About the Technology Platform on Organic Farming

Summary

At a meeting, a so-called vision camp, in Hagenthal-le-bas in France (info) the first steps towards a technology platform for organic farming were taken in June 2007.

Currently the platform process ist lead by the IFOAM EU Group in cooperation with the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research ISOFAR.

The second draft of a Vision for an Organic Food and Farming Research Agenda 2025 - Food, Fairness and Ecology – (Vision paper ) was made available in March 2008.

An electronic consultation started on March 26 and will end on April 25, 2008.

 

Detailed Background

• At a meeting, a so-called vision camp, in Hagenthal-le-bas in France (info) the first steps towards a technology platform for organic farming were taken in June 2007. More than 30 farmers, processors, retailers and scientists discussed different scenarios for agriculture and food systems in the year 2025, positioned the organic industry within that context and debated concepts that would answer the big challenges of the future.
• The Vision Camp in France was the basis for the first draft of the Vision Paper.
• After an internal consultation round of the expert group, the paper was subject of a two-month public consultation, including a discussion at the IFOAM EU Organic Congress in Brussels, December 2007.
• This consultation was open to stakeholders outside the organic sector to ensure a transparent process and to broaden the legitimacy of the vision.
• The current re-drafted 2nd version of the research vision (Vision paper, 2nd draft) is a result of the received input and is open for an electronic consultation which started on March 26 and will end on April 25, 2008.
• A further elaborated version will be discussed at the EU stakeholder forum in May 2008.
• Parallel to this process, a Technology Platform focussing on sustainable food systems and public goods titled ‘Food, Fairness and Ecology' will be established. In addition to the IFOAM EU Group and ISOFAR, various other organisations have already committed themselves to the TP: European Environmental Bureau [EEB], the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions [EFFAT], the European Council of Young Farmers [CEJA] and the Foundation for Future Farming.
• Currently, discussions with further interested organisations are underway. The participation of the industry (processing and trade companies, machine industry) will be directly targeted.
• The secretariat of the Technology Platform is currently hosted at the IFOAM EU Group office in Brussels. The platform will have an official framework, a work structure and work flow.
• Members of the organic agriculture movement, the scientific community and the wider civil society will be asked to contribute as volunteers to the work of the TP. A research concept and a research action plan will be the final outcome of this ambitious endeavour.
• The platform will be officially launched in May 2008.
• The Technology Platform will bundle the research priorities which have to be communicated directly to the EU institutions. It will showcase the huge innovation provided by organic food and farming research, innovation that is to the benefit of the whole European society and will help to identify research priorities.

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