Fibl Activity Report 2019/2020

­Activity ­report 2019 / 2020

Shaping the agriculture of the future Research. Develop. Advise.

FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 A Contents

Editorial Organic agriculture in 2030 – casting an eye to the future 2 Six FiBLs, one idea 3

Overview FiBL in figures 4 Highlights from 2019 and 2020 6

Action plan Promoting domestic production over imported foods 10 The state of Burgenland goes organic 11

Soil PhD student unveils soil secrets 12 Less is more. Testing reduced tillage cropping under organic conditions 14

Plants Flowers in the cabbage patch are good for beneficials 17 Bread grains for low-fertility soils 18 Fresh bread from an old grain 19 On-farm research – a FiBL success story 20 Bees: The wild ones are even busier 22 What remedies for leaf blotch? 23 Halting lavender decline 24 Wanted: Robust bundles of protein 26

Animals Excellent health with little concentrate: New bulls for dairy breeding 28 Breeding: Robust and efficient animals 30 Feeding: Secondary compounds of prime importance 31 Sheep in the vineyard – Is copper a threat? 34 New: Animal Welfare Unit at FiBL Germany 36

Climate change Early detection of the spread of pest insects 38 The changing climate determines where milk flows 39

Nutrition and politics How to increase the sustainability of global supply chains 40 The edible city 41 Little land, lots of biodiversity 42 Living Labs 44

Service and extension The organic data bankers 46 Knowledge for success in organic farming 48 FiBL Academy: Learning from and with others – online too 50 Organic from all four winds 52

International cooperation Expedient or nonsensical? Organic farming in developing countries 54 Oranges in danger 58 Organic across Europe 59

Team and finances Thank you, Urs! 60 FiBL Europe 61 FiBL Switzerland 62 Cover FiBL Germany 64 Innovations such as the MulchTec Planter were on display at the 2019 “Öko-Feldtage” FiBL Austria 65 (organic field days) in Kassel. The event, organised by FiBL Germany, attracted some FiBL France 66 11,000 visitors. FiBL is involved in similar format events in other countries: the “Biofeldtage” ÖMKi Hungary 67 (organic field days) in Austria with roughly 8,000 participants, the “Bio-Ackerbautag” FiBL's clients, donors and supporters 68 (organic arable farming day) in Switzerland with 2,000 and the “Bio-Viehtag” (organic livestock day) with around 1,000 visitors. Publication details 72

FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 1 Organic agriculture in 2030 – Six FiBLs, one idea

The FiBL Research Institutes of Organic Agriculture are ­casting an eye to the future non-governmental civil society institutions or non-profit enterprises operating as foundations or associations in What do we need to do now in research and exten­ in this respect. It is important that agricultural and a number of European countries. While each of the sion to ensure that in 2030 organic farming contin­ food policies also set the right course. Organic Ac­ institutes is legally autonomous, they see themselves as ues to help ensure food security worldwide and tion Plans have proven useful in this regard: In recent part of the FiBL Group, working closely together in fully meets the requirements of sustainable agricul­ years FiBL has been strongly involved in projects partnership. ture? The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture aimed at promoting organic agriculture by means The FiBL Group is united by the objective to continuous- FiBL addresses this question and tackles this chal­ of action plans. By co-developing and assisting such ly advance organic agriculture along the entire value lenge. Not only do we develop relevant visions but projects, by evaluating their impact and by conduct­ chain of the food system through research, knowledge together with practitioners we also turn visions into ing organic research at the highest international level, transfer and advisory services, practice-oriented reality through research, innovation and advisory FiBL has been making an important contribution, not projects and public relations work. Together with Director of FiBL Director of FiBL France services. FiBL therefore sees itself as an engine of only to achieving the EU's 25 per cent target, but also practitioner partners, other research and advisory Germany Florence Arsonneau innovation for sustainable food systems and agro­ to sustainable agriculture worldwide. institutions, public bodies and non-governmental Robert Hermanowski ecology and is internationally sought-after as a This activity report reflects the breadth of FiBL's organisations in Europe and on other continents, FiBL partner in this field. work: from project examples in the areas of soil, crop works on projects aimed at safeguarding both global As part of its “Farm to Fork” strategy, the EU aims at plants and livestock, to topics in food processing, food security and the natural resource base on which 25 per cent of agricultural land having transitioned sustainability assessments of food systems, poli­ life depends by means of organic agriculture and to organic management by 2030. This is an important cy and technical advice, to the pillars of education, sustainable food systems. The six FiBLs are committed target, and a highly ambitious one: currently the or­ knowledge transfer and agroecology. We present our to responsibility for people, animals and the environ- ganic share of total agricultural land is 8.1 per cent work, which already addresses the challenges of or­ ment, and to transparency and participation both in the EU and 16.5 per cent in Switzerland. FiBL very ganic agriculture in 2030, in an informative yet enjoy­ internally and externally. For FiBL, respect for col- much welcomes this objective and is highly commit­ able format. We hope that all our readers will enjoy leagues, cooperation partners and people in general ted to doing its part to achieve it. Increasing demand discovering new and perhaps surprising aspects of as well as democratic decision-making are fundamental through sales promotion measures and the procure­ FiBL's work. We would like to take this opportunity prerequisites of successful and globally recognised ment of sustainable food for communal catering in to thank all our sponsors and patrons. Without them work. public institutions may prove particularly effective many of FiBL’s projects would not be possible. The FiBL Group currently includes FiBL Switzerland (established in 1973), FiBL Germany (2001), FiBL Austria (2004), ÖMKi (Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, 2011) and FiBL France (2017) as well as FiBL Europe (2017) which is jointly supported by the five national institutes. .

Director of FiBL Europe Director of ÖMKi Hungary Miguel Angel de Porras Acuña Dóra Drexler

Directors of FiBL Switzerland Director of FiBL Austria From left to right: Marc Schärer, Knut Schmidtke, Lucius Tamm Andreas Kranzler

2 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 3 Overall budget of all FiBL institutes Locations in Euros in Europe FiBL in figures €

€

2010 2020 Number Staff 2009 2020 of times 3 11 ­OrganicXseeds 19 million 34 million database was accessed

Visits on the FiBL homepage 2 011 2020 2009 2020

168 319 Peer-reviewed 41,616 127,648 scientific journal publications

2010 2020 2010 2020 Technical guides for practitioners 54 137 200,825 235,952

FiBLFilm youtube channel video views per year Projects

2010 2020 250 650

2010 2020 2012 2020 203 272 28,910 1,288,057

4 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 5 8 9 12 13 Highlights – a timeline

1

5 10

14

2 6 15

4 7 11

3

17 16

2020

1 December enable the transition to agroecology planning and construction, an opening 10 July targeted measures to contribute to a successfully continue the work on its Fertiliser from the sea / EU across Europe. ceremony is held for the new farm Dairy calves allowed to suckle balanced advancement of organic projects. The new Sea2Land project is concerned ­buildings dedicated to high-tech agri­ CH agriculture by 2030. with the recycling of nutrients from the 5 October cultural research. Until now, dairy farms were under 16 February sea for use as fertiliser. ABIM goes virtual / CH obligation to supply the “entire milking”. 13 July Bionet vegetable growers’ confer- The Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting September Thanks to a change in legislation, Factsheet: Climate impact of organic ence / AT 2 December ABIM in Basel is the biggest internation- FiBL at the Tech & Bio fair / FR the way has now been cleared for milk soil management / CH Market gardens produce a great Action plan for more organics al event in the field of organic plant FiBL presents research on parasite sales from single or multiple suckler The factsheet shows what organic variety of vegetables on a small land in the Free State of Saxony / DE protection products. In 2020 it is control in cattle, goat and sheep calf rearing enterprises. FiBL has been agriculture can bring to the table when base and are attracting a great Working together with an ­agricultural held purely as a virtual congress for the pastures at the Tech & Bio fair Elevage. studying this animal-friendly but it comes to helping the farming sector deal of interest. This is also evidenced marketing agency, the aim is to first time, and successfully so. FiBL demanding form of husbandry for many adapt to climate change. by the 150 visitors who attend the strengthen regional added value and organises the event together with the 8 September years and offers qualified advice. “Bionet Gemüsetagung 2020” (Bionet organic agriculture. International Biocontrol Manufacturers SustainSAHEL commences 14 May vegetable growers’ conference 2020). Association IBMA. EU / CH / FR 11 July Business benchmarking for farm The event, organised by FiBL Austria, is 3 December The project aims to improve climate Launch of Fokus Tierwohl network shops / DE devoted entirely to market gardening Success for FiBL’s sister institute 6 October change resilience and the intensification DE Using the KennDi online tool and the and provides important impetus for in Hungary / ÖMKi Strategy for FiBL Germany potential of smallholder farming systems Together with partners, FiBL launches associated handbook, farm shops networking and knowledge exchange In 2019 and 2020, ÖMKi is involved in to the year 2025 / DE through scalable innovations in crop, the nationwide “Fokus Tierwohl” can compare their business data to those between interested stakeholders from seven new international research Ten strategic guidelines are defined for shrub and livestock integration (CSL (focus on animal welfare) network. It of other operators. FiBL Germany is research, extension and practice. projects in receipt of EU funding. FiBL Germany up to the year 2025. systems). supports livestock farmers in Germany significantly involved in the development. These include the establishment of in further improving animal welfare 17 January 4 November a new Sustainable Farming Systems 9 August and environmental protection as well as 15 March Relaunch of the FiBL website Paving the way for agroecology division and the strengthening of DemoNetErBo extended to 2021 / DE quality in production. Corona crisis management plan EU / CH / DE / AT / FR / ÖMKi in Europe / EU research. The pea/bean demonstration network EU / CH / DE / AT / FR / ÖMKi The redesigned FiBL website enters The aim of the ALL-Ready project is known as DemoNetErBo has achieved so 12 July Just like all businesses around the globe, 2020 with a fresh look and a more to prepare a framework for a future 7 September much that it is extended once again, now Bio2030 project commences / AT FiBL is affected by Covid-19. The great clearly laid out structure. European network of Living Labs Opening ceremony at the R & D for a sixth year. FiBL is tasked with know­ FiBL will analyse the current situation solidarity and flexibility shown by all and ­research infrastructure under the livestock housing complex / CH ledge transfer and public relations. of organic agriculture and organic food employees brings about creative name of AgroEcoLLNet, which is to Following a four-year period of production in Austria and formulate solutions so that FiBL is able to

