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Planetary boundaries are exceeded in many ways and major transformations are needed in economic systems and lifestyles - in particular in the industrialized world. The declining resources of critical input factors and exceeding of the buffer capacity of natural systems will in particular affect contemporary industrialized, high-input-high-output agriculture. Can organic farming principles be applied more widely and help to make agricultural systems more resilient? How relevant are they to the challenges the agricultural sector faces today? If relevant and effective, why are they not more widely applied? In this paper contemporary challenges of conventional agriculture are related to organic farming principles and practices. In the concluding section reference is made to those factors that seem to limit a wide application of the particular principles and practices. Reference is made to policy and market failure, information deficits and the widespread misconceptions around 'modernization', innovation, valuation and efficiency that have caused many contemporary problems.

Planetary boundaries are exceeded in many ways and major transformations are needed in economic systems and lifestyles - in particular in the industrialized world. The declining resources of critical input factors and exceeding of the buffer capacity of natural systems will in particular affect contemporary industrialized, high-input-high-output agriculture. Can organic farming principles be applied more widely and help to make agricultural systems more resilient? How relevant are they to the challenges the agricultural sector faces today? If relevant and effective, why are they not more widely applied? In this paper contemporary challenges of conventional agriculture are related to organic farming principles and practices. In the concluding section reference is made to those factors that seem to limit a wide application of the particular principles and practices. Reference is made to policy and market failure, information deficits and the widespread misconceptions around 'modernization', innovation, valuation and efficiency that have caused many contemporary problems.

The paper draws out the possibilities of development and increase of organic farmed fish in Italy, evaluating both technical and economic aspects, for breeding, market, political, regulatory and environmental issues. The survey has been conducted using the Delphi technique, in three rounds with a panel of national experts. The analysis offers interesting insights and useful suggestions addressed to the organic aquaculture sector. Authors chose Delphi methodology according to the paper’s objective: the study is in fact aimed at exploring the evolution dynamics (positive or absent) for a less-developed market like the one of the Italian organic fish. This method allows to create a forecast by collecting and evaluating experts’ opinions about the organic fish market; these experts are divided in homogeneous groups and selected as privileged observers of the phenomenon.

The paper draws out the possibilities of development and increase of organic farmed fish in Italy, evaluating both technical and economic aspects, for breeding, market, political, regulatory and environmental issues. The survey has been conducted using the Delphi technique, in three rounds with a panel of national experts. The analysis offers interesting insights and useful suggestions addressed to the organic aquaculture sector. Authors chose Delphi methodology according to the paper’s objective: the study is in fact aimed at exploring the evolution dynamics (positive or absent) for a less-developed market like the one of the Italian organic fish. This method allows to create a forecast by collecting and evaluating experts’ opinions about the organic fish market; these experts are divided in homogeneous groups and selected as privileged observers of the phenomenon.

The paper draws out the possibilities of development and increase of organic farmed fish in Italy, evaluating both technical and economic aspects, for breeding, market, political, regulatory and environmental issues. The survey has been conducted using the Delphi technique, in three rounds with a panel of national experts. The analysis offers interesting insights and useful suggestions addressed to the organic aquaculture sector. Authors chose Delphi methodology according to the paper’s objective: the study is in fact aimed at exploring the evolution dynamics (positive or absent) for a less-developed market like the one of the Italian organic fish. This method allows to create a forecast by collecting and evaluating experts’ opinions about the organic fish market; these experts are divided in homogeneous groups and selected as privileged observers of the phenomenon.

The paper draws out the possibilities of development and increase of organic farmed fish in Italy, evaluating both technical and economic aspects, for breeding, market, political, regulatory and environmental issues. The survey has been conducted using the Delphi technique, in three rounds with a panel of national experts. The analysis offers interesting insights and useful suggestions addressed to the organic aquaculture sector. Authors chose Delphi methodology according to the paper’s objective: the study is in fact aimed at exploring the evolution dynamics (positive or absent) for a less-developed market like the one of the Italian organic fish. This method allows to create a forecast by collecting and evaluating experts’ opinions about the organic fish market; these experts are divided in homogeneous groups and selected as privileged observers of the phenomenon.

