetable production on
conventional seeds are we ready for
emancipation? Working conclusions of the WP5

• To compel now organic vegetables producers to use
  exclusively organic seeds will turn out in
  detrimental effects on organic farming
  performances and global system achievements
  reduction of cultivated biodiversity and all its
  historical, traditional and gastronomic
  knowledge use of varieties that do not fit to
  cultivation techniques and as a consequence do
  not perform at best nor ecologically nor
  agronomically nor economically damage in the
  long run to the whole system, seed producers
  included.
• At the same time the integrity principle may not
  be endangered by conventional seed use as much as
  other allowed practices. For example soil-less
  vegetable cultivation or the use of
  non-registered plant protection products (even if
  of natural origin), both allowed in organic
  farming in certain Member States, might have a
  higher impact on consumers evaluation.
• It does not mean that organic seeds use is not a
  priority or has no importance for the system, but
  that the regulatory tool may be not the right one
  to reach the goals identified by the organic
  movement and to enhance positive perspectives for
  seed producer companies.

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Dependence of organic vegetable production on
conventional seeds are we ready for
emancipation? Working conclusions of the WP5

• The dilemma of depending on conventional seeds
  and propagation material may need longer time to
  be faced and properly solved than what was
  foreseen when EU regulation started to require
  organic seed use. It is likely that the
  emancipation from conventional seed will be
  provided by a combination of factors
• a) development of breeding programs (public and
  private) that allow to identify proper varieties
  for organic farming, that will be preferred by
  organic farmers due to their quality
• b) further development of organic seed production
  that may decrease organic seed price and avoid
  the use on non-available varieties just for
  economic reasons
• c) heritage/local varieties scientific
  identification, recuperation and improvement
  programs that allow to link product to specific
  production area
• d) development of on-farm seed production
  techniques that may allow to obtain high quality
  seeds at reasonable prices and with high
  characterization with production area and
  producers.
• To conclude the organic system wants to
  emancipate from conventional seeds but with the
  right tools, that probably are not (only) the
  regulation compulsory requirement for organic
  seed use.

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Orwine Project

• 1- Discussion about how to define organic wine
• Organic wine contains so much SO2 and few other
  things listed in annex VI
• Wine and especially wine market is quite
  different from any other food market and besides
  AOC marks are significant
• To be completed.
• 2- Information of the regulatory framework and
  standards for organic wine processing in EU
  countries.

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The proposed new Research 7th Framework topics in
the view of Organic farming and Rural Development
actions

• The organic food and farming sector is gravely
  concerned that support for Organic Farming
  research will decrease in the 7th Framework
  Research Programme.
• Support for Organic Farming focused research has
  increased significantly in successive EU research
  funding frameworks, from approximately 5 million
  under FP3 (AIR 4), 11 million under FP4
  (FAIR), 33 million under FP 5 (QOL) and
  probably 35 million under FP 6.

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Development of EU support for organic farming
research
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The proposed new Research 7th Framework topics in
the view of Organic farming and Rural Development
actions

• What is needed?
• Group A Direct support projects
• - Organic system development in production and
  processing
• - Specific market and consumer research
• - Specific policy support projects.
• Group B. Indirect support projects
• - Comparison projects (which are of interest
  mainly for the public society but does not
  contribute to system development (e.g.
  contribution of Organic Farming to biodiversity,
  societal benefits of organic farming).
• - Projects focussing on reduction in
  energy/fossil fuel use, environmental impact,
  food quality and safety through organic and low
  input agriculture

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Justification for more specific research support
for OF

• 1. To improve the competitiveness and
  cost-efficiency of European organic agriculture
  and food processing. This is particular important
  with regard to the growing competition with
  imports of organic products from overseas (USA,
  China).
• 2. To develop new innovative technologies and a
  knowledge-based sustainable agriculture and food
  processing with research, which can be overtaken
  by many low-input farming systems and farms in
  many areas in Europe and could facilitate the
  conversion to Organic Farming and a more
  sustainable consumption.
• 3. To support farmers and processors in new
  member states with specific research support and
  knowledge transfer to facilitate the adoption of
  organic agriculture and food processing.

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Other research activities and actions

• The Technology Platform for Organic Food and
  Farming  - concept and next steps
• IFOAM EU Group in Research Dissemination
  presenting papers in
• Biofach Kongress
• Hohenheim Conference
• Other places?

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Organic Statistics. EISfOM

• FSS 2010 census (Eurostat) steps are currently
  being taken to define it, both as a census and as
  some additional modules to be carried out at the
  same time, one of which will focus on organic
  farming (certified).
• Questions to be covered production quantities,
  marketing channels, utilisation of production on
  farm, and farm gate prices
• Other questions background qualifications,
  farming experience and other characteristics of
  organic farmers, and help understand issues
  relating to labour use on organic farms
• Including non-certified but AE policy-supported
  organic farming as a separate category?
• EISfOM team will be consulted when they do start.
  This would be a unique opportunity to capture a
  lot of data if specified correctly.
• Do you have some thoughs about this?.

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Soil strategy calls for risks areas to be
identified Rehabilitated

• MS will have to identify areas most at risk of
  soil degradation, potentially including areas of
  farmland, establish national plans to
  rehabilitate them, according to the Commissions
  long-awaited strategy on the protection of soil
  published today.
• Accompanied by a Framework Directive, the
  strategy outlines a number of policy
  initiatives, both new building on existing
  Community policies, designed to protect Europes
  soil against erosion, organic matter decline,
  salinisation, compaction, landslides, sealing
  contamination.
• More information the documents
  http//ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/index.htmthe
  matic_strategy
• Research needed?