6 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 7 18 23 26 29

30

5 | 2020 31 10,- Euro

22

19 24 27 33

KÄLBERAUFZUCHT KÖRNERLEGUMINOSEN FRUCHTFOLGEN 36 Mehr Tierwohl durch Perspektiven für Herzstück des Interaktion die Zukunft Ökolandbaus

schaft

Inklusive SPECIAL Regenerative Landwirt

25

32 35 20 21

28

34

2019

18 December European agriculture and forestry es six pilot farms, and processes the on display at the Botanic Garden of the 31 May practice-oriented development of value Research award for comparison of sectors. ­expertise gained with this forward-­ University of Zurich. World Congress on Agroforestry / chains; the aim is to strengthen rural cropping systems in Bolivia, India looking management method with a view FR structures and regionalise economic and Kenya / CH 21 November to advising other interested farms. 28 July FiBL participates in the Fourth World cycles. FiBL's SysCom long-term trials demon- New animal welfare unit / DE Major event: Organic Field Days / DE Congress on Agroforestry in ­Montpellier. strate the benefits of organic agriculture A new work priority is established at 24 September The second nationwide Bio-Feldtage FiBL France presents its project on 35 March for smallholders in the tropics. The FiBL Germany, with the goal of Budapest: Conference on crop (Organic Field Days) at the Hessian sheep in vineyards. Smallholders organised in groups Swiss Forum for International Agricultur- improving animal welfare and animal diversification / ÖMKi state-owned Frankenhausen estate have an advantage / CH al Research SFIAR honours the SysCom health in livestock housing. The first European Conference on Crop are once again a great success, 32 May A FiBL study shows that smallholders team with its research award. Diversification is organised successfully attracting 350 exhibitors and more than New greenhouse opened / CH who are organised in groups reduce 22 November in Budapest and attracts more than 11,000 visitors. The 600 sqm greenhouse, equipped their cost of certification, enjoy 19 December Food Systems Caravan in West 200 participants from 25 countries. with state-of-the-art air-conditioning better market access and increase the Education for a future-proof farming Africa / CH 29 July technology, will be used in future to quality of their products through and food sector / CH A “caravan” organised by FiBL travels 25 September More on-farm research in Hungary / advance organic plant breeding efforts. knowledge exchange. Outstanding specialists are needed to through Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, FiBL at the Tech & Bio fair / FR ÖMKi Natural substances and plant extracts tackle the future challenges faced Benin and Nigeria for 60 days. FiBL France has a stand at the The project “Further development of for organic plant protection will also 36 February by the agri-food sector. Their education The team discusses improvements in Tech & Bio fair. The fair is visited by the national on-farm participatory be trialled here. NutriNet network launched / DE is the joint concern of the Zurich food security and agroecology with 20,000 people, 60 per cent of research network for a sustainable and In the NutriNet competence and University of Applied Sciences ZHAW smallholder families, advisors and whom are farmers. competitive agricultural sector in 33 April practice research network for the and FiBL in the Agrofood Systems representatives from the policy arena Hungary” commences. Organic certified feed with further development of nutrient specialisation as part of the Environ- and the research and business 26 September ­vitamin B2 developed / DE management in organic agriculture, FiBL ment and Natural Resources MSc communities. Support for organic breeding / EU 30 May The GM-free organic poultry feed Germany is in charge of knowledge programme. The Engagement.Biobreeding initiative New FiBL journal / DE EcoVit R with a high riboflavin content transfer and public relations. 23 October seeks to enable the organic sector to Publication of the first issue of BioTOPP. enters the marketplace. The produc- 20 November Commencement of agroforestry make targeted investments in breeding The journal of organic agriculture is tion process was developed jointly by Support for advisors / EU project in Austria / AT by setting up partnership-based independent of sector associations and FiBL Germany and project partners. The i2connect project commences. For farm holdings, agroforestry systems engagement along the entire value chain. has a practical focus. It is published It aims to build the capabilities offer opportunities that are interesting by the German Agricultural Society 34 March of advisors, thus enabling them to from both the economic and ecological 27 August (DLG) and FiBL Germany. Development of value chains support and facilitate interactive point of view. In an EIP-AGRI project, Cotton exhibition / CH in rural areas / DE innovation processes in response to the FiBL Austria promotes the establishment The Bio & Fair cotton exhibition from A new work priority at FiBL Germany is multiple challenges faced by the of an agroforestry network, supervis- seed to T-shirt organised by FiBL is concerned with the strategic and

8 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 9 Burgenland’s aim: 50 % organic Promoting domestic production over by 2027 imported foods

Aargau is the first canton in German-speaking Switzer­ canton to 14 per cent (from 9 per cent in 2016) and a land to promote organic farming by means of an greater level of processing of organic products direct­ action plan. The plan stimulates entrepreneurial initia­ ly on farms, in the catering sector and in other small tive and supports small and medium-sized enterprises and medium-­sized enterprises. The overall turnover in their continuous improvement of performance and in organic products is to be increased by 10 per cent. competitiveness – coordinated by FiBL. In this context it is important to communicate well the dual environmental benefit of “regional organic”. The development of organic action plans throughout Europe has been triggered by the growing markets New old niche crop: Waldstaudenroggen – for organic food. The intended beneficiaries are local a relict rye cultivar Susanne Kummer, Richard Petrasek and other staff at FiBL Austria have provided start-up assistance farmers, processors and traders. The “Waldstaudenroggen” sub-project has been par­ for Burgenland’s move towards all-organic farming. The objectives the Organic Action Plan for Aargau ticularly successful. A regional processor was found – aims to achieve by 2021 include an increase in the the innovative Fredy’s bakery in Baden – who now agricultural area under organic management in the sells bread rolls made with the relict rye into the re­ tail trade. Similarly, the Neuhof bakery in Schlieren The state of Burgenland goes organic now produces a sourdough bread using only Wald­ staudenroggen. Moreover, farmer Daniel Böhler gets Burgenland is 160 kilometres long and at its ­narrowest improving cooperation and networking all along the his rye polished and sells it directly from the farm as point five kilometres wide, so it is not especially big. value chain; and raising public awareness. “risotto”, which is well received by the catering trade, However, on the organic front Austria’s most ­easterly farm shops and processors. More farmers and proces­ state has big plans: in 2018 the Burgenland state All-round positive impacts sors are being sought. ­assembly approved nothing less than a comprehensive In addition, the study assessed the impacts that the In the canton of Aargau, the action plan has set numer­ transition to organic farming – supported by FiBL. expansion of organic production from 33.8 per cent of ous other projects in motion. Similarly, in the canton agricultural land in 2018 to 50 per cent in 2027 would of Bern the “all aboard the organic train” call has been Besides the ambitious target of increasing the pro­ have. The results are encouraging, with improvements heard. When the target of a 2000 ha increase in the portion of land under organic production to 50 per expected in all the areas examined: a 5.8 per cent fall area under organic management by 2020 was exceed­ cent by 2027, Burgenland also intends to put in place in greenhouse gas emissions, 5.5 per cent less nitrates ed, the “Bern Organic Offensive 2025” commenced measures relating to the institutional environment entering groundwater, significant potential for reduc­ with a focus on the development of outlet markets. and the food value chain. FiBL Austria was commis­ ing pesticide use on an additional 28,200 hectares of Robert Obrist, FiBL Switzerland sioned to support this process by producing a feasi­ organic land, as well as a 5.2 per cent increase in profit bility study and providing scientific assistance with margins. ­implementation. In 2019 Burgenland had already introduced a grant The project was completed in May 2020. It conclud­ for converting to organic production, which to date Organic Action Plan for Aargau ed that farming 50 per cent of the land organically (September 2020) has been claimed by 119 farming Website: www.interregeurope.eu/smeorganics in Burgenland is entirely achievable, provided that businesses. The proportion of organic produce in Contact: [email protected] the growth rates of recent years continue. However, community catering in regional government institu­ Funding: Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs maintaining the economic appeal of organic farming tions has increased markedly, and state schools and SECO for the future requires a raft of ongoing actions in or­ day nurseries are to follow. The move towards an or­ Partners: Liebegg Agricultural ganic market development, as well as in training and ganic Burgenland has begun. Centre (Landwirtschaftliches extension services. Elisabeth Klingbacher, FiBL Austria Zentrum Liebegg LZL), Canton of Aargau Promoting produce, raising public awareness On the basis of surveys and evaluations carried out as part of the project, FiBL Austria defined targets Burgenland goes organic and development paths towards an organic Burgen­ Contact: [email protected] land. Particular emphasis was placed on the follow­ Funding: Office of the Burgenland state government ing future fields of action: expanding the product Partner: Bio Austria Burgenland range with the aid of extension services; product development; public relations work and information for consumers; implementing a greening strategy for Farmer Daniel Böhler with Waldstaudenroggen rye. the whole of agriculture; strengthening the regional This relict grain grows to a height of more than two metres. organic value chain; developing organic processing;

10 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 11 PhD student unveils soil secrets

Soils generate our food, cleanse our drinking ­water and degrade organic toxins. The degree to which soils can provide these services is strongly dependent on their quality. For her doctoral thesis, Giulia Bongiorno uses next-generation sequencing and spectroscopy methods to demonstrate how soil quality can be meas- ured and how it is impacted by agriculture.

