Organic Innovation Days...Aphids are a huge problem in organic greenhouse production systems of...
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DECEMBER 1-2, 2015 Organic Innovation Days Selected abstracts
Transcript of Organic Innovation Days...Aphids are a huge problem in organic greenhouse production systems of...
1-2 December 2015
DECEMBER 1-2, 2015
Organic Innovation Days Selected abstracts
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CONTENTS
Theme 1 Innovative technologies for pest management in organic cropping systems ................................................................... 3
Winner: Vite.net®: a decision support system for sustainable management of the vineyards – performance in organic
viticulture ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Pandora bankers for aphid control ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Bioclimatic greenhouse to grow organic vegetables in winter and to improve pest management ............................................... 3
Sweep the scab - Leaf litter remover in apple orchards ................................................................................................................. 4
Onion oil as Psila rosae (carrot fly) repellant in carrots and parsnip ............................................................................................. 4
Solar energy use for pest crop control in Albania ........................................................................................................................... 4
“Oz”, an autonomous robot for mechanical weeding control ........................................................................................................ 4
Flowers for aphids enemies ............................................................................................................................................................ 5
Innovative control of soil pests in organic strawberry plantations ................................................................................................. 5
Detection and Monitoring of turf grass diseases by DNA profiling of fungal pathogens ............................................................... 5
Biodiversity enhancement and utilization – Pest control in brassicas ............................................................................................ 5
Preventing pest and diseases damages through easy plant sap analyses ...................................................................................... 6
Effects of Organic Fertilization on the Population Structure of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Strawberry Plantations under
Organic Farming Conditions ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
Theme 2: New organic food processing concepts and technologies ................................................................................................ 7
Winner: Nitrate reduction in organic meat products .................................................................................................................... 7
Bioplastic -evaluation Tool .............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Development of new quality-diagnostics to assess the bread making potential of organic wheat varieties ................................. 7
Careful processing guidelines ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Theme 3: New business models of value addition at the local level ................................................................................................ 9
Winner: Crowdfunding a small-scale dairy farm ........................................................................................................................... 9
OriginTrail – the traceability App for smartphones: a software solution ensuring transparency in values-based food chains ..... 9
New Concept of a crop ‘variety’ more suitable for organic production: The ‘ORC Wakelyns Population’ Winter Wheat ............. 9
Regiofair Zentralschweiz - Organic farmer driven wholesaler platform to collect and process farm products to make them
ready for organic retail delivery ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Organic biogas production for increased sustainable organic production ................................................................................... 10
Innovative Distribution Network of Organic Products in Latvia: Agricultural Service Cooperative Society “Zaļais grozs” ........... 10
Regional marketing of dry brushed organic potatoes .................................................................................................................. 10
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Cow shares – the alternative finance concept of Hof Klostersee e.V. .......................................................................................... 11
Social processes for innovative added values in organic markets. Participatory Guarantee Systems for meeting small farms and
consumer’s demands .................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Developing social enterprises through diversification of cropping system and partnering with potential long term allies from
the targeted industry for value added products ........................................................................................................................... 11
Fields of the future: Development of two processing tools to valorise new crop varieties for food and cosmetic markets ....... 12
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THEME 1 INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR PEST MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIC CROPPING SYSTEMS
WINNER: VITE.NET®: A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF THE VINEYARDS – PERFORMANCE IN ORGANIC VITICULTURE
A new Decision Support System (DSS), named vite.net®, was developed for sustainable management of vineyards and is intended for the vineyard manager. The DSS has two main parts: (i) an integrated system for real-time monitoring of the vineyard components (air, soil, plants, pests, and diseases); and (ii) a web-based tool that analyses these data by using advanced modelling techniques and then provides up-to-date information for managing the vineyard in the form of alerts and decision supports. The DSS is composed by different modules, which provide up-to-date information, that is tailored to a specific vineyard, with a holistic approach. The DSS offers information on the key aspects of vineyard management: vine growth and grape production, canopy management, crop protection, abiotic stresses, and cropping practices. The DSS is commercially available since January 2013, to date 47 out of 130 users are managing the vineyard under organic regime. Statistics confirm that disease control obtained using vite.net® is not different from that obtained with the usual farm practice, but the advices from the DSS enable the reduction the total amount of copper applied by an average by 37% (both reduced doses and fewer applications). The use of vite.net® in organic farming, therefore, can save the growers an average of 195 €/ha/year relative to the usual farm practice (Rossi et al., 2014).
Contact person: Sara Elisabetta Legler, Horta srl (IT), [email protected]; http://www.horta-srl.com/servizi/sistemi-di-supporto-alle-decisioni/vite-net/
PANDORA BANKERS FOR APHID CONTROL
Aphids are a huge problem in organic greenhouse production systems of sweet pepper, eggplant and cucumber. Growers spend a lot of money on releases of arthropod natural enemies, but without the guarantee of success. The idea of this innovation is to use bankers plants of wheat with grain aphids that carry conidia of a very specific fungal entomopathogen, Pandora neoaphidis, that can induce epizootics among aphids in the crop, thereby controlling this pest. This fungus is known to be very aggressive and able to kill large populations of aphids in a short time. So far, this entomopathogen has not been applied, as there is no registration of a product. One of the reasons is that these obligate fungi are not easy to mass produce on artificial diets. The introduction of banker plants solves this problem. Growers can now maintain these natural occurring fungi in their crop with bankers plants and introduce them to spots where aphids are not controlled well by other natural enemies. The banker plants are infected by grain aphids which are specific for monocotyledon plants, thus so there is no threat of infecting the vegetable crop with aphids. The benefit of this method is to have an extra tool for controlling aphids when densities get too high, which will prevent that aphids completely destroy the crop, something that happens regularly.
