No. 1 · May 2005

ERA-NET

Transnational research cooperation in organic food and farming

CORE Organic is an acronym for "Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food and Farming". The project commenced in October 2004 as a part of the European ERA-NET scheme and it will last for three years. Initially the project involves 11 partners, but more are welcomed. Read the introduction to CORE Organic


Plans and outcome

CORE Organic is to step up cooperation and coordination of research activities carried out at partner states. In order to do so a number of tools will be developed; e.g. an internet portal, a common project database.

Furthermore, analyses will be carried out in order to improve the research and to develop methods to evaluate the research. The final task is the establishment of a joint research programme. Read the article

Organic research events

Each issue of CORE Organic news will bring an overview of coming events regarding research in organic food and farming.

Current events are:

Summer academy in Czech Republic
Researching sustainable systems
Rural development 2005
Joint organic congress in 2006


Gluing it together

Transnational collaboration is not necessarily formal

Transnational research cooperation takes place in various networks. Some networks are carried out in a European context; others in bilateral collaboration and some are established under the auspice of private organizations.

One of the objectives of CORE Organic is to build a link collection to current networks. More..


Around Europe

News on research issues

Each issue of CORE Organic news will bring an overview of current topics in the individual countries regarding research in organic food and farming.

Germany
Knowledge transfer and information exchange
Challenges in animal health
New University Programme “Organic Food Chain Management”
First Organic Agriculture Programmes of Study received European accreditation at the University of Kassel

Norway
New research organisation in organic food and farming
Trace elements in organic livestock farming

United Kingdom
New research priorities at Defra

Sweden
More biodiversity with organic farming

Denmark
New research programme in organic food and farming

Switzerland
Swiss Coordination Group on Organic Agriculture Researc

News from European research

100 percent organic feeding – what should be the rule?

In each issue of CORE Organic news we will bring highlights from the European research on organic food and farming. In this issue we report from the EU supported projects Organic Revision.

In the Organic Revision project two preliminary reports have been released; both reports are investigating the possibilities and limitations for 100 per cent organic feeding in Europe. And all thou the issue is comprehensive and complex, the message is clear - it is possible. Read the article

Trends in organic farming research in the Netherlands

"One of the important political ambitions is to use the innovative strength of the organic production sector to increase the sustainability of the whole agricultural sector. Organic farming may serve as forefront of the development of the conventional agriculture. Many cases in organic farming are shown as examples of the innovative power to improve sustainability and they may serve as pilots for implementation in conventional farming".

Greet Blom-Zandstra and Eddy Teenstra from the Innovation Centre Organic Agriculture (IBL) review the current trends in the Netherlands