This paper presents some of the results of the first European survey on detailed organic market data that was carried out as part of the project "Data network for better European organic market information" (OrganicDataNetwork). The project is running from 2012 to 2014 and is funded under the 7th Framework programme for Research and Technological Development of the European Commission. The project aims to increase the transparency of the European organic food market through better availability of market intelligence about the sector to meet the needs of policy makers and actors involved in organic markets.

This paper aims to provide insights into the deeper challenges of making and communicating overall assessments of organic food systems. Methods to do overall sustainability assessment are very different, they produce different assessments, and none of them can claim to have the ‘right’ answer. This paper aims to show some of the deeper challenges of making and communicating overall assessments of organic food systems, by investigating the role of scientific and stakeholder perspectives. Some results are that (1) sustainability is a paradoxical perspective, which relies on a multitude of specialised scientific perspectives; (2) assessments are based on built-in, but mostly hidden and sometimes incompatible values; and (3) the key to successful overall assessments is to make perspectives and values explicit in order to enable assessment of assessments in a participatory process. We conclude that there is a need to develop new participatory methods to handle perspectives and values in the preparation and communication of assessments of organic food systems.

Increasing attention is paid by European citizens to food chain characteristics, power relations and impacts. Distance travelled by food, its genuinity and capacity to convey cultural and landscape identity, fairness in the value chain and information robustness on quality specifications tend to assume a growing relevance in both public perception and business organisation. A triennial multidisciplinary and multicriteria study, funded under the EU 7th Framework Research Programme, aims to assess the performance of local and global food chains against economic, environmental, social, health and ethical dimensions. This paper examines how organic foods and method of production fits into the local/global discourse, as the subject emerges from an Italian literature review.

Good research dissemination has to define the exploitable results, to produce suitable dissemination tools and select the best dissemination channels in order to bring the key messages to the target groups. Publications in peer-reviewed journals and other forms of written documents such as articles in popular journals or technical leaflets are traditionally the most selected tools and channels for research dissemination (Poulsen 2010). Because consolidated research results are available usually at the end of a research project only, continuous dissemination activities during the lifetime of a project is not always ensured. We argue that new media including blogs, YouTube videos, Facebook, and Twitter, can help to create an arena for a potential target audience, creating awareness of the research project and assuring a continuous information flow. The aim of this paper is to provide recommendations to researchers on how to improve the dissemination of their research. Furthermore we propose additional criteria to funding bodies to be considered in call announcements, and when selecting and evaluating research proposals.

The aim of the paper is to present the socio-economic and political aspects in the development of organic sector in post-socialist Bulgaria. It will question the building up of the organic concept in terms of national policies, farming practices and market forces in the country. That topic has its scientific relevance at least in three crucial dimensions. Firstly, because the legacy of the socialist system significantly affected the structure of the agricultural sector as well as the entrepreneurial behavior of the rural population under conditions of transition. Secondly, the analysis is important because it helps to identify the internal (national) and the external (out of the national context) driving forces that influence the development of the organic sector in Bulgaria. Thirdly, the organic sector comprises different economic activities, it’s not only about producing but also processing, trading, exporting, importing. In other words, economic considerations are crucial while building this new concept. Nor less of relevance is the fact that despite the unquestionable importance of the organic sector for achieving sustainable rural development, that phenomenon has not yet been subject to a lot of scientific research in Bulgaria. The paper will challenge this research gap and will present a comprehensive analysis of the development Bulgarian organic sector and the processes that influence the building up of the organic concept in a post-socialist context. The paper is supported by the Swiss Enlargement Contribution in the framework of the Bulgarian-Swiss Research Programme through the Project “Addressing socio-economic regional disparities: the potential of organic farming for strengthening rural areas in Bulgaria”. The results presented in this paper are based of qualitative and quantitative research data gathered during the first 16 months of the Project through 1) 22 semi-structures in-depth interviews with key informants working in the areas of organic farmin

This paper presents some of the results of the first European survey on detailed organic market data that was carried out as part of the project "Data network for better European organic market information" (OrganicDataNetwork). The project is running from 2012 to 2014 and is funded under the 7th Framework programme for Research and Technological Development of the European Commission. The project aims to increase the transparency of the European organic food market through better availability of market intelligence about the sector to meet the needs of policy makers and actors involved in organic markets.