The system of introducing Pandora bankers has now been applied by 8 organic greenhouse growers in The Netherlands, but can be applied by more growers in the future. Protocols are now developed to maintain naturally occurring Pandora outbreaks on bankers plants and re-introduce them when necessary. A possible drawback are the required climatic conditions that are needed for the entomopathogens to grow and infect aphids . However, together with the growers, various methods have been developed to adapt the climate locally in the treated spots to achieve the conditions needed for infection of aphids.
Contact person: Dr. Gerben Messelink, Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture (NL), [email protected]; http://www.wageningenur.nl/nl/Expertises-Dienstverlening/Onderzoeksinstituten/Wageningen-UR-Glastuinbouw/show/Praktijktesten-met-zieke-bladluizen.htm
BIOCLIMATIC GREENHOUSE TO GROW ORGANIC VEGETABLES IN WINTER AND TO IMPROVE PEST MANAGEMENT
Principle: A solar greenhouse stores solar energy during the day in a ‘’thermal wall’’. This thermal wall is black painted on its south side, filled with water and located on north side of the greenhouse. The water is warmer and gain energy. This energy is restored at night or on cloudy sequences. Structure is insulated with a thermo-hygro regulating transparent plastic film. It does not requires solar panel. During night time, inner temperature is 7°C warmer than a standard greenhouse. The innovation helps with pest control because:
1. Pest are developed in winter in a conventional greenhouse (without heating) due to low temperature and very high humidity. In our bioclimatic greenhouse the inner climate is healthier with higher temperature and lower humidity.
2. In a conventional greenhouse, water drops fall from inner side of the external transparent cover to crop during night time and morning leading to pests/ diseases. In a in our bioclimatic greenhouse , the ‘’hygroregulating transparent film’’ (manufactured by Tex Inov, a French company) is located below the external transparent cover: the moisture moves through the ‘’hygroregulating transparent film’’ to the external transparent cover and water drop will not fall down to crop.
Contact person: Vincent Stauffer, Agrithermic (FR), [email protected]; http://agrithermic.fr/serre-bioclimatique.html
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SWEEP THE SCAB - LEAF LITTER REMOVER IN APPLE ORCHARDS
Apple scab is one of the major diseases in apple orchard world-wide. Most of the cultivars grown are susceptible to it, and scab control most frequently implies repetitive applications of fungicide (copper, sulfur), unsatisfactory from an environmental point of view. Scab causes major economic losses, encompassing conventional and organic production. This innovation reduces the main source of primary inoculum by leaf litter sweeping or removal thanks to dedicated devices. First, a customization of tractor was built and assessed, given very promising results: a 68-74% decrease of fruit scab damage was observed by leaf litter sweeping and plough-in (Gomez et al., 2007). A device designed for parkland was later assessed and demonstrated the interest of leaf removal rather than shredding. (Parveaud et al., 2014).
Contrary to fungicide application, leaf sweeping or removal targets the disease at his origin which is in accordance to organic state of mind; and also a practice of interest for conventional farmers. Because leaf sweeping or leaf removal implied a customization or a specific device, this innovation is still sparsely developed for the moment. Specific devices still represent a high investment for farmers. Independent contractors started locally to propose leaf removing as a service indicating its interest. Possible negative impacts of leaf removal on earthworms have been studied and are negligible.
Contact person: Claude-Eric Parveaud, GRAB (Groupe de Recherche en Agriculture Biologique ; FR) ;
[email protected]; http://orgprints.org/23812/
ONION OIL AS PSILA ROSAE (CARROT FLY) RE PELLANT IN CARROTS AND PARSNIP
The carrot root fly can cause large damage in carrots. Organic farmers do not use pesticides to control this pest. Furthermore for conventional farmers the number of substances that can be used is decreasing. Intercropping carrots with onions or leeks is a method applied in horticulture but for a larger scale farm the harvesting or crops in such a system is (at the moment) not feasible.
Following the idea of an organic farmer, Jan de Winter, Wageningen UR, Applied Plant Research (PPO) investigated whether the carrot root fly (Psila rosae) can be disorientated by applying strong smelling oils. A mature carrot root fly can find a carrot field by smell. The question was whether the smell of carrots may be masked by strong smelling oils so that the carrot root fly cannot find the carrot plants. The onion oil is placed in little dispensers around the field. Research on the fields of organic farmer Thieu Verdonschot showed indeed that onion oil had an effect on carrot root fly damage. The carrot root fly has more difficulty in finding carrot fields, or cannot find them at all. The oils have a natural origin (extracted from plants). The method is selective because only insects reacting on the carrot smell are affected. After 2010 the method is fine-tuned , better dispensers for the oil were developed and now it is used by both conventional and organic farmers.
Contact person: Marian Blom, Bionext (NL), [email protected]; http://edepot.wur.nl/135873
SOLAR ENERGY USE FOR PEST CROP CONTROL IN ALBANIA
An ecological and economical method with very good results on pest control is use of solar energy for insect control. The project objective is to support organic farming development and climate change impacts mitigation in Albania through using of solar panels for intelligent insect control. Intelligent solar pest killer is a kind of high – efficient, energy saving, safe, economical and convenient tool for killing pests. Operation principle: it can produce the photoelectric effect when the sunlight irradiates on the solar panel, storing in MM storage cells through control circuit. When night is coming, the solar panel will start the trapping lamp under the photoelectric effect. Installing the medical pool under the light, the bulb is 30 cm from the water surface of medical pool, forming the reflected light surface. The light can attract the insects to go down the reflected light surface to die. After six hours, the activities of pests will be reduced and the beneficial insects begin to act, the light goes out automatically. It does not only kill pests but also protects the natural enemy of the pests, maintaining the balance of biological chain and forming “ 1+1 ” pest killing method with “physical pest killing ” and “ biological pest killing ”.