Soil quality is normally assessed based on character­ istics such as nutrient content, humus content and aggregate structure. “However, one crucial bit of information had so far been missing and that is the quantity and activity of microorganisms such as fun­ gi, algae, bacteria and worms. These are indispensa­ ble for many functions of a healthy soil,” says Giulia Using a spectrophotometer, Giulia Bongiorno determined Bongiorno, a former FiBL PhD student who currently the proportion of different types of soil carbon. works as a research scientist at Wageningen Universi­ ty in the Netherlands. Using soil samples from all over 37 per cent more active, more diverse and showed a Europe, she was able to show in her doctoral thesis greater ability to suppress plant diseases. “Howev­ how different agricultural practices impact the activ­ er, we are not yet able to answer the question as to ity and diversity of the microscopically small helpers the ideal level of microorganisms and worms. We do that reside in the soil. not have the requisite data and reference values to do Moreover, using the latest statistical methods she de­ that,” says Giulia Bongiorno. “When we get there we termined the significance of different types of carbon. can offer the new tests to farmers with a view to im­ This is important because a particular type of carbon, proving soils.” i.e. labile soil carbon, positively influences the quantity Franziska Hämmerli, FiBL Switzerland of soil micro-organisms. These, in turn, strengthen nu­ merous soil functions such as disease resistance, aggre­ gate structure, mineralisation and nutrient recycling. Measuring and assessing soil quality Reduced tillage fosters labile soil carbon and, Contact: [email protected] in turn, soil life Project: Interactive Soil Quality Assessment iSQAPER Giulia Bongiorno’s research data show that reduced Funding: EU, Swiss State Secretariat for Education, tillage positively impacts the proportion of this impor­ Research and Innovation SERI tant labile carbon. Moreover, ­microorganisms were Partners: 25 universities in Europe and China

“It is just not enough to determine the usual ­chemical parameters in order to assess soil quality. We must include parameters indicative of soil organisms,” says FiBL PhD student Giulia Bongiorno.

12 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 13 Reduced soil cultivation goes to a depth of no more than ten centimetres.

Less is more. Testing reduced tillage under ­organic conditions

The turn of the millennium brought a change in the their traditional management to very shallow cultiva­ agricultural mindset: reduced tillage. Reduced soil cul- tion using modern machinery, and to do so without tivation is less hard on soils – and on weeds. F­ armers resorting to herbicides. FiBL took the issue on board and FiBL have taken on this challenge. They have and started a long-term trial in Frick, Switzerland, in been testing and developing reduced soil cultivation the autumn of 2002 together with practitioners and for the past 20 years. advisors. Given that the soil in Frick with its high pro­ portion (40-50 per cent) of clay is not representative of Ploughing has a long tradition. But while the early all of Switzerland, FiBL launched a second long-term ploughs were drawn by humans or animals and could trial in 2010 on the loess soil of the Schlatthof farm in not delve deep into the soil, industrialisation gave rise Aesch in the canton of Basel-Landschaft. to heavy machinery with deep working depths. The resulting consequences include furrow compaction, Long-term trials deliver sought-after data deterioration in soil structure, soil surface erosion and At this stage a significant archive of samples and data humus decomposition. has been compiled. The long-term trials thus provide The change in mindset first came in the US on foot of a platform hugely valuable to FiBL for project partner­ massive wind erosion. It gave rise to the direct seed­ ships and are a basis for detailed investigations. Both ing movement or “no-till”. Is it a solution for every­ trials were integrated into several major national and one? Not really, given that direct seeding calls for her­ European-level projects, giving rise to 28 scientific bicides for weed control – a taboo for organic farmers. publications by 2020. A summary of the results from They did however want to integrate this more careful the trial in Frick was published in early 2020 in the form of soil cultivation into organic management. At renowned scientific journal “Scientific Reports”. In­ the start of the new millennium, Swiss organic farm­ vestments into long-term trials are clearly worthwhile. ers approached FiBL with ideas for how to reduce And there is much more to come, given that such tri­ als become ever more interesting the longer they run. Many questions have yet to be answered – on soil phys­ ics, humus quality or biodiversity, for instance. The Left to right: Farmer Dani Böhler, FiBL research scientists Paul Mäder, Maike Krauss, Jeremias Niggli, trial engineer­ trials have already shed a great deal of light on the im­ Frédéric Perrochet and advisor Hansueli Dierauer assess pacts of reduced soil cultivation in organic agriculture. the ­outcome of soil cultivation with a chisel plough. Numerous They have shown, for example, that crop yields in re­ farmers, researchers and advisors have studied and advanced duced tilled soils can be expected to be slightly lower reduced tillage systems over the years. than those from ploughed ones. Forage crops however

14 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 15 A result of the reduced tillage movement and FiBL’s commitment:

25 % reduced tillage ous process of learning from each other and improving their practice. Videos and information leaflets docu­ in Swiss or­ ganic mented and systematised these experiences for practi­ cal use. The following conclusions can be drawn from ­agriculture the field trials to date: A strict reduced tillage regime is easier to implement on farms with simpler crop rota­ tions and good soil conditions than on farms producing yield ap­ more specialised crops or those dealing with heavy or proximately stony soils. Farms in drier regions benefit more from the same. Under re­ reduced tillage. A successful regime generally requires duced tillage, yields fluctuate more strongly overall. investment in a shallow cultivator, a rotavator or shal­ For ten years FiBL scientist Henryk Luka trialled the flowering strips in cabbage Reduced tillage works best, the better the weather in low plough and adaptation of the crop rotation. A close fields together with farmers like organic vegetable grower Christian Rathgeb (left). springtime with its associated soil warming and ni­ eye must be kept on rhizomatous weeds at all times. trogen mineralisation. However, a problem that has yet to be solved is the increase in weeds, especially in Funding through direct payments achieved rhizomatous weeds. There has also been a political success: Together with the reduced tillage movement, FiBL advocated for a Flowers in the cabbage patch Reduced tillage benefits for soils and climate special “conservation tillage” module as part of the Reduced tillage is highly beneficial to soil life, giving federal-­level amendment of the Swiss Ordinance on are good for beneficials rise to a greater abundance of earthworms and micro­ Direct Payments in Agriculture in 2014. This provision organisms such as mycorrhizal fungi. Another major is still in force today and as a result organic farmers In order to support beneficial insects and control when not only flowering strips were established but, advantage is the accumulation of humus in the top­ have been benefiting from direct payments for reduced pests FiBL developed the idea of integrating ­flowers in addition, cornflowers were planted into the rows soil. Humus is also vital to the cohesion of the soil and ­tillage to a maximum working depth of ten centimetres into cabbage production. Ten years of research of cabbage and no Spinosad was applied at all. The aids in erosion control. The more clayey the soil, the as well as from an additional payment for refraining demonstrate that this combination is not just pretty but latter technique even resulted in an 18 per cent weight greater its potential to store soil organic matter. Re­ from herbicide use. Thanks to this financial aid and harbours great potential. increase in the heads of cabbage. duced soil cultivation scores higher when it comes to thanks to model farms and newly developed machinery, The trialled and tested seed mix has been made com­ soil protection and, in parts, climate protection: the reduced tillage has now been adopted by some 25 per FiBL scientist Henryk Luka wanted to do something mercially available under the name of “Nützlinge clayey soil of the Frick trial sequestered an additional cent of organic holdings – a great success. to promote beneficial insects. He developed the idea Kohlanbau” (beneficials for cabbage production). The 700 kg of carbon per hectare compared to its ploughed Maike Krauss, Paul Mäder and Hansueli Dierauer, of planting flowers within and around vegetable pro­ flowering strips are recognised as ecological focus ar­ counterpart. FiBL Switzerland ducers’ fields. “This provides more vital space for in­ eas and eligible for direct payments. sects, including many beneficial insects that help con­ Franziska Hämmerli, FiBL Switzerland New techniques trialled together with farmers trol pest species,” says Henryk Luka. These habitats Tillage systems were not only compared in the long- support a wide spectrum of insects such as wild bees, term trials but also on 15 further agricultural holdings. Projects on reduced tillage hover flies and carabid beetles. New machinery as well as techniques, such as ley ter­ Contact: [email protected] Ten years and several master’s and doctoral theses Beneficials instead of pesticides mination with non-inversion tillage, direct seeding Projects: NUE-Crops, KLINE-AG, BKBA, Tilman-Org, later the results obtained by the FiBL team show the Contact: [email protected] without any soil cultivation as well as a variety of green FertilCrop and iSQAPER following: The establishment of flowering strips for Funding: Coop Sustainability Fund, Swiss Federal Office manures, have been tested in numerous field trials. Funding: EU, Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG, beneficials allows for the use of broad-spectrum bio-­ for Agriculture FOAG, Federal Office for the By sharing their experiences and attending field visits Software AG Stiftung, Stiftung zur Pflege von Mensch, insecticides such as Spinosad to be halved and re­ ­Environment FOEN, Bristol-Stiftung, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, and machinery presentations organised by FiBL, the Mitwelt und Erde, Edith Maryon Foundation, Coop placed by substances that have little to no effect on Parrotia Foundation, Schöni Swissfresh AG, Bank farmers involved in the network engaged in a continu­ Sustainability Fund, Bio Suisse, Fondation Sur-la-Croix beneficials. The number of beneficial insects in the Vontobel Charitable Foundation, Stiftung Dreiklang, cabbage crop increased by 45 per cent while the num­ Temperatio Foundation, Werner Steiger Foundation ber of pest larvae declined by one third. An even Partners: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) greater decline of pest larvae, by two thirds, occurred Zürich; Universities of Basel, Innsbruck and Lancaster Conclusions from trials on reduced tillage Reduced tillage cultivation • improves soil life and humus formation compared to ­ploughing The organic sauerkraut from • delivers climate change mitigation potential ­cabbages grown in fields augment- • results on average in a slight reduction in yields and ed with flowering strips has been available at the retailer Coop in ­increases weed pressure compared to ploughing Switzerland since 2018. • requires investment in new machinery and adaptation Impact of of the crop rotation the flower seed mix • can be well implemented on organic farms with simpler crop rotations and good soil conditions as well as in ­developed by FiBL: ­rather dry regions + 45 % beneficial insects 16 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 17 Fresh bread from an old grain