The paper presents first year results of one participatory case study carried out as part of EU FP7 funded SOLID project (Sustainable Organic and Low Input Dairying) on an organic dairy farm managed with diverse swards and mob grazing in Britain. Mob grazing is a livestock management strategy consisting of high stocking density for a short time to remove forage rapidly due to high grazing pressure and then removing livestock to allow grass recovery. On the farm this is combined with a diverse sward, paying particular consideration to soil fertility. First results indicate that there was more available herbage in front of the cows, especially in the summer months, than could be expected from rotational grazing with shorter rest periods. Differences between the diverse and standard mixture measure in one field were not as marked as expected. Further measurements during the coming grazing season will be carried out.

In this paper we analyse the data from inspections of two European control bodies in Turkish farms to analyse risk pattern of non-compliance with the EU organic regulation. A logit model is used to identify the types of crops the are more likely related to non-compliant operators.

It can be stated that also in future a successful copper minimization strategy based on the use of all preventive measures, the further reduction of copper application rates and the development of alternative pesticides. First results of the EU project COFREE (Copper Replacement Strategies) have shown, that the high safety effect of copper-based products is difficult to achieve by alternative products. The short, medium and long-term measures for the implementation of copper minimization strategy are described in this paper. The future development potential of the measures to minimize copper in organic potato production is assessed.

The paper draws out the possibilities of development and increase of organic farmed fish in Italy, evaluating both technical and economic aspects, for breeding, market, political, regulatory and environmental issues. The survey has been conducted using the Delphi technique, in three rounds with a panel of national experts. The analysis offers interesting insights and useful suggestions addressed to the organic aquaculture sector. Authors chose Delphi methodology according to the paper’s objective: the study is in fact aimed at exploring the evolution dynamics (positive or absent) for a less-developed market like the one of the Italian organic fish. This method allows to create a forecast by collecting and evaluating experts’ opinions about the organic fish market; these experts are divided in homogeneous groups and selected as privileged observers of the phenomenon.

This paper presents some of the results of the first European survey on detailed organic market data that was carried out as part of the project "Data network for better European organic market information" (OrganicDataNetwork). The project is running from 2012 to 2014 and is funded under the 7th Framework programme for Research and Technological Development of the European Commission. The project aims to increase the transparency of the European organic food market through better availability of market intelligence about the sector to meet the needs of policy makers and actors involved in organic markets.

Increasing attention is paid by European citizens to food chain characteristics, power relations and impacts. Distance travelled by food, its genuinity and capacity to convey cultural and landscape identity, fairness in the value chain and information robustness on quality specifications tend to assume a growing relevance in both public perception and business organisation. A triennial multidisciplinary and multicriteria study, funded under the EU 7th Framework Research Programme, aims to assess the performance of local and global food chains against economic, environmental, social, health and ethical dimensions. This paper examines how organic foods and method of production fits into the local/global discourse, as the subject emerges from an Italian literature review.

Good research dissemination has to define the exploitable results, to produce suitable dissemination tools and select the best dissemination channels in order to bring the key messages to the target groups. Publications in peer-reviewed journals and other forms of written documents such as articles in popular journals or technical leaflets are traditionally the most selected tools and channels for research dissemination (Poulsen 2010). Because consolidated research results are available usually at the end of a research project only, continuous dissemination activities during the lifetime of a project is not always ensured. We argue that new media including blogs, YouTube videos, Facebook, and Twitter, can help to create an arena for a potential target audience, creating awareness of the research project and assuring a continuous information flow. The aim of this paper is to provide recommendations to researchers on how to improve the dissemination of their research. Furthermore we propose additional criteria to funding bodies to be considered in call announcements, and when selecting and evaluating research proposals.