Contact person: Mr. Luan Ahmetaj, MedAlb Institut (Albania); Email: [email protected]; www.medalbinstitut.com
“OZ”, AN AUTONOMOUS ROBOT FOR MECHANICAL WEEDING CONTROL
This robot Oz able to autonomously work in a field of vegetable culture. Weeding mechanically, without needs of chimicals. Main benefits: Environment: no need of chemical weeding. Economic: saving time (and so money) for the farmers Human: helping farmers in physically very hard and repetitive tasks. How can the innovation be used or adopted by others? The main advantage of this innovation is the ability for the robot to navigate autonomously (without dependence to GPS) in a field of culture in line. For the moment this robot is doing weeding in vegetable but we are working on other kind of robot (bigger), working on other kind of culture (vineyard, trees), and doing other kind of work with other kind of tools. Our navigation system can help a lot farmers in a lot of tasks, “just changing” the mechanical parts of the robot. What are possible drawbacks of the innovation? Safety and security, as all the autonomous machine, our robot have to prove to be safe for human workers close to it. So we have limitation on max: speed, power and weight for it.
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Contact person: Gaëtan Séverac, Naïo Technologies (FR) ; [email protected]; www.naio-technologies.com
FLOWERS FOR APHIDS ENEMIES
How to control aphids (Aphis gossypii) in organic melon open fields ? Organic farmers and GRAB researchers had already designed agroecological infrastructure implemented in between plastic tunnels to enhance indigenous predatory bugs population and thereby to reduce pests damages on vegetables. This innovation is a new kind of flower strips to address this open field issue. During three-year in Southern France vegetable growers and researchers, sowed flower strips around melon crops with different species to attract natural enemies of aphids, compared to a bare soil control. The on farm trial showed that flower strips have to be carefully set up, in terms of irrigation, soil tillage, to ensure an optimal growth and floral diversity in the strips. Flower strips significantly increased the transfer of generalist predators towards the crop, but also specific enemies against aphids. In the melon crop, specific enemies against aphids established on larger number in the « strip » plot, with a significant effect and a 10 meters range. Many farmers adopted flower infrastructures without waiting all the scientific outputs. We discovered that one farmer even improved the innovation by helping mother Nature. He collects regularly and massively predatory bugs within the strips, and released them above the vegetables.
Contact person: Jérôme Lambion, GRAB (Groupe de Recherche en Agriculture Biologique ; FR); [email protected]
INNOVATIVE CONTROL OF SOIL PESTS IN ORGANIC STRAWBERRY PLANTATIONS
The damage caused by soil pests which include, inter alia, the May beetle Melolontha melolontha (European cockchafer), Phyllopertha horticola (Garden chafer) and Otiorhynchus sulcatus (Black vine weevil) has increased drastically in the last years in several fruit crops. They pose (especially larvae) a serious threat to the plants, grown both organically and with integrated production methods. Considering the difficulty in controlling these pests, we have defined an economically feasible strategy based on the coordinated use of physical and biological methods of pest control and agronomical practices, applied before the plantation is established and during its exploitation. The physical method is based on soil steaming with a machine using the Bioflash system that is exploiting exothermic reaction between water and an inorganic compound (i.e. CaO) to increase the treatment efficiency. The biological methods include the use of entomo-pathogenic nematodes of the species Heterorhabditis bacteriophora or entomo-pathogenic fungi of the species Metarhizium anisopliae strain F52, Beauveria bassiana and Beauveria brongniarti, the latter formulated as wettable powder together with a consortium of beneficial bacteria. Agronomical practices include tillage, the use of pre-planting sanitation crop (Fagopyrum esculentum). Integrating all these practices is reducing the soil pests density and the consequent damage. It also improves the plants growth and the establishment of a strong entomo-pathogenic populations in soil, which have a long term impact on the pests occurrence. The strategy can be easily adopted by farmers (field steaming can be outsourced), adapting the use of the different methods to the specific growing conditions.
Contact person: Prof. Barbara H. Łabanowska, Research Institute of Horticulture (PL); [email protected]
DETECTION AND MONITORING OF TURF GRASS DISEASES BY DNA PROFILING OF FUNGAL PATHOGENS
The turf grass pathogen detection system is able to identify a number of 25 different fungal pathogens in a short time. The method is based on DNA profiling of the fungi and can therefore correctly identify genera and species of occurring pathogens. Agents of multiple infections and even the quantity of fungi material are detected. The analysis of samples in the laboratory takes only one, at maximum two, days so the method is faster than methods based on microscopy. Due to the fast analysis, the turf grass pathogen detection system can be used to monitor the progress of diseases on turf grass. An early detection of developing diseases enables the greenkeeper to adapt the management system and focus the control measures. The turf grass pathogen detection system uses standard DNA processing methods and the analysis could be adopted by other laboratories. Due to the design of the method it is possible to include new disease causing pathogens into the system and to adjust the system for other countries. As the analyses of the filed samples have to be done in a laboratory, the detection system is no “on site” method. The basic method of the system can also be adapted to other plant – pathogen systems.
