Deliverable 6.2: Feasibility of designed scenarios

Summary

Contentious inputs in organic agriculture and horticulture are undesirable inputs within the organic ethos, but permitted by the European Commission Regulation (EC) No 889/2008. The contentious inputs investigated by Organic-PLUS are the plant inputs, copper, sulphur and mineral oils; the soil inputs, conventional manure, plastic and peat, and the livestock inputs, conventional straw, antibiotic medicine and anthelminthic medicine. In order to select the most suitable alternatives, the consequences of substitution must be evaluated in terms of feasibility, sustainability and environmental impact. Specifically, it is important to consider whether the adoption of certain alternatives is feasible from not only a technological viewpoint but also from an operational, economic, and conceptual perspective. The overall objective of a feasibility study is to support different stakeholders and decision-makers (e.g. farmers, advisers, developers) in determining whether to implement a specific alternative production method as part of their business. A feasibility study comprises research, testing and experimentation, designed to determine if a strategy, design, product or process is possible and practical. This feasibility study design is partly based on the basic production data collected for the sustainability and LCA assessments, and partly on supplemental data concerning specific operations. Data collection will take place on selected case study farms, encompassing the contentious inputs Organic-PLUS focusses on. The feasibility study will examine advantages and disadvantages of both the current production methods and the proposed alternative methods.