Boosting organics through Alternative Food Networks (AFN)

Summary

Networks foster synergies across like-minded actors with complementary interests and capacities, which can promote organic conversion.
Practical recommendations
• Organic advisors should encourage farmer-to-farmer technical exchanges with experienced organic farmers sharing knowledge.
• Organic advisory services should provide farmers regular opportunities to meet with experts to broaden their horizons, get information on organic certification, landraces protection and enhancement, and healthy diets.
• Organic Alternative Food Networks should organise regular and occasional market initiatives, such as farmers’ markets, local fairs, to foster consumer-producer relations and farmer collaboration.
• Organic Alternative Food Networks should promote local products through experiential tourism & cultural events such as heritage & landscape walks, art festivals, tasting events, bike tours, fostering organics as an added value for citizens and tourists.
• Members of Organic Alternative Food Networks should engage in partnerships in multi-actor projects (EU, national, local).