14 October 2004

Joining resources to improve research
in organic food and farming

CORE Organic is a new European initiative to enhance quality, relevance and resource utilisation in organic food and farming research. The initiative comprises 11 European countries supported by the EU-commission

Research in organic food and farming is a new, but rapidly expanding discipline on the European research scene. Organic production is often seen as a possibility for gaining knowledge on how to unite interests in a sustainable development of agriculture, the environment, and the rural districts with improved food safety and quality. In this perspective, research is essential.

One of the problems faced by authorities seeking to initiate research programmes in organic food and farming, is that the present research effort is characterised by small research communities; often scattered and fragmented both geographically and institutionally. Thus there is a need for gathering the dispersed expertise and for increasing the quality and relevance of the research.

To meet this challenge, a new transnational partnership "CORE Organic" is to gather a critical mass and through coordination and collaboration to enhance quality, relevance and utilisation of resources in European research in organic food and farming.

CORE Organic is initiated as a part of the European Commissions ERA-NET Scheme, which intend to step up cooperation between national research activities. The new initiative comprises 11 countries but is open to include all EU countries with a national research programme for research in organic food and farming.

The activities of CORE Organic will include coordination and evaluation of existing research, integration of knowledge and information, and identification and coordination of future research.

By the end of the project, it is the ambition to have established a joint research programme of at least 3 million € per year. Annually, the combined spending on organic research activities in the 11 countries is presently app. 60 million EURO.

Editorial notes

The full title of the project is "Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food and Farming". The project acronym is CORE Organic and the project reference is CA-011716-CORE-ORGANIC

Further information about the project can be obtained from the coordinator or from the relevant national partner. See partner list