Contact person: Clara Pogner, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH; [email protected]; http://www.ait.ac.at/departments/health-environment/bioresources/environmental-pathogens/
BIODIVERSITY ENHANCEMENT AND UTILIZATION – PEST CONTROL IN BRASSICAS
The innovation that we are going to present is a strategy consisting in a combination of two distinct pest control approaches, Conservation Biocontrol and Classical biological control, to provide to the farmers a valuable alternative to pesticides. The first approach involves the concept of functional agro-biodiversity, where the population sizes and performance of predatory as well as parasitic beneficials is increased by providing semi-natural habitats such as flowering strips sites with a view to considerably improving their basic food sources and contributing to their successful overwintering. An efficient way to promote these parasitoids in the crop field is to provide them with flower strips as well as companion plants, e.g. cornflower (Centaurea
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cyanus), that will provide them with food (nectar) and shelter. Between 2007 and 2010 we conducted experiments to test the olfactory attractiveness of different flowers and the influence of their nectar on the regulation of the cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae) as well as on the lifespan and parasitation performance of its antagonists. In 2010, in order to assess the effect of the measures on species diversity, carabid beetles and spiders were recorded in the strips and in the cabbage crops with and without non-crop flowering plants respectively. The results demonstrate that the flowering strips significantly increase species numbers and abundance in carabid beetles and also increase species diversity in spiders.
The second one is a direct pest control approach, involving the release of a parasitic wasp as biocontrol agent. The chosen biocontrol agent is an egg parasitoid naturally occurring in Switzerland and potentially also in the rest of Europe, who parasitize eggs of different lepidopteran pest, like e.g. the one of the cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae). The evaluation of the integration of the two strategies is still ongoing, in strict collaboration with organic farmers.
Contact person: Dr Henryk Luka; Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL (CH); http://www.fibl.org/en/switzerland/research/crop-sciences/pb-projekte/functional-biodiversity.html
PREVENTING PEST AND DISEASES DAMAGES THROUGH EASY PLANT SAP ANALYSES
The objective is to grow healthy plants because diseases and pests attack weak plants in the first place. In order to grow healthy plants, one must feed them correctly with a balanced diet according to the need of the plant corresponding to the step of development . How to know if the development is correct? Proceed to a sap analysis in petiole leafs crops taking into consideration several parameters as Brix, pH, EC and mineral content : N, Ca, K. Two main words : anticipation and balance. ANTICIPATION: This type of analysis gives information before the problems appear (pest or disease) BALANCE: Unbalanced diet brings acidification of the sap and problems in up taking nutrients How to improve plant uptake? Thanks to ortosilicic acid Si(OH)4 which is a real orchestra conductor of nutrient up taking. In the past attention about this element is only in monocotyledonous crops (rice, sugar cane..) but last scientific evidences show the role to support stress conditions in main crops. Si(OH)4, only bioavailable form of Silicium, is absent in many intensive and conventional crops because the cycle of this element is broken by excess of Nitrogen in earth who kills beneficial biology. More than helping uptaking of nutrients, the silicon contained in Si(OH)4 improves quality of crops and brings natural defense against insects (masticators/shewing) and fungal diseases (not fractures in membrane cells). Both, technic and product work preventively and manage plants to grow healthy, so pests and diseases do not attack them. Dosage is reduced and is a solution cost effective. To communicate between organic growers it’s necessary to work at same time with research centers and commercial crops. Possible drawbacks: Sap analyses in field conditions is possible to obtain with little machines portables, but is very important training for advisors and growers to use and calibration.
Contact person: Philippe Joret; Agrosolutions Valkenburgerweg, [email protected]; www.agro-solutions.nl
EFFECTS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZATION ON THE POPULATION STRUCTURE OF PLANT-PARASITIC NEMATODES IN STRAWBERRY PLANTATIONS UNDER ORGANIC FARMING CONDITIONS
Organic production of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa (Duch.) Decne. & Naudin) is increasing world-wide, but knowledge about the influence of cultural practices especially organic fertilization and amendments on the beneficial and harmful fauna is empirical rather than field-based. The use of organic soil fertilization has many advantage aspects for soil quality and is suggested as a promising tool for the management of plant-parasitic nematodes. Some species of plant-parasitic nematodes, which are closely related to the host plants, damage strawberry plants. They can occur in populations with joint free-living soil nematodes. The aim of this work was to study the organic fertilization effects on plant-parasitic nematodes in organic strawberry production systems. The investigation of the nematode populations was carried out in the region of Balkan Mountain Range, village Sredogriv (43.549 N, 22.786 E) during the vegetation period on an area of 10 ha, with cultivar ‘Zenga Zengana’. The following genera of plant-parasitic nematodes were dominated: Pratylenchus, Tylenchorhynchus, Hoplolaimus, Helicotylenchus. The established indicators of the nematode communities (maturity index and plant parasite index) can be used as bio-indicators for changes in soil and health status of the plantation. Organic fertilization suppresses harmful activity of the plant-parasitic nematodes and a tool for sustainable management of nematodes, which should be included in strategies for pest management in organic production of strawberries. Although, it is better study the mechanisms of influence on the existing soil conditions. New researches for example should be directed towards optimizing the mineralization in soil and thorough analysis of interactions between soil organisms.
