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The State of Play of Copper, Mineral Oil, External Nutrient Input, Anthelmintics, Antibiotics and Vitamin Usage and Available Reduction Strategies in Organic Farming across Europe

Varga, Korinna; Feher, Judit; Trugly, Bence; Drexler, Dora; Leiber, Florian; Verrastro, Vincenzo; Magid, Jakob; Chylinski, Caroline; Athanasiadou, Spiridoula; Thuerig, Barbara; László, Anna; Ladányi, Márta; Moeskops, Bram; Herforth-Rahmé, Joelle and Tamm, Lucius (2022) The State of Play of Copper, Mineral Oil, External Nutrient Input, Anthelmintics, Antibiotics and Vitamin Usage and Available Reduction Strategies in Organic Farming across Europe. Sustainability, 14 (6), pp. 1-36.

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Document available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14063182


Summary

Although input use in organic agriculture is strictly regulated, and significantly less contentious inputs are applied in organic than in conventional farming systems, copper, mineral oil, external nutrient input, anthelmintics, antibiotics and vitamins are still commonly used among organic farmers in the EU, partly due to the scarce availability of alternative products and the difficulty of implementing preventive strategies. Moreover, besides the direction set by the European Commission’s organic regulation, only a handful of policy instruments exist at national levels to reduce the use of these contentious inputs. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of the RELACS EU-funded project about the current use of copper, mineral oils, external nutrient inputs, anthelmintics, antibiotics and vitamins in organic farming in the EU. The paper is based on six internal reports developed in RELACS which relied on international surveys, in-depth interviews, multiple case study methods, database-based calculations, secondary data sources, plus a survey independent from the reports to map existing policy instruments and voluntary initiatives in the EU aiming to reduce the use of the six input categories. As a result, the paper gives a comprehensive overview of the current consumption of the six contentious inputs within the organic sector, highlighting potential alternative strategies in the pipeline, available preventive measures and the willingness of farmers towards adopting these solutions. It also informs about specific policy instruments already in force, as well as about ongoing voluntary initiatives to reduce contentious inputs. Due to the current dependence of organic farming systems on the six categories of contentious inputs, any sudden phase-out or ban on their usage would do more harm than good to the organic sector. Therefore, gradual, data-driven reduction measures are needed, which require significant further investments in targeted research, and in policy support measures, with the active involvement of agricultural stakeholders.


EPrint Type:Journal paper
Keywords:organic farming, contentious inputs, copper, mineral oils, soil nutrient management, anthelmintics, antibiotics, vitamins; reduction strategies, agricultural policy, Abacus, FiBL2505407, RELACS
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
organic farming -> organic agriculture
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_15911
English
copper
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1868
English
mineral oils
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_4851
English
anthelmintics
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_475
English
antibiotics
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_492
English
vitamins
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8274
English
agricultural policies
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_201
Subjects: Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry > Feeding and growth
Crop husbandry > Soil tillage
Animal husbandry > Health and welfare
Crop husbandry > Crop health, quality, protection
Farming Systems > Farm nutrient management
Research affiliation: Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Animal > Animal health
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Animal > Animal nutrition
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Crops > Crop protection > Crop protection products
Denmark > KU - University of Copenhagen
Hungary > Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
International Organizations > International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements IFOAM
Italy > IAMB Mediterranean Agronomic Institute Bari
UK > Scottish Rural Colleges (SRUC - previously SAC)
Horizon Europe or H2020 Grant Agreement Number:773431
ISSN:2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su14063182
Deposited By: Csajbók, Edit
ID Code:43953
Deposited On:29 Mar 2022 19:04
Last Modified:31 Mar 2022 08:57
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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