Schlägler rye is one of the oldest cultivars listed in plant selection and progeny testing. ­Winter hardiness, ­Austria’s federal register of crop plant cultivars (Zucht- tillering, disease susceptibility, weed suppression, buch für Kulturpflanzen). It has been bred and main- growth height, number of ears and thousand kernel tained in the Upper Austrian Schlägl convent since weight are among the traits assessed, and its starch 1908. After having been somewhat forgotten in recent content and gelatinisation properties are also ana­ decades, the cultivar is now coming back to life at its lysed to determine its baking qualities. Seed selection place of origin – with start-up aid provided by FiBL. is carried out by the Schlägl centre of excellence for organic farming, while subsequent steps to bulk up The return to old, robust cultivars has brought the seed are outsourced to contract farmers and the Schläg­ler organic rye back into the limelight. As Saatbau Linz seed producer cooperative which also a rare agricultural crop cultivar, this rye from the handles seed certification. Schlägl region is one of the endangered Austrian The intention is to continue to foster the Schlägler or­ cultivars of regional importance, the cultivation of ganic rye by means of a cooperative effort by produc­ FiBL interns were actively involved in the evaluation of on-farm trials. From left to right: which is financially supported. This rye cultivar’s ers, gastronomy, traders and processers. In doing so, Alyssa Fischer, Leslie Mann and Charlotte Savoyat. special characteristics include yield security, winter attention will be paid to a regional value chain that is hardiness and low demands in terms of soils and as closed-loop as possible. nutrient supply. Due to its good baking qualities it The strategy seems to pan out: Rye from the organic can be baked into crispy bread with a nutty note that region Mühlviertel is not only popular as bread flour Bread grains for low-fertility soils keeps fresh for a long time. with local bakeries, but has also become a valued grain in the production of whiskey and beer. Moreover, Modern high-performance cultivars need fertile soils ing therefore aims at preserving the cereal grains’ It should be easy to grow Ströck, one of Austria’s most important bakery chains, and have high nitrogen requirements in particular. original quality while achieving a conversion of the and easy to bake with became aware of Schlägler rye and is now selling tradi­ FiBL, Agroscope and Agridea tested little-used cereal least digestible components. The preservation of this cultivar’s cultural heritage is tional organic rye bread (Bio-Ur-Roggenbrot). crops under less intensive conditions and ­investigated one of the concerns of the Schlägl centre of excellence Elisabeth Klingbacher, FiBL Austria how a high level of quality can be ensured all the Integrated production chains for organic farming (Biokompetenzzentrum Schlägl), way from crop production to milling and to the bakeries. for ­integral ­quality which was founded in 2011 by the Schlägl organic But how do the little-used grain cultivars get from agricultural college (Bioschule Schlägl) and FiBL Aus­ The production of organic bread wheat is almost farms to mills to bakeries and ultimately to consum­ tria. Together with organic farms, the centre carries Maintenance breeding of Schlägler organic rye exclusively reliant on modern wheat cultivars, as ers? We also addressed this question as part of the out practice-oriented research for the Mühlviertel or­ Contact: [email protected] they deliver the protein contents demanded in the project, studied the marketplace, considered sociolog­ ganic region (Bioregion Mühlviertel) and works on Funding: Seed licences, Stift Schlägl marketplace. This requires careful management of ical aspects and conducted interviews with farmers improving this rye cultivar in the monastic breeding Partners: Stift Schlägl, Biosaat Gahleitner, the crop plants’ nitrogen supply. and artisanal bakers to elucidate their positive and garden of the Schlägl convent by means of individual Saatbau Linz In their joint four-year CerQual project, FiBL, negative experiences. Agroscope and Agridea investigated the possibil­ It is clear that high-quality production necessitates ities of producing organic quality bread grains in the coordination of all steps involved. This includes low-fertility situations. In a network comprised of a choice of species and cultivars adapted to the con­ a dozen farms in Romandy, the project trialled the ditions on site, gentle milling, especially on natural cultivation of little-used and relict cereal varieties millstones, and long proofing using natural sourdough. that also thrive under less intensive conditions: Today, this approach is mainly employed by farmers einkorn wheat, emmer wheat, spelt, rye, bread and bakers working in cooperative partnerships. And triticale and various further types of wheat. The while this is certainly a niche trade, it is up-and-coming. analysis included soil quality parameters as well The little-used and relict grain cultivars make it possi­ as factors determining agronomic, baking and nu­ ble to offer a wider range of artisanal specialty breads. tritional quality. Raphaël Charles, FiBL Switzerland

Baking quality and nutritional physiology Baking quality varies greatly from one cultivar to an­ Satisfied with the rye plants’ development: Johannes Schürz of other; nutritional characteristics are determined by CerQual – Quality cereals the Schlägl centre of excellence for organic farming (Biokompe- protein content, dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals, Website: www.bioaktuell.ch > Pflanzenbau > tenzzentrum Schlägl). and plant micronutrients. Cereal grains also contain ­Ackerbau > Getreide > Anbautechnik > CerQual fermentable components called FODMAPs that are Contact: [email protected] poorly absorbed in the small intestine and can trig­ Funding: Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG A manual seeder helps Johannes Schürz to establish micro-plots ger food intolerances. A logical approach to process­ Partners: Agroscope, Agridea for breeding the old rye cultivar.

18 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 19 Interactive maps show FiBL research trial networks on commercial farms in the areas of livestock production (pictured), arable farming and specialty crops.

On-farm research – a FiBL success story

The real test of new research findings, farm inputs and along the entire length of the field on Christoph Hau­ other innovations is whether or not they also work ert and Eva Ulm’s Gerbehof in Bibern, Solothurn. FiBL in the farmers’ fields or livestock enterprises. It is provided comprehensive assistance for the varieties’ for this reason that FiBL Switzerland conducts some cultivation, obtained the farmers’ feedback and re­ 200 trials on commercial farms each year. corded parameters such as disease susceptibility and yields. Practical trials on commercial farms have a long tra­ The Vitabella cultivar came out on top in earlier vari­ dition at FiBL Switzerland. For more than forty years, ety trials and has already made its way into the shops. FiBL researchers have been working on solutions for The results obtained in the summer of 2020 have organic agriculture together with farmers who are in­ shown that Montana is also a robust and high-yield­ novative and open to experimentation in their various ing cultivar. La Vie stood out with its beautiful tubers different enterprises. and excellent taste, but proved to be insufficiently robust. In the 2021 growing season, the farmers will Example: Potato varieties put to the test trial further promising varieties on their land to find FiBL’s potato variety trials give insights into this on- further winners. farm research. Classic cultivars such as Erika and Tobias Gelencsér, FiBL Switzerland Charlotte are susceptible to late blight (Phytophthora infestans). If no chemically-synthesised plant protec­ tion products are used, this fungal disease can cause significant damage in such cultivars, up to complete Potato variety trials yield loss. This is why the organic sector needs dis­ Contact: [email protected] ease-resistant cultivars. The potato variety project Funding: Bio Suisse, Coop Sustainability Fund brings the most promising new European varieties Partners: Agroscope, Fenaco, Rathgeb, Terraviva to Switzerland for trials. If a cultivar performs well in small plot trials conducted by Agroscope, the Swiss centre of excellence for agricultural research, it is grown in practical trials on six organic farms for two Maps of the trial networks seasons each. In 2020, for example, four trial varieties www.bioaktuell.ch > Tierhaltung were compared in two three-metre-wide strips each www.bioaktuell.ch > Pflanzenbau > Ackerbau www.bioaktuell.ch > Pflanzenbau > Obstbau

Potato variety field trial: Farmer Christoph Hauert (left) and FiBL advisor Tobias Gelencsér.

20 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 21 +35 % wild bees occur in pesticide-free ­conventional or ­organic Bees: The wild ones fields are even busier

Did you know? When it comes to the efficient ­pollination Ideal scenario: Minus pesticides, of crops and wild plants, wild bees clearly outrank plus biodiversity honey bees. The decline of wild bees therefore A FiBL study carried out in 2020 on agricultural threatens both wild plant biodiversity and agricultural holdings shows that cereal plots under convention­ yields. FiBL researchers are investigating how we can al but pesticide-free management or under organic ­effectively support wild bees. management host up to 35 per cent more wild bees Which apple cultivars are resistant? FiBL researcher Thomas Oberhänsli (left) and farmer Hans Brunner assess than those under purely conventional management. the health of the trees in Brunner’s orchard, consisting of 400 standard trees in Steinmaur, canton of Zurich. “For a long time, we thought honeybees were suf­ The flora accompanying the crop, also termed arable ficient for pollination in agriculture,” says Aliette weeds, is key in this regard: If no herbicides are ap­ Bosem, bio­diversity expert at FiBL. “However, recent plied, weeds flower more, wild bees find more food research has shown that, in the background, wild bees and their populations increase. provide indispensable services for agriculture. That's “However, the positive effect of pesticide-free ­ cul What remedies for leaf blotch? because they are far more efficient pollinators than tivation methods only comes to pass if there are honeybees.” Wild bees fly at temperatures as low as near-natural habitats in the immediate vicinity, such The new fungal disease Marssonina leaf blotch in the following year, this does not appear to be the seven degrees Celsius, while honey bees need ten to as species-rich grassland, forest edges or perennial is spreading to apple trees in orchards and gardens. case for Marssonina leaf blotch. However, the trials twelve degrees. “Our more than 600 wild bee species flowering strips,” Lukas Pfiffner notes. “In addition Thanks to a research project conducted by FiBL have shown that the frequency of treatment has a are also irreplaceable for biodiversity,” adds FiBL to food, bees also need suitable nesting sites for over­ and the Lake Constance Centre of Excellence for Fruit clear ­impact. agroecologist Lukas Pfiffner. “Some wildflowers can wintering.” Production, it is now known how and when the disease only be pollinated by specialised wild bee species due Franziska Hämmerli, FiBL Switzerland spreads and which plant protection measures promise Bentonite and lime sulphur – to their flower ­anatomy.” success at what point in time. the more frequently the better Unfortunately, many wild bee species in Central Eu­ According to our findings, phytosanitary measures rope are at risk due to pesticide use, among other fac­ The new Marssonina leaf blotch disease has been must be taken from May to the end of summer to en­ tors, and there is also a lack of flowers and nesting Support for wild bees in agriculture posing a problem for Europe’s apple producers since sure a satisfactory level of protection. In severely af­ sites. The decline in wild bee populations has already Contact: [email protected] 2010. The first spots appear on leaves from June on­ fected orchards with susceptible cultivars, treatments led to yield losses in some places. Special support and Funding: Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG, ward and then spread until the leaf has turned yellow with both preventive agents such as the bentonite protection measures are needed to halt this decline. project execution as part of cantonal resource project throughout and drops off. Trees can lose a considera­ product MycoSin and curative agents such as lime “This is where our projects come in,” says Aliette Partner: Agrofutura ble amount of foliage in this way, negatively affecting sulphur are required. The simulation model RIMpro Bosem. “The results demonstrate that agriculture can their yields. Until recently, little was known about the Marssonina is very helpful in determining the cor­ promote its important helpers, the wild bees.” disease and how to combat it. FiBL therefore carried rect times for targeted applications. Studies involving out a research project to investigate the fungal patho­ spore traps have shown that the model can very pre­ gen’s biology and ways and means of protecting ap­ cisely predict periods of infection. ple trees from this disease. Hans-Jakob Schärer, FiBL Switzerland