Contact person: Lilyana KOLEVA, University of Forestry (BG), [email protected]; http://www.agriacad.bg/
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THEME 2: NEW ORGANIC FOOD PROCESSING CONCEPTS AND TECHNOLOGIES
WINNER: NITRATE REDUCTION IN ORGANIC MEAT PRODUCTS
In the production of organic meat products like cold meats, nitrites and nitrates are used for several reasons: for the antimicrobial and anti-oxidative properties, forming and stabilizing the red, cured meat colour, and for forming a cured flavour. From literature, it is concluded that it is not possible to substitute nitrite in the production of organic cooked cured meat products with a single additive or combination of additives without changing the quality of the meat products. Nitrite is responsible for the distinctive cured colour and aroma and microbiological and chemical stability of the meat product. Nitrite is unique in its capability to prevent Clostridium botulinum spores to germinate and form poisonous toxins.
In organic production, it is not desirable to use nitrite, mainly because of probable health risks associated with it; according to several publications, nitrite-derived products are supposedly to be carcinogenic. For food safety (mainly by preventing botulism), having small amounts of nitrites in the meat products is still desirable. Many years of research have been executed, leading to finding application levels of nitrite that still minimizes microbiological risk, while reducing the risks of producing possible carcinogens. This lead to the confidence that organic cold meat could be produced safely with the maximum application levels of 80 mg/kg that are indicated in the current organic legislation. Furthermore in the past couple of years organic businesses have developed alternatives for direct application of E250 and E252 in the form of herb and spice extracts and combinations of acids and herbs that guarantee the same food safety while adding only natural additives. These lower levels and the alternatives could easily be adopted by the conventional meat industry. We see no drawbacks.
Contact person: Marian Blom, Bionext (NL), [email protected]; http://edepot.wur.nl/22838
BIOPLASTIC -EVALUATION TOOL
The Internet tool for the use of bio-based plastics as packaging material for food products be used as the assistance in decision making with all his possibilities for small and middle enterprises in German and English. It is demonstrating a way for such operators to find the right bio-based solution from the plenty of raw materials for their packing purposes. The customers of organic products do more and more expect that packaging films, trays for the food packaging, bottles and bags are produced with raw materials that are ecological and socially appropriate and can be bio-recycled. To satisfy this high requirement, the Internet tool is developed for small and middle operators of the food sector. This Internet tool provides information on the five most important substance groups currently on the market. This information relates to the four criteria of ecology, society, safety & technology and quality that are recorded and evaluated based on sub-criteria such as land utilization, life cycle assessments, social standards and migration. Food manufacturers can focus their own priorities regarding to the quality of materials (for example tear strength, printability, oxygen barrier) as well as the ecological and socially acceptable production of the raw material packaging. Aspects such as the avoidance of competition for food, GMO-free raw material and social standards of production can be focused to make the right decision. The evaluations for the groups of substances can be compared to aid in decision making. In addition to the rated information, a checklist is provided as a tool for decision making.
Contact person: Renate Dylla, AöL (DE) [email protected] ; http://www.aoel.org/index.php?id=23&L=1
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW QUALITY-DIAGNOSTICS TO ASSESS THE BREAD MAKING POTENTIAL OF ORGANIC WHEAT VARIETIES
Organic Food producers are used to process wheat with high protein concentrations resulting from the assessment of baking quality based on the German standard baking test (Rapid-Mix-Test RMT). Therefore, about 80% of organic wheat is as unsatisfactory rated by the RMT, which makes organic wheat production less profitable. Whereas scientific results showed that the quality assessment of wheat depends besides protein also on the applied baking tests and the genotypical gluten quality. Due to this finding an optimized baking test (OBT) based on the gluten quality has been developed and compared to RMT. Important findings: 1. A very high processing quality (breadvolume > 660 ml/100g flour) was classified for wheat with high gluten quality (ml breadvolume/% protein) and about 20% less kernel protein is needed for the same quality category than with the RMT. This is due to the fact that the gluten quality usually rises with a declining protein content. 2. Since the gluten quality (which differs between varieties) influences the baking quality it has to be considered as a parameter in combination with the protein content. 3. The results were confirmed by a bio-bakery which indicates the relevance for practice. 4. Varieties with a high gluten quality from biodynamic and organic breeding which are suitable for organic farming have been identified with help of the OBT. Its intended to breed varieties with a very high gluten quality and high yields to make organic wheat production more profitable. The OBT is also applied in conventional farming to develop a strategy to lower the kernel protein concentration demand of food processors, but also to reduce the to high nitrogen fertilization handling. The OBT is time consuming which indicates the need to develop a quick test for the prediction of the baking quality soon.
Contact person: Dr. Ludger Linnemann, Forschungsring e.V. (DE), [email protected],
http://www.forschungsring.de/fileadmin/redaktion/pdf/Linnemann/Linnemann_NW.pdf
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CAREFUL PROCESSING GUIDELINES
For some years scientific work about careful processing and minimal processing is developed, in charge of Dr. Johannes Kahl. According to this work, the network “Natfood” was developed. It is a guideline for careful processing and should be discussed at the organic sector. The network “Natfood” should help finding new methods and procedures to preserve the naturalness of food in the manufacture. Furthermore the use of food additives should be minimized. The whole manufacture of food is processed in terms of careful processing. The development would be profitable not only for the partners of the network, but also fulfills the requirements of the European Organic Regulations und the demands of the organic food associations. Together with the ttz Bremerhaven, the AöL develops a guideline, in which the manufacture is defined in terms of careful processing and designs a concept for using. First the technological process of food that happens in the enterprises will be observed. This tool will help – under the terms of careful processing – at the decision, which technologies of manufacturing are reasonable for both: the environment and the feeding. For these two categories new criteria will be defined. The criteria will include indicators, which can be valuated at the product. The indicators always must be adjusted depending on the valuated technology and the product. Furthermore the measurements will be specified. The guideline is a first approach for developing this theme. Later it can help adapting the theoretical aspect at the practice of small and middle enterprises.
