Tables describing the use of various inputs during organic growing of important horticultural and arable crops across Europe

Summary in the original language of the document

This Annex presents the results of the survey carried out in the frame of Tasks 3.1. and Task 5.1 in the Organic PLUS project. A common table/questionnaire for both tasks was used in order to map the use of contentious inputs linked to plant protection (mainly Cu, S and mineral oils), and the use of peat, plastic and fertilisers used in growing, in 10 countries participating in Organic-PLUS (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey and UK). The survey was carried out mainly by interviewing one to three experienced advisors per crop, asking them to fill in a table describing a typical organic production of the relevant crop, emphasising the use of various inputs. An accompanying letter was used along with the questionnaire to explain the aim of this work. For Poland, the information was based on inputs recorded by a simple web survey from several producers. For UK, information was not compiled in crop tables. Instead, the largest organic growers’ association, Soil Association (SA) interviewed several growers, and analysed the permissions to use restricted inputs that were given in one year. The information provided by SA is also included in this report. The collected raw material is presented in in the following sections. Note that the names of the experts, consultants and growers interviewed are not presented to allow anonymity for the data given.