Pathogen shows little mutation to date One bit of good news - at least for the time being - comes from studies on the pathogen Diplocarpon cor­ Biology and control of Marssonina onariae (formerly Diplocarpon mali): “Genetically the Contact: [email protected] population is rather homogenous throughout Europe, Funding: Interreg Programme Alpenrhein-­Bodensee- as is typical for a newly introduced organism,” says Hochrhein Thomas Oberhänsli, molecular biologist at FiBL’s Partner: Lake Constance Centre of Excellence for Fruit Crop Protection – Phytopathology group. Production (Kompetenzzentrum Obstbau-Bodensee “At the moment, the prospects are still good at combat­ KOB), Ravensburg-Bavendorf ing the fungus by using robust apple cultivars.” But Not an easy job for the FiBL entomologists: identifying individual it is only a matter of time before the fungus changes specimen of our more than 600 wild bee species. genetically and overcomes existing resistances. Cer­ tain modern cultivars such as Ladina, Discovery and Galant or the cider varieties Blauacher, Bohnapfel and Tobiässler are still somewhat resistant to Marssonina. It is difficult to control the fungus. While in the case A species-rich weed flora in cereal crops is crucial for the of apple scab mulching or the removal of fallen leaves ­survival of wild bees which feed on their nectar and pollen. from the orchard in the autumn reduces infestation

22 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 23 Halting lavender decline

A cicada is the vector of stolbur disease in lavender fields and is endangering this highly important crop in southern France. With a view to controlling the ­cicada, FiBL France has trialled moderate irrigation and has searched for predators.

For several decades now, growers of lavender, a widespread crop in south-eastern France, have to deal with the lavender decline disease, which kills off the plants. The pathogen, stolbur phytoplasma, is transmitted by the glass wing cicada Hyalesthes ob­ soletus. In cooperation with the France Lavande co­ operative and with support from the Givaudan Foun­ dation, FiBL France has been working on controlling the cicada since 2016.

Cicadas like it dry. Could irrigation help? Given that the glass wing cicada Hyalesthes obsole­ Purple and violet hues and aromatic scents: lavender fields are tus prefers hot and dry conditions, we investigated emblematic of southern France. the impact of moderate irrigation on their develop­ ment. Tackling two stages of the insect’s life-cycle, we worked with staggered irrigation periods. The trials in 2017, 2018 and 2019 showed a significant differ­ ence between the number of cicadas in irrigated plots compared to those in non-irrigated control plots. The investigations demonstrated that the moisture inter­ fered with the species’ larval development. This may be due to the fact that humid conditions give rise to greater abundance of parasitic fungi. Further trials are necessary to test this hypothesis.

The potential of functional biodiversity An inventory of the abundance and diversity of cer­ tain categories of insects and spiders was undertaken in order to identify potential predators of the cicada. Fewer cicadas hatched under conditions of moderate irrigation. Pitfall traps were installed for a period of one year in ­Yellow plate traps in covered lavender plots. eight lavender plots, four of which were under organic management. These traps yielded 18,650 individuals (carabid beetles, rove beetles and spiders). The num­ tion of stolbur phytoplasma in lavender plants. Field ber of insects trapped in the organic plots exceeded use of this instrument by farmers, advisors and plant that of the non-organic plots by 24 per cent, with the propagators appears feasible in the medium-term. organic plots also showing greater species diversity. Amélie Lèbre, FiBL France Molecular analyses (qPCR) of insect and spider sam­ ples were undertaken in order to ascertain wheth­ * Loop-mediated isothermal amplification, a method er their stomachs contained cicada DNA. This was for genetic amplification. the case for 26 out of 323 spiders analysed; traces of H. obsoletus were also found, to a lesser degree, in the stomachs of some of the carabid beetle species. These results indicate that functional biodiversity may Sustainable control of phytoplasma-mediated Measuring biodiversity: FiBL intern Morgane Guilbaud collects insects. have potential to control the cicadas. Moreover, the lavender decline project has triggered progress in the development of a Contact: [email protected] new molecular detection method: LAMP* was shown Funding: Givaudan Foundation to be a swift and cost-effective method for the detec­ Partner: France Lavande producer cooperative

24 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 25 Samples of intensively colonised pea roots are bagged for laboratory analysis.

In their search for robust pea cultivars, the FiBL plant breeding group investigates microbes that colonise plant roots. To this end, Lukas Wille of FiBL Which microbial species live in diseased pea roots and which ones can be found in (left) and Sebastian Kussmann of the cereal breeding association Getreidezüchtung Peter Kunz take samples as part of a field trial in Hausen am Albis. healthy roots? Lukas Wille and Seraina Vonzun in the FiBL laboratory.

Wanted: Robust bundles of protein

Legumes are full of protein. Their production has grown in the same field. In order to be able to test Renaissance of the white lupine by one particular aggressive fungal strain and that ­become a trend and the area under legumes a large number of different pea lines for disease The currently vast levels of soybean imports to Eu­ this strain occurs worldwide. Joris Alkemade is cur­ is ­growing. However, fungal diseases are a problem resistance, FiBL researcher Lukas Wille developed rope for feed and food are highly problematic from rently searching for molecular markers that indicate in organic systems. This has prompted FiBL research- a resistance screening as part of his doctoral thesis an ecological point of view. The white lupine with its which of the cultivars are particularly resistant. These ers to employ innovative methods in their search completed in 2020. This made it possible to screen high protein content and low nutrient requirements markers could then be used for diagnostic purposes for robust cultivars. 300 pea lines to identify robust lines that show clear would be a suitable local alternative. However, lu­ in organic plant breeding to identify robust cultivars resistance to fungal attack; the others show strong pine cultivation is severely restricted by anthracnose more quickly. Legumes such as peas or lupins supply valuable pro­ disease symptoms on diseased soils and grow much leaf blight. It is caused by the seed-born fungus Colle­ Monika Messmer and Lukas Wille, FiBL Switzerland teins for humans and animals as well as nitrogen for more slowly. totrichum lupini. Even low levels of seed infestation the soil, and they are also good bee forage plants. They Organic plant breeders are now to benefit from these can cause complete yield loss under Swiss climatic are essential in particular for organic agriculture, as promising results. In close cooperation with the bio­ conditions. For the successful cultivation of white lu­ organic farmers do not use any synthetic nitrogen fer­ dynamic cereal breeding association “Getreidezüch­ pins it is therefore important to understand the path­ Projects on lupins and peas tilisers. Unfortunately, various fungal diseases make tung Peter Kunz”, the cultivar screening procedure is ogen and to find resistant breeding material. Videos: www.youtube.com > FiBLFilm > Search> Lupine legume cultivation difficult and necessitate up to ten- now being adapted for breeding work. FiBL researcher Christine Arncken has been breeding Projects: resPEAct, AGRIBIOME, LIVESEED, Breeding year breaks between such crops. white lupins with improved anthracnose resistance research on anthracnose tolerance In order to find more resistant cultivars, the FiBL plant Beneficial microbes as crop aids since 2014. Her team also includes Joris Alkemade, Contact: [email protected] breeding group works together with national and in­ Lukas Wille’s PhD also showed that different mi­ who as part of his doctoral thesis developed a screen­ Funding: Stiftung Mercator Schweiz, WFSC ETH ternational partners to improve peas and lupins. Since crobes colonise the roots of susceptible and resistant ing system that is performed in a controlled envi­ Zürich, Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG, 1998, FiBL has been pursuing the objective of promot­ pea cultivars respectively: for example, resistant culti­ ronment (climate chamber) and allows for the iden­ European Commission: Horizon 2020, Bio Suisse ing organic plant breeding as well as the independent vars are more strongly colonised by beneficial mycor­ tification of resistant lupins at an early-stage ofthe Partners: Molecular Plant Breeding ETH Zürich, seed market. rhizal fungi. plants’ development. The cultivar Frieda as well as Getreidezüchtung Peter Kunz gzpk, organic farms In a follow-up project, Lukas Wille is currently inves­ Ethiopian landraces proved to be particularly resist­ Böhler and Stefani, University of Hohenheim, Pea lines that can resist harmful fungi tigating additional connections between a pea culti­ ant to anthracnose infestation. These findings were ­University of Kassel, Feldsaaten Freudenberger, Root diseases are a major issue in pea cultivation. var’s resistance traits, pathogens and the soil micro­ confirmed in field trials. Moreover, Joris Alkemade Sativa Rheinau AG, Semillas Baer Chile, CREA Italy, They usually appear when peas are repeatedly bial community. was able to show that anthracnose is mainly caused LBI Netherlands, UBIOS France, AREI Latvia

