Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
proposals, to improve the dissemination and impact of research findings, and to document the
research effort. In 2005 it included 2700 papers and received more than 50,000 visits per
month. Nevertheless refereed journal output will probably continue for some while to be a
dominant marker in agricultural science to gain both respect and reward for individuals and
organisations.
Coordination of organic research
Many countries have either a formal or informal network of organic researchers. The follow-
ing are examples of how these networks operate in different countries. Scientific Congress on
Organic Agriculture Research (SCOAR) launched by the Organic Farming Research Founda-
tion in the USA brings together producers and scientists to build a long-term organic research
agenda (Sooby 2001). The Organic Agriculture Centre for Canada (OACC 2005) founded in
2001, and funded through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council with additional funding from seven provinces, coordinates
and collaboratively develops research with agricultural schools in several Canadian universi-
ties. In the UK, the Colloquium of Organic Researchers was formed in 2000 to provide a dis-
cussion forum for issues unique to organic research. In the Netherlands researchers from the
private Louis Bolk Institute are involved as external experts in projects on organic farming
carried out in conventional organisations, to ensure their appropriateness and relevance to
organic agriculture (Niggli 2002). In Denmark, the Danish Research Centre for Organic
Farming, described as a research institute 'without walls' coordinates state funded projects
on organic farming carried out at a range of institutions. There are other initiatives such as
conferences and workshops for organic farming research in the Nordic countries and in the
German-speaking countries.
In June 2003, the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR) was
launched in Germany. ISOFAR has 12 sections, mainly based on disciplines, and five cross-
disciplinary working groups. The latter address issues such as the relationship between organic
agriculture and biotechnology, methodological approaches to organic research and coordina-
tion of long-term experiments (ISOFAR 2006).
Across Europe there are many different institutes and traditions for organic farming
research that until now have not been coordinated. Many of the research groups involved are
geographically isolated and lack 'critical mass'.
As part of the EU ERANET scheme, the EU hopes to exploit the potential for improved
research quality and value-for-money through transnational cooperation. The overall objec-
tive of CORE Organic (Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food
and Farming) is to enhance quality, relevance and utilisation of resources in research in organic
food and farming in the EU. This will be achieved by research cooperation and coordination of
research facilities, and to establish a joint pool of at least three million Euro per year for tran-
snational research in organic food and farming by the end of the project in 2007 (CORE 2006).
The aims are set out in Box 15.3.
Box 15.3 Aims of CORE Organic
1
Increase exchange of information and establishment of a common open web based
archive.
2
Coordination of existing research and integration of knowledge.
3
Sharing and developing best practice for evaluating organic research.
4
Identification and coordination of future research.