The aim of the paper is to present the socio-economic and political aspects in the development of organic sector in post-socialist Bulgaria. It will question the building up of the organic concept in terms of national policies, farming practices and market forces in the country. That topic has its scientific relevance at least in three crucial dimensions. Firstly, because the legacy of the socialist system significantly affected the structure of the agricultural sector as well as the entrepreneurial behavior of the rural population under conditions of transition. Secondly, the analysis is important because it helps to identify the internal (national) and the external (out of the national context) driving forces that influence the development of the organic sector in Bulgaria. Thirdly, the organic sector comprises different economic activities, it’s not only about producing but also processing, trading, exporting, importing. In other words, economic considerations are crucial while building this new concept. Nor less of relevance is the fact that despite the unquestionable importance of the organic sector for achieving sustainable rural development, that phenomenon has not yet been subject to a lot of scientific research in Bulgaria. The paper will challenge this research gap and will present a comprehensive analysis of the development Bulgarian organic sector and the processes that influence the building up of the organic concept in a post-socialist context. The paper is supported by the Swiss Enlargement Contribution in the framework of the Bulgarian-Swiss Research Programme through the Project “Addressing socio-economic regional disparities: the potential of organic farming for strengthening rural areas in Bulgaria”. The results presented in this paper are based of qualitative and quantitative research data gathered during the first 16 months of the Project through 1) 22 semi-structures in-depth interviews with key informants working in the areas of organic farmin

The incorporation of conservation agriculture techniques (e.g. reduced tillage and green manures) in organic farming systems brings many benefits to the environment and reduces energy use (Holland, 2004). One of the main drawbacks of the use of reduced tillage is the potential increase in weed infestation and shifts in the weed community composition, sometimes to the benefit of more difficult-to-control species (Bàrberi, 2002; Peigné et al., 2007; Sans et al., 2011). However, weeds have an important role in maintaining farmland functional biodiversity (Bàrberi et al, 2010; Caballero et al., 2010), and this should be balanced with their potential negative impact on crop yield and quality. Within the frame of the European project “Reduced tillage and green manures for sustainable cropping systems” (TILMAN-ORG), in 2012 we started a study with the aim of evaluating the effects of conservation agricultural methods on functional attributes of weed communities, taking into account both the potential detrimental effects of weeds on crop growth and yield and the potential ecological services or dis-services. Knowledge on the outcome of positive and negative effects will be useful in the context of evaluating soil conservation practices in organic farming. In this paper we highlight the approach used to build the weed functional traits database, the first step in this study.

Increasing attention is paid by European citizens to food chain characteristics, power relations and impacts. Distance travelled by food, its genuinity and capacity to convey cultural and landscape identity, fairness in the value chain and information robustness on quality specifications tend to assume a growing relevance in both public perception and business organisation. A triennial multidisciplinary and multicriteria study, funded under the EU 7th Framework Research Programme, aims to assess the performance of local and global food chains against economic, environmental, social, health and ethical dimensions. This paper examines how organic foods and method of production fits into the local/global discourse, as the subject emerges from an Italian literature review.

This paper presents some of the results of the first European survey on detailed organic market data that was carried out as part of the project "Data network for better European organic market information" (OrganicDataNetwork). The project is running from 2012 to 2014 and is funded under the 7th Framework programme for Research and Technological Development of the European Commission. The project aims to increase the transparency of the European organic food market through better availability of market intelligence about the sector to meet the needs of policy makers and actors involved in organic markets.

This paper aims to identify the factors that influence the choice of organic farmers to innovate for more sustainable practices that go beyond the strict limits imposed by the certification. Using survey data collected from 352 Italian and Portuguese certified organic farmers, a probabilistic model was estimated. The results show that farmers, in particular women, longest engaged in organic farming are more likely to adopt sustainable practices. They also indicate that farm size, landownership, the existence of some types of complementary activities and the sources of information used by farmers affect the adoption of such practices.