Contact person: Dr. Alexander Beck, AöL (DE) [email protected]; http://www.natfood-netzwerk.de
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THEME 3: NEW BUSINESS MODELS OF VALUE ADDITION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
WINNER: CROWDFUNDING A SMALL-SCALE DAIRY FARM
The small-scale dairy farm ‘Stolze Kuh’ has financed the founding of their farm and the purchase of 28 heritage dual-purpose cows through a unique funding concept: a ‘cow-share’ program. Through the ‘cow-share’ program the financial burden of purchasing and initially raising the 28 cows and their offspring is split up in to 75 shares á 500 Euros, which are not shares in a corporate sense but are transferrable and terminable. The shareholders are rewarded in the form of farm produce or money with the return on their share at an interest rate of 2.5 percent annually. Access to funding is often difficult in particular for young farmers. This is partly due to the lack of equity with e.g. young farmers businesses. Since funding is a hot topic for many businesses in the organic sector, the topic would be highly relevant for managers of organic farms, food businesses or sales enterprises. Lessons learned from successful use of alternative funding concepts are highly relevant for organic businesses in periods of founding, growth or renewal/investment. Financial limitations are often key hampering factors for organic businesses. Contact person: Dr Susanne v. Münchhausen, University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde (HNEE); [email protected]; https://stolzekuh.wordpress.com/stolzer-kuh-anteil/
ORIGINTRAIL – THE TRACEABILITY APP FOR SMARTPHONES: A SOFTWARE SOLUTION ENSURING
TRANSPARENCY IN VALUES-BASED FOOD CHAINS
OriginTrail is a web and mobile solution bringing transparency to food value chains. The App for smartphones ensures traceability of local food from farm to fork. The origin of e.g. the beef cattle becomes visible to the shoppers who are scanning the label on the food product package. OriginTrail presents an important step forward for local food producers that enter the platform since, for the first time ever, they are going beyond simply stating the country of primary production instead, unveils the entire path of the product’s origin on a particular farm. OriginTrail consists of two main components. Firstly, it provides shoppers with a mobile application (iOS and Android) through which they can check the origin of a certain product all the way back to the farm producing the raw ingredients. Secondly, it is a dashboard for managing products in the system. It provides producers with the shopper’s insights about their products by enabling direct communication with buyers via push notifications and in-app chat. This effectively turns the inquiry of the product’s origin in front of the shelf into an interaction between the shopper and the producer. The OriginTrail software solution has so far been implemented with 4 food companies and 2 farmers’ cooperatives from 3 food sectors, namely meat, dairy and vegetable. Currently, we focus on the internationalization of the platform. Our main target groups are organisations of the food sector, namely, quality and certification bodies that already provide some differentiation possibilities for brands.
Contact person: Žiga Drev; [email protected] (Slovenia); www.origin-trail.com
NEW CONCEPT OF A CROP ‘VARIETY’ MORE SUITABLE FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTION: THE ‘ORC WAKELYNS
POPULATION’ WINTER WHEAT
The Organic Research Centre (ORC) has been working on wheat populations since 2001 and now, after years of research and working with UK and EU policymakers the seed is finally available commercially. In March 2014 the EU law changed to allow for the test marketing of varieties that do not fit the normal rules and regulations for varieties. This change doesn’t reduce the health or the quality of the seed but will allow seed of non-uniform varieties to be sold. Through their evolutionary breeding programme ORC have developed a population of wheat that is suited to organic and low-input farming systems and will appear on the UK market in autumn 2015 under the name “ORC Wakelyns Population”. It was produced by making 190 crosses between 20 different parent varieties. The resulting seed has then gone through many generations mixing the genes from all the parents. How it differs from usual wheat varieties is that genetically it is much more diverse (i.e. not a pure line). We like to think of our fields of this wheat as a “crowd” of plants rather than a collection of near identical clones. Over the past decade working with organic and conventional farmers, processors and breeders throughout the UK we have shown that this population can buffer against our changing environment and the stability of the yield was better when compared to pure line varieties i.e. may not always be greater but the variation from year to year was reduced. The feedback we have from millers and bakers has also been positive with bakers particularly liking the taste.
Contact person: Bruce Pearce, The Organic Research Centre, UK. [email protected]; http://bit.ly/1Ouk5t4
REGIOFAIR ZENTRALSCHWEIZ - ORGANIC FARMER DRIVEN WHOLESALER PLATFORM TO COLLECT AND PROCESS FARM PRODUCTS TO MAKE THEM READY FOR ORGANIC RETAIL DELIVERY
The author Toralf Richter facilitated marketing idea workshops with the board members of 5 regional organic farm associations (under umbrella of Bio Suisse) to identify sales and service ideas with potential to increase the added value of farm products. These regional associations of neighbor cantons never cooperated nor exchanged market relevant information before these workshops. During these workshops plenty of interesting ideas were developed with targeting the retail and gastro-sector. To
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implement these idea one main barrier was identified: a missing logistic platform, which collects, bundles and commonly sales the local supply of up to 100 single organic farms, which are able to provide approx. 200 single organic food items. As a consequence, Toralf Richter developed together with a regional state advisor a logistic, sales and marketing concept to implement this idea. Further he moderated the discussions with a potential organization who could help to build up and co-finance such logistic structure. With the foundation Agrovision Burgrain, an implementing partner could be convinced. In the next step Agrovision founded an enterprise to start the logistic services for the farmers. In this company farmers are represented in the board and so directly are able to steer the company’s development together with the foundation Agrovision. Today approx. 90 regional organic producers deliver to this logistic and marketing platform. Products under the commonly developed brand “Regiofair Zentralschweiz” are distributed in the meanwhile in organic retail shops and farm shops all over Switzerland, but focus is the production region around the city of Lucerne. Different to other commercial wholesalers or retail chains, farmers in this model are able to set the sales price of their products by themselves in a first step. The actual consumer demand to these product/price offers mirroring the farmers afterwards whether the price expectations are market adequate or have to be adopted. This model, that farmers not only deliver, but also develop, drive and co-own a wholesaler platform, which offers a broad assortment of dairy and meat products, vegetable, fruits, eggs, bakery products and processed products to the retailer at least in Switzerland is unique.
