RECONCILE Project Synthesis The use of recycled, alternative fertilizer products in organic agriculture: ecological effects and consumer perception

Summary in the original language of the document

Realization of the objectives set out by the EU for growth in organic agriculture will require a host of initiatives. It is evident that more nutrients, which are safe, will be required, and the inputs utilized will need to be broadly socially accepted.
The recycling of societal waste in organic agriculture is an opportunity to supply large amounts of carbon and nutrients to support the growth of the sector. However, this opportunity intersects with a dilemma of whether the use of recycled waste products in organic agriculture ultimately might weaken the credibility of organic farming from a consumer perspective. Furthermore, due to the nature of organic waste products, concerns are raised about human and environmental health impacts. Whilst the recycling of wastes adheres to the organic principle 1 of ecology, being based on ecological systems and cycles, the notion of utilizing currently unused organic societal waste is challenged by the principle of care and health.
The ReConCile (Recycling, Consumer Credibility and Ecosystem integrity) research project focused on two key topics, namely environmental safety, and social acceptability from a consumer perspective. The project focused on exploring questions which can facilitate the pathway towards increased utilization of potential sources of nutrients from societal waste in organic agriculture, and which are currently not utilized or utilized under strict guidelines.
The scientific problem, which ReConcile addressed was:
Can recycling from society to organic agriculture be developed in line with organic principles of ecology, health and care, while balancing consumer acceptability?
ReConCile is a Danish project supported by a grant from the GUDP programme under the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark, as part of the Organic Research, Development and Demonstration (RDD)-5 programme (RECONCILE; grant no. 34009-191557) and financially supported by Organic Denmark and SEGES Innovation through a collaboration with the Danish center for developing sustainable, organic agriculture.
The research in ReConCile has been undertaken in partnership between the University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, Roskilde University and the Danish Agriculture and Food Council.