This paper is aiming to discuss significant aspects of dairy cows’ demand for dietary protein and to put these in a general context of rumen fermentation efficiency. The question is, whether new perspectives on optimal rumen functioning could be found which allow to develop reasonable low-input feed evaluation systems for dairy cattle. Besides the reduction in concentrated feedstuff these systems should enable to avoid nutrition based metabolic disorders of the cattle and to indicate advantageous side-effects coming along with low-concentrate feeding. A rough outline of research and development topics to achieve such systems shall be presented with this paper.

Essential oils can have an impact on pollen beetle (Meligethes spp.) host plant location behaviour. Lavender oil (Lavendula angustifolia) showed the highest repellency value in a previous laboratory study that compared five different essential oils (Mauchline et al., 2005). However, lavender oil is one of the most expensive essential oils – a fact that could seriously hamper on-farm implementation of this strategy. To find a cheaper essential oil with comparable efficacy to lavender oil, we compared the essential oils of Mentha arvensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Melaleuca alternifolia, Citrus sinensis, Citrus paradisi, Citrus limon, Juniperus mexicana, Abies sibirica, Illicium verum, Gaultheria procumbens, Cymbopogon flexuosus, Syzygium aromaticum, and Litsea cubeba using a Y-tube-olfactometer. Essential oils were diluted 1:10 in acetone and 40 µl of the dilution were applied on a 3.1cm2 filter paper. Filter papers were placed in the odour containers of the olfactometer together with a flower cluster of spring oilseed rape with 5 open flowers and 10-15 buds. The control treatment involved filter papers treated only with acetone. Hungry pollen beetles were released individually into the olfactometer. The beetles’ choices were recorded. Flowers and essential oils were changed between replicates. Six replicates with six beetles each were conducted. Highest repellency values were obtained for Mentha arvensis, Cymbopogon flexuosus, and Litsea cubeba.

The paper draws out the possibilities of development and increase of organic farmed fish in Italy, evaluating both technical and economic aspects, for breeding, market, political, regulatory and environmental issues. The survey has been conducted using the Delphi technique, in three rounds with a panel of national experts. The analysis offers interesting insights and useful suggestions addressed to the organic aquaculture sector. Authors chose Delphi methodology according to the paper’s objective: the study is in fact aimed at exploring the evolution dynamics (positive or absent) for a less-developed market like the one of the Italian organic fish. This method allows to create a forecast by collecting and evaluating experts’ opinions about the organic fish market; these experts are divided in homogeneous groups and selected as privileged observers of the phenomenon.

This paper presents the findings of an assessment aimed to evaluate, in terms of cost and energy consumption, the introduction of living mulches in different organic vegetable systems producing cauliflower. The study was carried out in three European countries (IT, SLO and DK) in the frame of the InterVeg project (Core Organic II). The achievements demonstrated that, in economic terms, farmers’ choice of a specific technique, like living mulch instead of sole cropping, can be influenced by two key elements: human labor and fossil fuel consumption. Different organic systems have a different proportion in using the two inputs depending on the specific farm strategy.

Rural development in China has been a huge success: from hunger to self-sufficiency to food donor in only a few decades. This fast growth of agricultural production, however, came at a cost – which consequently stresses the natural resources, pollutes environment and increases income inequality between poor and rich. Now, Chinese authorities seek other ways than conventional agriculture to continue high productivity, but without causing degradation of natural resources and environment to fulfil the needs for safe nutrition of a growing society. Ecological or organic agriculture is suggested to be a modern and promising alternative that has a sound record of adapting food safety and natural harmony. Within this context, the main questions of this research are: what kind of development patterns did the organic sector show in China and what are the main problems in the Chinese organic food chain? In this paper, the development of organic agriculture and its institutional framework in China are analysed. Problems are identified from analysis of in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders throughout the whole organic food chain. Results and conclusions are presented and recommendations made.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) gained increasing attention and experienced rapid growth in the US and Western Europe over the past 25 years as a special form of direct marketing where producers and consumers form an alliance in a relationship based on mutual trust, openness, shared risk and shared rewards.Using local, organic food-systems as the point of departure the paper aims to explore the farm enterprises that follow practices of CSA in Hungary. Our study confirmed that CSA can be identified as a sustainable rural business strategy for innovative organic farmers and has transformative potential for food-system localization, providing decent livelihood, good care of natural resources and strengthens social cohesion within the rural-urban interface in Hungary.