26 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 27 Excellent health with little co­ ncentrate: New bulls for dairy breeding

Healthy cows and as high a milk yield as possible: Strict criteria for the bulls’ dams These are the main criteria in dairy breeding. How­ Longevity and excellent health with adequate milk ever, the level of antibiotics used and the amount of yield – these are the most important criteria that a fu­ concentrate feeds needed to achieve these goals have ture organic breeding bull’s dam must meet. The cri­ as yet rarely been taken into account. But from the teria were jointly defined by farmers and breeding or­ spring of 2021 onwards, bulls will be available that ganisations. But high husbandry standards must also were selected on the basis of new criteria suited be met: the bull’s dam must live on an organic farm, to organic breeding – thanks to a project conducted forage for at least half her feed out on pasture in the by FiBL, Bio Suisse and Swissgenetics. summer, must not be fed more than 300 kg of concen­ trate feed per year and should only have required anti­ How does a cow get in calf? Ninety per cent of organ­ biotics in an emergency, at most once in her life. ic dairy cows become pregnant with the help of arti­ “Given that the requirements are even more strict than ficial insemination (AI). To this end, the inseminator the already strict Bio Suisse standards, many cows do brings sperm doses (“straws”) to the farm in a nitro­ not qualify as bulls’ dams,” says Anet Spengler, pro­ gen-cooled flask. From this flask, the farmer chooses ject manager and FiBL cattle expert. “But it’s impor­ from more than a hundred bulls of different breeds, tant that we are strict about it, that’s exactly the point. the standard range offered by Swissgenetics. From It’s the only way that allows us to establish breeding 2021, this range will include the first straws from bulls lines that reach top performance without high levels selected on the basis of organic criteria. of concentrate feeding.” Roughly 400 suitable dams were identified and some of their offspring, which also It all began with dissatisfied farmers have to meet strict criteria, have already been raised The criteria normally used by Swissgenetics to se­ as potential breeding bulls: five Swiss Fleckvieh, four Caro, a Swiss Fleckvieh bull, perfectly meets the new organic breeding criteria. Also in the photo (from left to right): lect breeding bulls – that their female offspring will Brown Swiss and two Simmental bull calves; only ­Project staff Janine Braun, project manager Anet Spengler and farmer Hans Braun, one of the project’s co-initiators. produce a lot of milk and perform well in terms of a Original Swiss Browns are still missing. number of conformation and health traits – are not optimally adapted to the needs of organic farming. Scientists seeking roughage specialists Organic holdings need smaller, longer-living cows In the project run by FiBL and Bio-Suisse, the young a month during the rearing phase the manure of each and maintained.” Anet Spengler is passionate about with low concentrate requirements. Thus, in 2016, six­ bulls are assessed on the basis of additional breeding bull is washed and rinsed out. If there is little fibre the project. While the organic standards recommend teen farmers took the initiative to add to the supply of criteria to which no attention has ever been paid be­ left over, this is a sign that he is particularly good at that natural service should be used as far as possible, breeding bulls for AI for organic farms in cooperation fore: When the bull is out on pasture, is he busy forag­ converting grass. This criterion is essential for farms there are risks and effort involved in keeping a bull – with Swissgenetics. Three years later, the organic AI ing or is he easily distracted? And most importantly, in Switzerland, as Bio Suisse will limit the proportion which is why ninety per cent of Swiss organic dairy bulls project was launched. is he a good converter of roughage? To this end, once of concentrate feed for ruminants to five per cent from farms prefer AI. The project is therefore of great sig­ 2022. For comparison: up to fifty per cent concentrates nificance to the organic movement. are permitted under EU organic standards. Franziska Hämmerli, FiBL Switzerland

500 semen doses from each bull * Numbers 120.1389.4893.6, 120.1486.0583.6 and So far, the two Swiss Fleckvieh bulls Kingboy and 120.1528.3857.2 in the Tierverkehrsdatenbank Caro as well as the Brown Swiss bull Jansrud* meet ­livestock database the strict criteria. All three have been taken on by Swissgenetics for semen production. If things pro­ gress as planned, each bull there will “mount” about fifteen times within a few months. 200 to 300 semen Organic AI bulls doses can be obtained from one ejaculate; they are www.bio-kb-stiere.ch then deep-frozen. The goal for the coming years is Contact: [email protected] to sell 500 semen doses from each bull each year to Funding: Bio Suisse, Edith Maryon Foundation, Stiftung farmers. Breeders from neighbouring countries have Dreiklang, livestock breeding fund of the Zukunfts­ already expressed interest. “We hope that farmers will stiftung Landwirtschaft, own contributions by take up the offer,” says Anet Spengler. “This would ­Swissgenetics, Braunvieh Schweiz and Swissherdbook If the washed, rinsed and pressed dung contains as little fibre as can be seen in the photo on the right, then the bull excels at roughage boost the prospect that the project is extended and Partners: Bio Suisse, Swissgenetics, Braunvieh Schweiz, feed conversion. With inferior converters of roughage there can be two or three times as much fibre residue. that the selection of organic animals can be widened Swissherdbook, IG neue Schweizer Kuh, Plantahof

28 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 29 Breeding: Robust and efficient animals Feeding: Secondary compounds of prime importance Resilient goats and sheep Good pasture management helps to reduce dewormer In animal feeding, secondary plant compounds such Long-term study shows: Active substances use in goats and sheep, as FiBL projects have already as tannins, alkaloids and essential oils have for a ­contained in herbs improve health demonstrated. In order to further reduce deworm­ long time only been considered so-called anti-nutritive At FiBL, we are also investigating the veterinary ers, the EU project Smarter aims at finding goats and ­compounds, i.e. substances that inhibit feed intake potential of the active plant compounds in exper­ sheep for breeding that are less prone to gastroin­ or digestion or are even toxic. At FiBL they enjoy a imental trials. In 2020 we were able to publish an testinal worm burden. To this end, genome analysis ­better reputation: We can see phytotherapeutic important long-term study on the health effects is carried out on 1300 dairy goats of the two breeds agents, regulators of digestion, and important flavour of herb-rich supplementary feeds for dairy cows. Chamois Coloured Goat and Saanen. In 1200 Lacaune components for the animals. Above all, the study showed a clear positive effect dairy sheep, faecal samples are taken to identify those on udder health: Cases of increased cell counts fell animals that excrete the lowest number of worm eggs, Species-rich Alpine meadows are for cows what mod­ by more than 20 per cent. In a further study, herbal i.e. are the most resistant. At the same time, the goats ern shopping centres are for people: a fragrant su­ extracts proved to be suitable for stabilising dairy and sheep should perform well in terms of milk yield Chamois Coloured Goats are to become more resistant to permarket including a tobacco section and a chemist. cows in critical metabolic situations. and milk constituents. ­gastrointestinal worms. Cows find an equally large diversity of scents, tastes, Another important aspect are anti-parasitic effects. and toxic as well as useful active substances in such Tannins, which are contained for example in the Smarter grasslands. Farmers have long been familiar with fodder legume sainfoin, can inhibit gastrointestinal Contact: [email protected] many of the effects of herbs, fruit, roots and tree barks, ­parasites in sheep and goats, among other effects. Funding: EU Horizon 2020 and they use these to treat themselves as well as their FiBL researchers Veronika Maurer, Felix Hecken­ Partner: Qualitas AG animals. For a number of years now, FiBL veterinari­ dorn and Steffen Werne have been working on this an Michael Walkenhorst and his students of pharma­ topic for many years now. Over the last two years, cology have been collecting and categorising this type this research has been extended to include heather of traditional knowledge as part of their “ethno-veter­ species as part of the RELACS EU project. Under inarian” research and have been publishing their find­ the leadership of Hannah Ayrle, we are also exper­ ings in scientific journals. Traditional knowledge is to imenting with herbs such as coriander, garlic and be preserved for posterity and shall serve veterinary peppermint for poultry in order to test their health-­ medicine as a knowledge base on medicinal plants. promoting effects. Resistance to worms is also to be improved in Lacaune dairy sheep - the photo shows two rams.

Wanted: Swiss organic pig Pig breeders in Switzerland have as yet not been able to choose breeds that are ideally suited to organic or Demeter husbandry conditions. To remedy this situa­ tion, efforts are now underway to breed an undemand­ ing, robust and healthy domestic pig that is adapted to free-range conditions. The breeding criteria include fattening performance, meat quality, potential to uti­ lise by-products of processing (such as whey, pomace, milling by-products), resilience and good reproduc­ tive performance in a natural husbandry system that meets the animals’ intrinsic needs. ­Eating Our domestic pig www.unserhausschwein.ch herbs helps: Contact: [email protected] This is what the new domestic pig breed could look like – Funding: Demeter, Bio Suisse, Fondation Sur La Croix, well suited to free-ranging and also good at utilising food 20 % improvement Edith Maryon Foundation ­industry by-products. in dairy cow udder health

30 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 31 More sustainable animal husbandry with herbs? Herbal supplements good for cows The secondary plant compounds also have positive On dairy farms in Germany and Switzerland, effects in terms of sustainability. In certain cases they ­herbal supplementary feeds are tested for their effects can, for example, improve the protein metabolism on metabolic, fertility and other health parameters. of dairy cows and thus reduce emissions. Alexandra Contact: [email protected] Kapp’s dissertation, which was jointly supervised by Funding: SaluVet GmbH, Bad Waldsee FiBL and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich, was able to show this effect for the sal­ ad burnet in particular. This herb, a member of the Rosacea family, reduced nitrogen losses via the cows' Herbal pellets for improved protein digestion urine by up to 30 per cent. We will therefore continue Development of herbal concentrates for dairy cows to include this plant in our research and investigate its designed to bind excess protein in the rumen. suitability for cultivation, among other aspects. The aims are a more efficient uptake of feed proteins Research must also always be prepared to acknowl­ and a reduction in ammonia formation. edge if a hypothesis has been shown to be false. For Contact: [email protected] example, we were unable to prove a positive effect of Funding: Swiss National Science Foundation sainfoin on the protein metabolism of either goats or Partner: ETH Zurich, University of Hohenheim dairy cows. We also do not keep such results to our­ selves, but publish them. Secondary plant compounds continue to be an ex­ tremely important topic at FiBL’s Department of Ani­ Farm inputs for animal welfare mal Sciences. They are a link that extends from botan­ Testing healthier preparations for the control ical biodiversity to animal health and welfare and to of ­gastrointestinal parasites in sheep and goats sustainability; they are therefore an excellent example Contact: [email protected] of the One Health principle: health must be viewed Funding: EU, Horizon 2020, RELACS project holistically. Partners: 14 project partners in 8 European Florian Leiber, FiBL Switzerland countries

FiBL’s Head of Department of Livestock Sciences Florian Leiber and his team investigate how herbs improve the health of cows and increase feed digestibility.