Contact person: Dr Toralf Richter, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL; [email protected]; www.regiofair.ch
ORGANIC BIOGAS PRODUCTION FOR INCREASED SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC PRODUCTION
Jens Krogh has established a biogas plant to digest solid manure, slurry and leftover biomass from the fields. This will contribute to lowered greenhouse gas emissions and makes his dairy products more interesting for organic consumers. The farm obtain a role in producing renewable energy and food at the same time without contradictions between food and fuel production. The biogas plant is delivered by JH BioEnergy / agriKomp and is a 340 kW plant and digests 28.000 tons biomass per year and some of the material is exchanged with other organic dairy producers in the neighborhood. The electricity production will cover the needs of about 700 households. The manure from the farm will be used more efficient in the fields with less nitrate leaching and higher crop yields. The solid manure will be easier and cheaper to apply. Still the humus forming substances is expected to bypass the biogas process and sustain the positive impacts on the sandy soil. Arable farmers in the neighborhood will now be able to deliver biomass from green manure fields to the plant and in return receive digestate from the biogas plant. This will give excellent opportunities to convert more arable farmland in the area because of improved accessibility of manure approved for organic practices. This type of biogas plant is one of the first organic in Denmark and the specific technology is implemented in Denmark for the first time in this case.
Contact person: Michael Tersbøl; Organic Denmark; [email protected]; http://www.naturmaelk.dk/jens-og-lisbeth-arnbjerg-krogh
INNOVATIVE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK OF ORGANIC PRODUCTS IN LATVIA: AGRICULTURAL SERVICE COOPERATIVE SOCIETY “ZAĻAIS GROZS”
The distribution network of organic products started with creation an ASCS “Zaļais grozs” (brand was patented in 2009) by 20 organic farmers. The aim was to generate products’ sales opportunities and to increase added value generating income. It offers more than 100 organic products, as well as rural tourism services. Currently the distribution network consists of varied channels: 1) direct sale - at cooperative storehouse; at farmers’ or ‘green’ markets as well as festivals and fairs; delivery of boxes or products based on the consumer’s order (via internet or phone) for individual consumers and Consumers’ purchasing groups; 2) intermediate sale – to eco-stores; to online shop of organic and eco products “Dabas bode”; fresh fruits and vegetables to schools under the programme School Fruit Scheme; distributing of processed products under the brand of ASCS „Saimes galds” to biggest retail chains (supermarkets) Maxima or Rimi, and to other retail points. The growth of turnover from 2010 till 2014 was 66% but for individual farmers the highest growth was 526% and 171%. ASCS “Zaļais grozs” experience is adapted by establishing the farmers’ groups and distribution channels’ to jointly sell their products in other Latvia’s regions. Drawbacks of further development are legislative restrictions, because exemptions for small and traditional producers are not approved on state level. It allows inspectors themselves to interpret and take a decision that does not promote a uniform approach.
Contact person: Ligita Melece, Latvia, [email protected]; http://zalaisgrozs.weebly.com/
REGIONAL MARKETING OF DRY BRUSHED ORGANIC POTATOES
Several medium sized Flemish organic growers developed a common marketing concept for their potatoes. They developed a common quality standard, clean the potatoes with a dry brush and pack them in a common paper bag with personalized information. Before potatoes were sold to potato traders. These potatoes were cleaned with water and needed to be of premium visual quality. This often resulted in discussions about quality and frustrated potato growers. Potato traders also often prefer foreign instead of inland potatoes, because of better prices, quality, supply continuity etc. With the newly developed concept of regionally grown and dry brushed potatoes, growers appeal to the consumers to buy inland potatoes. The quality of the potatoes is guaranteed by the farmer himself. His name, address and pictures are fully mentioned on the bag. Therefore he feels much more responsible of the good quality of the potatoes. This also gives the consumer the possibility to give feedback to the farmer. Meanwhile the concept has been successfully introduced in several specialised organic supermarket chains and
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shops and restrained the introduction of foreign washed potatoes in these market chain. The concepts is also partly introduced in conventional supermarkets as a regional product straight from the farmer.
Contact person: Paul Verbeke; BioForum Vlaanderen vzw – Bio zoekt Keten (BE); [email protected]; www.bioaardappel.be
COW SHARES – THE ALTERNATIVE FINANCE CONCEPT OF HOF KLOSTERSEE E.V.