This paper presents results of a standardized online survey among Suisse organic farmers and their buyers on fairness and satisfaction in business relations. A majority of participating Suisse organic farmers and buyers are satisfied with their business relationships. Farmers not only expect their buyers to pay fair prices but also to act consistently, be transparent and invest in good personal relations. Buyers expect their agricultural suppliers to provide high quality products, be reliable and transparent while fair prices are mentioned less frequently. Especially regarding perceived fair payments by business partners, this slightly differing perspective between farmers and buyers can also be observed. Presented measurement items of an adapted organizational justice scale in agricultural buyer supplier relationships can be used for further analysis.

The paper presents results from an Italian study on the development of the food quality for poultry meat into the organic sector, using the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) technique. Results show that among the visual characteristics of poultry meat consumers assign greater importance to attributes strictly related to the animal welfare issue. Price and product appearance (colour and fat presence) come as second. To meet these needs, producers can effectively operate along the supply chain by acting on: housing type, genotype lines and stocking density (animal concentration/mq). Information about these issues (labelling) should also be provided to the consumers.

This paper presents the findings of an assessment aimed to evaluate, in terms of cost and energy consumption, the introduction of living mulches in different organic vegetable systems producing cauliflower. The study was carried out in three European countries (IT, SLO and DK) in the frame of the InterVeg project (Core Organic II). The achievements demonstrated that, in economic terms, farmers’ choice of a specific technique, like living mulch instead of sole cropping, can be influenced by two key elements: human labor and fossil fuel consumption. Different organic systems have a different proportion in using the two inputs depending on the specific farm strategy.

One of the main reasons for buying organic products is the animal friendly production system. However, due to an undifferentiated marketing, there is no possibility so far for German consumers to purchase a beef product according to the rearing system of the cattle - except for the possibility to purchase directly from farms.Yet, there is only little research published on the potential of a differentiated marketing approach for beef from animal-friendly rearing systems, such as extensive suckler cow husbandry.The objective of the present paper is to present findings from a project that assessed the potential for a differentiation of rearing systems for the German organic beef market. Results of the study indicate that the price is not of high importance for consumers of organic beef. Consumers tend to prefer an organic production, but also the rearing system is an important product attribute. Especially if consumers were informed about the rearing system, consumers preferred beefsteak from a suckler-cow-based rearing. Additionally, ethical values like the protection of the environment and biological diversity seem to be important facets. Organic products should not only focus on the production system, but also differentiate according to the rearing system.

In this paper we analyse the data from inspections of two European control bodies in Turkish farms to analyse risk pattern of non-compliance with the EU organic regulation. A logit model is used to identify the types of crops the are more likely related to non-compliant operators.

In the Mediterranean Agriculture, the organic production constitutes a real possibility for sustainable development, it can keep a population in these areas and provide it with a decent work. This paper try to establish differences between conventional and organic systems of production, so that observation of these differences would lead to conclusions relating to the level of efficiency of one system as against the other. To achieve this objective, the research team analyzed the evolution of seventeen milk sheep farms in various places in the Castilla y León Region for a whole year. The study consisted in the modeling of the results of a Cobb-Douglas production function. The findings reveal that organic farms have higher production levels with the same combination of inputs. This result is a guarantee of future for this type of production and guarantee of feasibility for these areas.

This paper presents the findings of an assessment aimed to evaluate, in terms of cost and energy consumption, the introduction of living mulches in different organic vegetable systems producing cauliflower. The study was carried out in three European countries (IT, SLO and DK) in the frame of the InterVeg project (Core Organic II). The achievements demonstrated that, in economic terms, farmers’ choice of a specific technique, like living mulch instead of sole cropping, can be influenced by two key elements: human labor and fossil fuel consumption. Different organic systems have a different proportion in using the two inputs depending on the specific farm strategy.

