Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 5.1
A time schedule for steps and results towards organic varieties and seed production
Time
Approach
Actiity
Product
Current (2005)
↓
(Primarily) non-
chemical approach
Defining desired traits
Variety screening
Refrain from
postharvest, chemical
seed treatments
No use of transgenic
engineering
Untreated seeds from
conventional varieties
Short-term (2005-10)
↓
Non-chemical
approach
Including an
agroecological
approach
Organic propagation
Organic seed
treatments
Conventional
varieties, but
organically
propagated (organic
seeds)
Mid-term (2010-20)
↓
Non-chemical
approach
Agroecological
approach
Organic VCU-testing
protocols
Conventional plant
breeding programs
including some low-
input selection criteria
Low-input varieties
Organically
propagated (organic
seeds)
Long-term (beyond
2020)
Non-chemical
approach
Agroecological
approach
Including the concept
of integrity of life
Breeding/selection
and maintenance
under organic farm
conditions
With techniques that
allow crossing,
pollination,
fertilisation and seed
formation on the
whole plant itself
Organic varieties
Organic seeds
The first step in the short run is to define desired characteristics and select the best per-
forming varieties from the existing assortment. The second step in closing the organic produc-
tion chain is stimulating organic seed production of the above selected varieties. This is forced
in Europe by the EU regulation 2092/91 that allows no more derogation (i.e. formal substitu-
tion of an organic input with a conventional input where no organic input can be found) for
the use of conventionally propagated seed from 2004 onwards. This counts for those crops
with already sufficient number of varieties appropriate for organic farming. Similar regula-
tions have been enforced in the United States of America (USA) as part of the National Organic
Program (NOP) (Sundrom 2004). Another important step is to inf luence the national proce-
dures and protocols for testing of varieties for value for cultivation and use (VCU) and the
release of new varieties, which is important to enlarge the chance of varieties entering the
market with traits that are important for the organic sector. The step for the long run is devel-
oping breeding programs for the improvement of varieties adapted to the requirements of the
organic food production.
For rapid and balanced progress in all these steps it is important to involve all stakeholders
(farmers, traders, breeders, policy makers) in a participatory way in (research) projects to
develop appropriate concepts and strategies and to solve practical obstacles (Lammerts van
Bueren
et al
. 2003a; Peerenboom 2004).