Variety of tastes also essential for to the conclusion that this is based on a pronounced animal welfare ability to differentiate tastes and scents, i.e. that cows It doesn't always take scientists to find out what helps are basically gourmets and also that they have deeply and what could do damage: In many cases the ani­ rooted needs in this regard. We are dealing with this mals know by themselves. Especially in the case of topic of relevance to animal welfare in several of our sheep and cattle, it has been shown many times that research projects on diversity in feeding regimes. In they are able to control their metabolism by specifi­ 2020, we set up a “pasture laboratory” at FiBL, where cally consuming plants rich in active substances - or in the future, in cooperation with the Gut Rheinau by avoiding them - and thus keep bacterial fermen­ farm estate, selective grazing by cows on species-rich tation under control in their rumen and other com­ pastures will be investigated in order to derive feed­ partments of their stomachs. These findings have led ing recommendations.

32 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 33 Sheep in the vineyard – Is copper a threat?

Grazing sheep in vineyards is beneficial to both viti­ The results indicate that the level of risk is rather low culturists and sheep farmers. However, the question but that caution is advised nonetheless. While the hog­ arises as to whether copper residues pose a risk to the gets displayed only weak signs of CCP, the pasture sheep. FiBL France has investigated this issue. plants were indeed contaminated with copper at a level that could constitute a serious risk of poisoning after Many organic viticulturists and orchardists are keen two months of grazing. It was also shown that the ma­ to save the work involved in mulching their plots. At jority of the copper contained in the plants came from the same time, sheep farmers are often looking for the treatments applied in the current season rather than additional grassland resources. While farmers in the having been taken up from the soil. However, these re­ Département Drôme in south-eastern France practice sults may differ where conditions are different (sheep this combination of viticulture and sheep grazing dur­ breed, soil conditions). ing the winter, they are worried about potential im­ pacts of copper on the sheep which is used as a fungi­ Grazing possible, caution advised cide in viticulture. Based on the project’s results it is reasonable to encourage When sheep consume feed that is rich in copper this viticulturists and sheep farmers to engage in the practice element is predominantly stored in the animals’ liv­ of grazing sheep in vineyards. They must however be er where it can accumulate over long periods with­ alerted to the risk of CCP. The sheep should be allowed out giving rise to any visible symptoms; this is called to graze the vineyards as late as possible in the winter chronic copper poisoning (CCP). If liver copper level is season, after the rains have leached out some of the cop­ high, a slight stress can cause its sudden release in the per and grass growth has reduced its concentration. blood stream, leading to swift death. New research projects will address, in particular, the The “Sheep in the vineyard” project addresses the grazing of vineyards and orchards during spring and following questions: What is the level of risk of cop­ summer, i.e. during the times when both benefits and per poisoning in sheep grazing in organic viticulture risks are at their peak. plots? What is the primary source of copper as a po­ Martin Trouillard, FiBL France tential risk to sheep: spray drift or the uptake of copper accumulated in the soil?

On-farm study in two viticulture plots Sheep in the vineyard FiBL France conducted a trial in two viticulture plots in Contact: [email protected] order to answer these questions. As part of this trial a Funding: Agence de l’Eau range of soil and plant samples from the vineyard plots, Partners: Fédération Départementale Ovine de la and blood samples from a small flock of hoggets which Drôme, Syndicat de la Clairette de Die, ­Communauté had grazed the plots were analysed. de Communes du Val de Drôme

Sheep grazing in the vineyard ­eliminate the need to mulch (Suze, Département Drôme).

Martin Trouillard samples pasture plants in the vineyard to determine their copper content.

34 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 35 New: Animal Welfare Unit at FiBL Germany

More and more consumers are attaching great coordinated in order to avoid harm to the piglet. The ­importance to animal welfare. FiBL Germany added difficulty in administering anaesthetics by inhalation a new work priority in 2019 with a view of ­bringing is to coordinate the workflow in such a way that the more animal welfare to livestock management. required administration of painkillers takes place at This ­focuses on the animals’ health and welfare as well the appropriate time prior to castration. The admin­ The rearing of organic turkeys is highly demanding in terms as on their ability to express their natural behaviour. istration by injection only offers a higher level of wel­ of their nutritional requirements. fare if the anaesthetics are administered at an optimal Ethologically sound animal husbandry is one of the dosage allowing the animals to fall asleep as calmly core tenets of organic farming. In addition to sufficient as possible. space and range access this includes appropriate hus­ The animal welfare team, together with the FiBL bandry and breeding, correct feeding and preventa­ Academy, organised online seminars for producers of tive measures designed to maintain animal health. weaners and for pig fatteners on castration under an­ The team around unit manager Christian Lambertz aesthesia and other alternatives such as immunocas­ works on a range of projects aimed at improving live­ tration or the rearing of boars in order to find new ap­ Alternatives to the castration of piglets without anaesthetics must stock keeping and management on organic holdings. proaches to the issue. A total of eight online seminars be adapted to and optimised for each individual holding. In the focus on animal welfare network (Netzwerk held during the Covid-19 pandemic allowed more Fokus Tierwohl) network, for example, FiBL staff than 200 actors in the areas of weaner production, pig cooperate with the German Agricultural Society fattening, advisory services and veterinary medicine (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft, DLG) on to avail of information on and discuss the pros and the methodological-didactical preparation of infor­ cons of the various alternatives. mation and training material and provide editorial support for the project homepage. The joint venture Taking good care of turkeys with 17 partner organisations aims to enhance the Another collaborative project focuses on turkeys. “We transfer of knowledge to practitioners in order to investigate key issues in organic turkey production future-­proof cattle, pig and poultry farmers in Germa­ with regard to genotype, feeding and management,” ny through ethologically sound and environmentally explains Christian Lambertz. Together with the Wei­ friendly livestock management. “Together with DLG henstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences we support what we term ’farms for the future’. They and the centre for research and education on poultry are the vanguard. They share their experience with at the Kitzingen state farm (Versuchs- und Bildungs­ regard to animal welfare, improve management op­ zentrum Geflügel, Staatsgut Kitzingen) trials are un­ erations and adapt them to the individual farms’ cir­ der way with feedstuffs rich in amino acids as well cumstances,” ­Christian Lambertz explains. There are as a yeast-based feed containing high natural levels three networks composed of up to 50 farms each for of vitamin B2 with a view to balancing the contents the livestock categories of cattle, pigs and poultry. The of these substances in the base feed. The scientists are valuable experience gained by FiBL in the course of also looking at how widely used turkey lines respond its coordination of the Tierschutz-Kompetenzzentrum to the different ration compositions and are investi­ (centre of excellence for animal welfare), which was gating the impacts of herbage silage and of free-range already established in 2014, is being applied to the ac­ management of turkeys on grass ranges. quisition of and support for the farms involved. Sigrid Kirchmeier and Gudrun Plesch, FiBL Germany

Piglet castration only with anaesthetics From 1 January 2021 the castration of piglets with­ out anaesthetics will, at long last, be prohibited on all Animal Welfare Unit FiBL Germany farms in Germany. “As part of the pilot and demon­ www.fokus-tierwohl.de, www.mud-tierschutz.de stration project on animal welfare we tested the two Contact: [email protected] alternatives of administering anaesthetics by injection Funding: German Federal Ministry of Food and or by inhalation on organic holdings,” says Christian Agriculture (BMEL) Lambertz. The focus here was on animal welfare. The results have shown that with both procedures a great number of individual components must be flawlessly Animal welfare is a question of ethologically sound and overall good management.