The community of the farm estate ‘Klostersee’ (Hof Klostersee e.V.) is based on an innovative business model of a cooperative association. The farm, legally registered as non-profit association, has five branches with different value chains: dairy production with dairy processing (cheese, yoghurt etc.), arable crops with milling and baking facilities, a full-range farm shop/supermarket, farm holiday homes, and the inclusion of elderly people living in independent flats on the estate. (for more details, see www.klostersee.org) In 2013, Hof Klostersee realised an innovative finance concept by the emission of shares, the so-called ‘Kuh Anleihe’ (cow shares), to private investors. Hof Klostersee sold shares to clients of the farm shop, holiday or day guests and friends of the estate. The main idea of this increase of the estate’s assets was not only to raise funds for the investment in the new cows stable construction but as well to intensify the emotional attachment of clients and friends to Hof Klostersee and to foster the community spirit of the estate’s association. Hof Klostersee is located in a remote area near the Baltic coast of the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein. The management of Hof Klostersee cooperates closely with the organic retail partner Landwege Cooperative in the city of Lübeck. The consumer-producer-cooperative plays a significant role for the estate’s sales during the off-season. Since the foundation of the producer-consumer initiative in the late 1980s, Hof Klostersee has been one of the driving partner farms of the successful development of Landwege cooperative.
Contact person: Knut Ellenberg, Hof Klostersee e.V. (DE); [email protected]; www.klostersee.org
SOCIAL PROCESSES FOR INNOVATIVE ADDED VALUES IN ORGANIC MARKETS. PARTICIPATORY GUARANTEE SYSTEMS FOR MEETING SMALL FARMS AND CONSUMER’S DEMANDS
Participatory Guarantee Systems are certification systems that work on the basis of integration of several steps of the value chain (production, certification, commercialization and consumption) but also of human values along the whole process. As certification systems they are, they assess the conformity of the organic management. But they go forward integrating human values - trust and transparency- through participation and horizontal schemes of working. Thanks to what, they foster cooperation in between all the actors of the value chain. Their innovation resides in the collective and multidisciplinary way they work and in their approach to business. While they keep paying first attention to economics, they go further by integrating human values on the process. By this way, they are selling concepts and not only products. Meeting, by the way, the current consumer’s demands and marketing trends. PGS are mainly adopted for small farm that are not able to compete with industrial and economy of scale businesses. By adding such innovative values to their product, and by meeting consumer’s demands, PGS allow small farm to keep having a market niche that is likely to become a trend. Finally, consumer’s and producer’s interact ion give farmer’s direct information about consumer’s demand, so that they can adapt their crops and calendars and make the best decisions for their businesses, that keep being a private –versus collective- matter. Consumers reinforce their confidence on the product they buy, on their nutrition and obtain more qualitative information on them. Cooperation models are enhanced through the whole stakeholders. PGS are innovative businesses that meet the current demands of small farms and consumers.
Contact person: Eva Torremocha, University Pablo de Olavide, Seville, (ES); [email protected]; http://www.ifoam.bio/en/value-chain/participatory-guarantee-systems-pgs
DEVELOPING SOCIAL ENTERPRISES THROUGH DIVERSIFICATION OF CROPPING SYSTEM AND PARTNERING WITH POTENTIAL LONG TERM ALLIES FROM THE TARGETED INDUSTRY FOR VALUE ADDED PRODUCTS
The innovation is a developmental approach based on business model of culinary herbs involving small holders to create sustainable farming and farm based value addition and product development system. This concept starts with a onetime revolving fund used to supply planting material to farmers free of cost (as cash in hand is not available with small farmers which prove to be the biggest hurdle to start any venture with them). All the package of practices and value addition technology along with appropriate training is provided. The final product is delivered to the buyers on higher prices (than committed to producers as buy-back prices) creating the additional revenues which are used to develop facilities for new set of farmers in coming season and hence creating a ripple effect to scale up. This system benefits through:
1. Complete back up by the potential buyers i.e. end users by providing long term buy back agreements.
2. This producer -buyer relationship is not only supply centric but more focused on identifying the gaps in the production and supply chain, and addressing each other’s concerns through the R & D based solutions.
3. The high level of integration is ensured by the cooperative approach at cluster level to enhance the employment generation avenues and ensure bulk production.
4. Creation of opportunity based on available resource and extent of possible improvement.
5. Avoiding of uncertainties of open market fluctuations by assured buy-back agreements on pre-fixed prices.
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Possible Drawbacks: Crop loss due to Natural disasters, lot rejections due to poor quality, delay in payment realization from buyers. Adoption across different geographies and communities: The model is replicable in any given geography and community by altering crop selection and required type of value addition activities while core design remaining the same.
Contact person: Arvind Rana, S M SEHGAL FOUNDATION, [email protected]; www.teri.in
FIELDS OF THE FUTURE: DEVELOPMENT OF TWO PROCESSING TOOLS TO VALORISE NEW CROP VARIETIES FOR
FOOD AND COSMETIC MARKETS
The project consists of transforming the agricultural model of a region to restore its competitiveness without being fully dependent on public funding. The investment in processing tools (oil mills and cereal crop mills) should allow farmers of DIE (Drôme) switch from the traditional production cycle by developing niche crops (quinoa, camelina, poppy) and have 100% (1500 hectares) of organic crops, about 5000 tons of grain. The main objective is to provide autonomy to the cereal crop producers of Diois by valorizing the production in the specialized supply chain and major cosmetic brands. With farmers owning their production facilities, a 30% increase in net income is expected as well as the creation of 10 new jobs.
Contact person: M. Hervé MUCKE, (Terres Dioises, FR), [email protected]
