Science Day 2017 at BIOFACH

On February 17, 2017, the fifth Science Day will take place at BIOFACH, the World Organic Trade Fair, in Nuremberg, Germany. It is a joint event of TIPI, the Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM - Organics International, and TP Organics, the European Technology Platform for Organic Food and Farming.

In the morning of Science Day 2017, TP Organics will hold a workshop to start the process of developing a new long-term strategy for the platform.

In the afternoon, the TIPI workshop "100 questions to be addressed by novel organic food and farming systems" will take place. Building on the vision and strategic action plan of TIPI (the Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM – Organics International), this workshop will identify the research gaps in organic food and farming systems in the context of international cooperation.

Science Day is organized by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL in collaboration with IFOAM EU.

Report from Science Day 2017 at BIOFACH

Report from Science Day 2017
Slldes of the presentations on Organic Eprints (see also programme below)

MORNING: A NEW LONG TERM STRATEGY FOR TP ORGANICS

A new long-term strategy for TP Organics

In 2017, TP Organics celebrates its 10th anniversary. From an ambitious idea of few, but very engaged people, TP Organics has grown into a European Technology Platform – officially recognised by the European Commission – with nearly 100 members. TP Organics will use 2017 to review what has been achieved so far and to develop a new long-term strategy. The BIOFACH Science Day will be the start of this process.

10:00 to 10:05 am: Welcome and introduction

Eduardo Cuoco, TP Organics Head of Secretariat

10:05 to 10:15 am: TP Organics achievements in the last 10 years

Eduardo Cuoco, TP Organics Head of Secretariat

10:15 to 10:30 am: EU Agricultural Research & Innovation policy: outlook and developments

Hans-Jörg Lutzeyer, European Commission, DG Research & Innovation
Annette Schneegans, European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development

10:30 to 10:40 am: TP Organics strategy: expectations from the organic sector

Matteo Bartolini, Federbio

10:40 to 10:50 am: Introduction to the Workshop

Yulia Barabanova, TP Organics Research Officer

10:50 to 11:05 am: Coffee break

11:05 to 12:10 am: Workshops

Following questions will be addressed:

What is the future for organic and agroecological research in Europe?
Moderator: Vianney Le Pichon (FROG, ITAB)
How can TP Organics involve companies, civil society and researchers in its advocacy work?
Moderator: Marian Blom (Bionext)
What support and services should TP Organics provide for members and stakeholders?
Moderator: Marco Schlüter (Öko Obstbau Norddeutschland)

12:10 to 12:30 am: Reports from the workshops

12.30 to 13.15 pm: LUNCH

AFTERNOON: TIPI WORKSHOP: "100 questions to be addressed by novel organic food and farming systems", organized by TIPI

Background

Organic food and farming systems have great potential to meet global challenges – such as population growth, climate change, environmental pollution and deterioration of natural resources – while being economically attractive to farmers. However, organic food and farming ystems remain a niche category with less than one percent of the global farmland certified, and only a small share of the global population consuming organic produce. Research institutes and scientists in low- and middle-income countries working on novel knowledge and techniques of organic systems face challenges. The ability of organic agriculture to address international development is not being given the access needed to the funding, facilities, and other resources to live up to its full potential as a solution to rural development. Furthermore, within OFFS there is a widening economic disparity between smallholder/family farms and industrialised production that threatens to undermine that potential.

Objectives

Building on the vision and strategic action plan of TIPI (the Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM – Organics International), this workshop (World Café) will identify the research gaps in organic food and farming Systems in the context of international cooperation, which will contribute to the development of a strategic research agenda for rganic food and farming systems. This agenda will strongly influence the implementation of the action plan to address the identified research gaps. The trinity of vision & strategy, strategic research agenda and implementation action plan may deliver strong arguments to improve access to funding for research on organic food and farming systems at domestic and international levels. The workshop (World Café)poses the following questions:

Which thematic fields should be prioritized in different regions (continents) to collect evidence about the benefits and needs for improvement of organic food and farming Systems (100 questions to be addressed by novel organic food and farming systems)?
Who should set these research priorities, and how (i.e., how much should research priorities and innovations be farmer-, policy-, market- or funder-driven)?
How can the organic community and its constituents effectively advocate for organic food and farming Systems research?

Format

This event will be organized as a half-day conference, with lectures by representatives from the organic community, followed by a workshop (World Café). The event will be followed up by consolidation workshop at the Organic World Congress, to be held in India from November 9th to 11th 2017.

List of speakers

Urs Niggli, Director Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) & President Technology Innovation Platform of IFOAM – Organics International (TIPI)
David Gould, Program Facilitator and North American Representative, IFOAM - Organics International
Christian Andres, Research Scientist FiBL & Coordinator TIPI

Time plan

13:15 - 13:30 pm: Welcome and introduction to objective and process

Christian Andres, Research Scientist FiBL & Coordinator TIPI

13:30 - 13:50 pm: The most important knowledge gaps in organic food and farming systems: current state

Urs Niggli, Director FiBL & President TIPI

13:50 - 14:10 pm: How to effectively advocate for organic food and farming systems research?

David Gould, Program Facilitator and North American Representative, IFOAM - Organics International

14:10 - 14:20 pm: Introduction to workshop

Christian Andres, Research Scientist FiBL & Coordinator TIPI

14:20 - 16:20 pm: Workshop breakout sessions (World Café on three questions listed under "Objective", including individual coffee breaks)

16:20 - 16:50 pm: Workshop plenary session (conclusion)

16:50 - 17:00 pm: Closing remarks

Urs Niggli, Director FiBL & President TIPI

Names, affiliation and e-mail addresses of chairs

Urs Niggli, Director FiBL & President TIPI, urs.niggli(at)fibl.org
Christian Andres, Research Scientist FiBL & Coordinator TIPI, christian.andres(at)fibl.org