Over the last 50 years the organic food movement has developed into the most visible brand for a healthier and more environmentally sustainable food system. However, organic products need to be a more viable option for consumers if they are to achieve their full potential. After reviewing key research on why consumers purchase organic products, including results from a recent study in Australia (N=1011), the paper concludes that the key challenge is to convince consumers of their superior ‘value’ – where enhanced health and environmental credentials overcome its higher price.

In this paper, we report of a case from Turkey where a civil society organization took an active role in influencing laws, regulations and their implementations regarding organic agriculture and the marketing of organic products. Although the country’s climate and biodiversity is suitable for organic agriculture, the domestic market remained underdeveloped; the organic sector was directed mainly towards exports. By establishing the first marketplace solely for certified organic products in 2006, a non-governmental organization became the locomotive of the domestic sector. The process that leads to the 100% organic bazaar exhibits a contingent characteristic where particularly social and symbolic capital were mobilized by the NGO together with a framing of positive ‘ecological living’ discourse and therefore contributing to the 'organic' movement.

One of the main reasons for buying organic products is the animal friendly production system. However, due to an undifferentiated marketing, there is no possibility so far for German consumers to purchase a beef product according to the rearing system of the cattle - except for the possibility to purchase directly from farms.Yet, there is only little research published on the potential of a differentiated marketing approach for beef from animal-friendly rearing systems, such as extensive suckler cow husbandry.The objective of the present paper is to present findings from a project that assessed the potential for a differentiation of rearing systems for the German organic beef market. Results of the study indicate that the price is not of high importance for consumers of organic beef. Consumers tend to prefer an organic production, but also the rearing system is an important product attribute. Especially if consumers were informed about the rearing system, consumers preferred beefsteak from a suckler-cow-based rearing. Additionally, ethical values like the protection of the environment and biological diversity seem to be important facets. Organic products should not only focus on the production system, but also differentiate according to the rearing system.

This paper presents results of a standardized online survey among Suisse organic farmers and their buyers on fairness and satisfaction in business relations. A majority of participating Suisse organic farmers and buyers are satisfied with their business relationships. Farmers not only expect their buyers to pay fair prices but also to act consistently, be transparent and invest in good personal relations. Buyers expect their agricultural suppliers to provide high quality products, be reliable and transparent while fair prices are mentioned less frequently. Especially regarding perceived fair payments by business partners, this slightly differing perspective between farmers and buyers can also be observed. Presented measurement items of an adapted organizational justice scale in agricultural buyer supplier relationships can be used for further analysis.

The market share of organic wine is remarkably lower than the market share of organic food in general. The objective of this paper was to analyse the wine preferences of consumers of organic food in Germany in order to identify how demand for organic wine could be increased. Choice experiments and structured interviews were conducted with 600 consumers of organic food. In the choice experiments, the participants clearly preferred organic wine over conventional wine. However, preferences for organic wine were lower among people with a high interest in wine, i.e. people who place high importance upon vintage, grape variety and winery. We conclude that targeted marketing activities are needed to convince these people about the quality of organic wine. Interestingly, medium-priced wine (4.99 € and 6.99 €) was preferred over low-priced wine (2.99 €). It is therefore recommended to avoid a low-price strategy for organic wine.

In 2001, the German Federal Government established the Federal Scheme for Organic Agriculture (BÖL). The goal was to improve the professionalism of organic farming in Germany; to support sustained growth in production of organic food; and to stimulate a corresponding growth in the market for organic food. The paper presents results of an evaluation carried out by an international team in 2012. Our evaluation focused in particular on all research initiated and completed in period 2003 to 2010. The overall aim of the evaluation was to assess the relevance and impact of the research in relation to the BÖL’s goals, the effectiveness of the deployment of the research funding resources, and the efficiency of programme management. Recommendations relate to continuation of this research programme and how an extended programme might be improved. These are relevant to other applied research programmes targeted at the development of specific sectors.

The problem that we are faced with is that whereas research and experience suggest that stakeholder involvement is crucial to the successful development and implementation of methods of sustainability assessment, it is far from clear how to do this. In this paper we investigate how stakeholders may be involved in making and using overall assessments of organic food systems, and we propose a prototype for how this can be done.

