The Colloquium of Organic Researchers (COR), UK organic 2002 conference

Summary

This Conference, entitled UK Organic Research 2002 - Research in Context was held over a three-day period on 26-28th March 2002. Hosted by Organic Centre Wales, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, it was the first Conference organised by the Colloquium of Organic Researchers (COR) in the UK and is intended to be the first in a biennial series organised by COR.
The Colloquium was set up in 1999 to advance organic research through a whole-system approach bringing together economists, ecologists, food scientists, physicists, statisticians and others. Information on COR
The programme was designed to promote a whole system approach to research in this varied field; develop appropriate methodologies and statistical techniques; improve the flow of knowledge between researchers and users and address the needs of a UK and international audience.
Sponsored by Waitrose, NAWAD, DEFRA, Triodos Foundation and the WDA, the Conference was well attended, with 238 delegates, 40 of whom came from outside the UK. They were mainly researchers, but some producers and processors also attended.
Pre-Conference Farm Tours were organised to two organic research farms - ADAS Pwllpeiran, with 170 Hardy Speckle face ewes and a small Welsh Black suckler herd on 111 ha permanent pasture in the Cambrian Mountains, and Ty Gwyn farm at IGER, Trawsgoed, with 95 ha and 120 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows and 50 young stock.
The Plenary Session was opened by Carwyn Jones, the Minister for Rural Affairs at the National Assembly of Wales, and he was followed by Mary Vizoso, Head of Food Technology at Waitrose, who spoke about the challenges presented by the growth of the organic food market. Helen Browning, an organic farmer and member of the Policy Commission for the Future of Farming and Food, then responded to these presentations. The scope and aims of research funding were described by Peter Costigan of the Chief Scientist's Group at DEFRA, followed by a discussion of the research needs of farmers, presented by David Wilson, Manager of Highgrove Farm. Lawrence Woodward delivered a paper entitled Organic Research – driven by funders? and Dr. Christine Watson questioned if Organic Farming was the appliance of science?
The Parallel Sessions offered delegates the opportunity to attend four technical sessions and one Methodology Workshop. Sessions included: Farming Systems and Rotations: Food Quality: Grassland: Soils: Farm Planning: Dairy Systems: Pest Disease and Weed Management: Environment and Biodiversity: Livestock: Economics: Research Tools for Cropping Systems: Policy Marketing and Rural Development; Animal Health and Welfare.
During the final Plenary Session, Dr. Urs Niggli, President of FiBL, described the contributions that research has made to the development of organic farming, and Professor Willie Lockeretz of Tufts University, USA talked about long-term strategies for organic research.
Full conference proceedings and copies of papers are available at the website.