Country Report on Organic Food and Farming Research in Germany

Summary

Recently, research about organic farming has gained strong impulses in Germany. Schools of higher education, as well as state research centres steadily opened up, and with the funding under the Federal Organic Farming Scheme BÖL1 organic farming research has been strengthened substantially.
Research about organic farming has a long tradition in Germany, going as far back as into the twenties of the last century. At that time the first – mainly biodynamic – pioneers started to carry out research on their farms. The Institute for Biodynamic Research IBDF2 founded in 1950, was one of the first private research institutions in the world. Also the first university chair for organic agriculture emerged in Germany, where until today more specific professorships exist than in any other country. Since the beginning of the nineties, the status quo of research in organic farming is regularly documented through the scientific conference on organic farming, which is coordinated by the Foundation Ecology & Agriculture (SÖL. Further, in the context of EU projects, contacts to research colleagues outside of Germany were intensified. Several public bodies with research divisions got involved in organic farming. Through funding within the Federal Organic Farming Scheme (BÖL) organic research experienced a major upswing since 2002.
Germany has also played an important role in the development of international organic farming research. In 1984, the 5th International Scientific Conference of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)took place in Witzenhausen. In 2003 the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR)was founded in Berlin. It promotes and supports research in all areas of organic agriculture by facilitating global cooperation in research, methodological development, education and knowledge exchange; supporting individual researchers through membership services, publications and events, as well as integrating stakeholders in the research process.