Research results regarding organic food and farming from Europe have become easily accessible – and so can results from the rest of the world. The Open Access archive Organic Eprints (www.orgprints.org) has developed since the start in 2002 so that it now includes more than 14,000 items, has 27,000 registered users and more than 200,000 visits per month. The archive is open for all to use and registered users can deposit their research publications from refereed journals as well as non-refereed sources. Organisations, research facilities, research programmes and projects are also presented in the archive. Organic Eprints is the largest database in the world with publications about Organic Agriculture & Food Systems research. It can be utilized for entering papers for conferences as seen for the Organic World Congress 2014 and 2008.

At INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research), the CIAB (Internal Committee of Organic Agriculture) is the main driver of an organic research program. The aim of this paper is to analyze whether these projects comply with the main objectives set out in the program. A database was built with all of the 40 project proposals that were finally approved. The database also made it possible to depict participation in collaborative networks. The analysis highlights four major benefits: (i) Structuring a network of scientific and professional partnerships, (ii) Mobilizing new research teams in the organic program,(iii) Resulting networks and partnerships,(iv) Mobilizing disciplinary or interdisciplinary approaches. We finally draw lessons on the relevance of associating skills for the identification, management and evaluation of research projects

The EU accession process has triggered the development of organic food and farming in countries accessing the EU. EU organic farming legislation needed to be transposed in these countries, and with that the regulations on organic farming support. Yet, such support has to find its way from the state to the single farmer, and farmers need markets and customers to sell their produce. Institutions need to be put in place that can act as channels for flows of knowledge and resources. The goal of this paper is to analyse the mid- to long-term impacts of the EU accession as external trigger for organic farming development. We will focus on the institutional development in selected countries that accessed the EU in 2004: Czech Republic, Hungary and Estonia, comparing the situation in these countries at the time of their accession with the current situation (2013).

In this paper, we report of a case from Turkey where a civil society organization took an active role in influencing laws, regulations and their implementations regarding organic agriculture and the marketing of organic products. Although the country’s climate and biodiversity is suitable for organic agriculture, the domestic market remained underdeveloped; the organic sector was directed mainly towards exports. By establishing the first marketplace solely for certified organic products in 2006, a non-governmental organization became the locomotive of the domestic sector. The process that leads to the 100% organic bazaar exhibits a contingent characteristic where particularly social and symbolic capital were mobilized by the NGO together with a framing of positive ‘ecological living’ discourse and therefore contributing to the 'organic' movement.

This paper presents results of a standardized online survey among Suisse organic farmers and their buyers on fairness and satisfaction in business relations. A majority of participating Suisse organic farmers and buyers are satisfied with their business relationships. Farmers not only expect their buyers to pay fair prices but also to act consistently, be transparent and invest in good personal relations. Buyers expect their agricultural suppliers to provide high quality products, be reliable and transparent while fair prices are mentioned less frequently. Especially regarding perceived fair payments by business partners, this slightly differing perspective between farmers and buyers can also be observed. Presented measurement items of an adapted organizational justice scale in agricultural buyer supplier relationships can be used for further analysis.

Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are viable organic verification systems complementary alternative to third party certification. This paper evaluates the interactions between PGS and social processes (e.g. seed management) and identifies how both PGS and social processes can play a trigger role to improve livelihoods of rural communities worldwide and particularly in the Peruvian Andes. It draws from in-depth interviews with 84 PGS women and men farmers from eight selected PGS initiatives in India, Philippines, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Brazil and France, as well as 24 stakeholders involved in the development of PGS. Preliminary results show that PGS is an important platform for the development of social processes and that social processes positively impact PGS initiatives in different ways, thereby improving the sustainability of the PGS. Moreover, the results demonstrate so far that the entry into PGS offers farmers, farm families and their communities a range of benefits: improved social bonds at the local level; farmer empowerment; reduction in the costs of farming; better market access and regular sales; increased farm incomes; enhanced food security; improved management of local natural resources. The final detailed research report will be available November 2013 and will include guidance on conditions under which a PGS is likely to become successful and recommendations for farmers, policy makers, researchers and the organic movement.