Farming the future

Summary

The sustainable production of high quality food, reducing dependency on high energy inputs, improving environmentaland nature conservation, climate change adaptation, animalwelfare and rural livelihoods, are all important challenges faced byEuropean agriculture which can be addressed through organicagricultural practices.
However, while the sector has grown dramatically in recent times,much more research needs to be done for this innovative field to come to realise its true potential. As such, the CORE Organic II ERA-Net aims at an effective and sustainable transnational researchprogramme, and has identified common research priorities for the organic sector where a transnational approach will give added value, has initiated research projects, and is organising project monitoring and the dissemination of results.
PEN asked Dr Niels Halberg, director of the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS) and co-ordinator of the CORE Organic II ERA-Net about the benefits the initiative can bring, the project selection process, and his views on the future of organic agriculture research funding, both at a European and national level.