36 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 37 Climate change: Better think ahead than lag behind

Early detection of the spread of pest insects The changing climate determines where milk flows

Climate change is here. In order to appraise and pre­ farmers, advisors and specialist agencies to find out Dairy farms rely on high quality home-produced A more environmentally sound option would be to pare for its impacts, Switzerland has brought ­together about adaptation measures in a timely manner and to forages for efficient milk production. FiBL researchers use less bought-in feed and, above all, less concen­ experts from a wide range of disciplines in the develop possible plant protection strategies.” are ­investigating how feed production and, in turn, trate feed, especially in light of the increasing com­ NCCS network. One of these experts is FiBL’s Sibylle milk yields could develop across Europe as the climate petition between feed and food for a growing world Stöckli, who is working on predicting the spread of Prognosis: The brown marmorated stink bug changes. population. harmful ­organisms. will conquer many new areas The changes are expected to be less pronounced The brown marmorated stink bug, a species intro­ Most European dairy farms rely upon on-farm pro­ in the Central and Western Atlantic zones. Here, a Unfortunately, climate change has already become duced from Asia, causes major yield losses in fruit duced forages as the primary source of nutrition switch to more drought-tolerant forage crops – for reality. Temperatures are rising – in Switzerland by and vegetable crops. Together with partners in re­ for their cows. However, the productivity of forage example, to alfalfa instead of grass leys – could result 0.39°C per decade since 1961 – with impacts including search, Sibylle Stöckli developed simulations which crops depends on favourable weather conditions. In in increased productivity. floods, summer droughts and the spread of non-native show that this invasive species will probably advance order to assess the possible consequences of climate In Europe’s southern regions, forage yields and thus species. In order to assess the complex future conse­ mainly to higher altitudes over the next thirty years change for the performance of farms in different milk yields are expected to decrease. A switch to oth­ quences of climate change, Switzerland established the and continue to expand its range in north-western climate zones, FiBL analysed a database containing er forage crops might prove a successful adaptation National Centre for Climate Services (NCCS) in 2015. Switzerland. Moreover, we may regularly see two or the economic data of some 100,000 dairy farms from strategy in these areas. It is a network that offers information on the past, pres­ even three generations per year in the future. “This all over Europe. They linked the data to maps pub­ ent and future climate and the resulting impacts. shows just how important it is today to think of to­ lished by the Food and Agriculture Organization Grassland has the greatest level of stability FiBL’s Sibylle Stöckli is involved in the NCCS, togeth­ morrow and to introduce early warning systems,” of the United Nations (FAO) that depict potential The analyses also show that pure grassland farms er with climatologists, geographers and agronomists says ­Sibylle Stöckli. medium-term and long-term green forage and field will be least affected, as grassland yields are­ rel from other institutes. Her role is to gather informa­ Franziska Hämmerli, FiBL Switzerland crop yields. atively stable. Farmers who rely more on forage tion on the future spread of invasive non-native pest crops will be able to maintain or even increase the insects. “We developed climate impact models that More milk in the north, less in the south current level of productivity in practically all re­ allow us to produce precise risk analyses for Switzer­ The analysis shows that northern regions and moun­ gions if they optimise their choice of forage crop land despite the country’s very diverse topography. National Centre for Climate Services NCCS tainous areas such as the Alps could see forage for the climate. These analyses make it possible for us to fairly accu­ Contact: [email protected] yields increase by up to 12.5 per cent. That could However, these overall rather positive results only rately predict whether a location’s climate allows for Funding: Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG be utilised to boost dairy production. However, it apply if the systems remain relatively stable. There the long-term survival of a new type of pest insect,” Partners: Agroscope Reckenholz, CABI Delémont, is important to take a critical look at whether these is also a possibility that increased extreme weather says Sibylle Stöckli. “The findings are then used by MeteoSwiss regions are suited to increased livestock densities. events and heat waves could negate any positive ef­ fects of a warmer climate. Simon Moakes, FiBL Switzerland

FiBL scientist Sibylle Stöckli models where Development of dairy productivity new pest insects will occur as a result of the changing climate GenTORE Contact: [email protected] −17 % Funding: EU Horizon 2020 Partners: 16 universities and institutes, led by INRAE −1 %

1 %

3 %

17 % The study ­includes data from about

Staying ahead of pest species such as the brown marmorated 10,000 meteorological stink bug is one of the objectives This is how climate change might impact dairy production of the NCCS climate network. in Europe by 2050. stations and 100,000 farms

38 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 39 How to increase the sustainability of global supply chains

Consumers are demanding more corporate which claim sustainable supply chains meet consum­ ­responsibility and more sustainable products; from ers expectations. To be effective, this mixture of ap­ palm oil to fair organic clothing. Often public proaches must be deliberately coordinated and inter­ and private measures aiming to improve supply chain active, creating a Smart Mix. sustainability are redundant and conflicting, causing Robust and full of vitamins: kale also thrives at low confusion among producers and consumers. FiBL Cross-sector supply chain analysis temperatures in Seestadt. ­researchers test the Smart Mix approach for sustaina- Real-world examples of Smart Mixes in five sectors Local residents take action for more green in the city - for example in the winter vegetable ble supply chains. were analysed: conflict minerals, timber, palm oil, workshop with Wolfgang Palme from the Higher Federal College and Research Institute single-­use plastics, and finances, to identify successes, for Horticulture, Schönbrunn. Governments in consumer countries face a significant barriers, and how they were overcome. The goal: take challenge within the context of complex globalised lessons from the five sectors to improve environmen­ supply chains; satisfying the public’s growing de­ tal and social standards of the German textile sector. mand for sustainable products while respecting gov­ The edible city ernment sovereignty in producer countries. Lessons learned: German textile sector Legislation alone has proven ineffective in many sec­ Although numerous public and private measures Attempts at bringing more green into grey towns and of existence in 2019, the gardeners’ focus was still on tors. A mix of governmental measures and private in­ exist in the textile sector, most were developed inde­ ­cities often fail due to the costs involved. At the same time, learning and productivity was as yet low. The gar­ itiatives try to ensure the commodities and products pendently and showed little or no interaction with more and more city dwellers want to actively engage deners were trying out a lot of things such as growing other measures – no Smart Mix. Lessons from the dif­ in gardening and design urban green spaces. An inter- their own transplants, or working with mulches. ferent sectors helped create governance scenarios. A disciplinary team with FiBL participation came together to maximal government intervention involvement sce­ explore costs, added value, and climate impacts. Local residents pitch in and push ahead nario holds promise; featuring new regulations, re­ All those involved have a desire to create and this has quiring mandatory due diligence with a state-based How can residents participate in an “edible city” while become manifest in many ways: In addition to the oversight body and sanctions for non-compliance, reducing public costs for urban greening and raising communal gardening endeavours, they planted hedg­ similar to the timber sector. the social and ecological added value? These are the es and strips of fruit trees, exchanged seeds, produced There is no cross-sectoral blueprint for a Smart Mix, questions that sustainability experts from FiBL have compost and organised gardening workshops and as the challenges, elements and specifics of each sup­ been exploring since 2019, together with landscape field trips. In the “Salon essBar” – a wordplay on the ply chain are too different. The Smart Mix approach is planners, social scientists and community gardeners. German word for “edible” – the researchers regular­ certainly not the «silver bullet» for sustainable supply Their “laboratory” is Seestadt Aspern, a new urban ly invite residents to a project bazaar to provide an chains, FiBL researcher Mareike concludes, “a Smart lakeside quarter in the east of Vienna that is one of the overview of the activities and a space for new ideas, Mix within the supply chain of a sector doesn’t imply largest smart-city pilot areas in Europe. of which there are many: “To ensure that the ideas for sustainability throughout the entire supply chain … edible Seestadt continue to flourish after the project but it helps.“ Life-cycle assessments of gardens and has ended, committed Seestadt residents have estab­ Lauren Dietemann, FiBL Switzerland greened balconies lished an association. This is one of the outcomes that The FiBL team focuses on sustainability assessment. delights us most,” says Stefan Schweiger, FiBL project «Smart Mix» defined: a mix of measures that includes The carbon footprint and biodiversity of roof, com­ manager. at least one binding public measure; accompanied by munity and balcony gardens are evaluated. Moreo­ Elisabeth Klingbacher, FiBL Austria at least one voluntary cooperative measure that gives ver, the team appraises the savings consumers can guidance to the actions that should be undertaken to make by growing their own produce and the costs achieve stated objectives; and at least one voluntary the public sector might save for professional green private measure that must have consequences outside space maintenance. The results of the comprehen­ Edible Seestadt the jurisdiction of the intervening government. The mix of sive assessment will be published in the spring of Website: www.essbareseestadt.at measures must interact and thus improve the achievement 2021 at www.essbareseestadt.at Contact: [email protected] of the objectives of at least one of the measures. Baseline data were obtained from a survey of 300 Funding: Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Seestadt residents about their needs and gardening Innovation, and Technology (BMVIT), Austrian ambitions. The spatial extent of roof and balcony gar­ Research Promotion Agency (FFG) dens was also surveyed, as were the crops most fre­ Partners: United Creations, Institute of Landscape SMART-MiX+PI quently grown in these spaces. In addition, the yields Planning (ILAP) at the University of Natural Contact: [email protected] of seven vegetable and herb crops cultivated in See­ Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Mareike Weiner, Smart Mix expert from FiBL, is investigating Funding: German Federal Ministry for Economic stadt’s “Kraut & Blüten” community garden, which is Institut für partizipative Sozialforschung IPS, the potential for improvement of environmental and social stand- Cooperation and Development BMZ roughly 1000 m² in size, were recorded and analysed. Gartenpolylog, PlanSinn Planung und ards in the supply chain of the German textile sector. Partner: Systain Consulting GmbH As the community garden was only in its second year Kommunikation GmbH

40 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 41 Little land, lots of biodiversity

Micro farms on the rise: The number of micro farms, Those who wish to set up a micro farm are usually holdings with an agricultural area of more than faced with the following questions: How do I get 1500 square metres, has been growing, especially in ­access to land? What financing options are there? Romandy. What are the needs of these micro farms, What training and further education do I need? How what kind of training and advice do they require? do I develop a business model? What are the farming A project initiated by the Canton of Vaud and FiBL is techniques I can use and which ones do I want to use? dedicated to this new movement. The Microfermes project was able to build on the suc­ cessful BioDiVerger trial: low-input orchards set up For about five years now, the phenomenon of “mi­ with FiBL support on the grounds of the Marcelin ed­ crofermes”, micro farms in English, has been gain­ ucation centre in Morges. BioDiVerger has shown that ing ground in Romandy, the French-speaking part silvo-arable vegetable production can be an econom­ of western Switzerland. Vaud was the first canton to ically successful venture on as little as half a hectare. respond to the movement and, together with FiBL, launched a project aimed at studying the phenome­ Networking, courses, fact sheets non and supporting the farms. and an ­educational trail As part of the project, the Microfermes and Permacul­ Characteristics of micro farms ture Interest Group was established which counts 110 So what are “microfermes”? There is no generally members to date, about half of whom are already ac­ accepted definition. Holding sizes range from 0.15 tive as “micro farmers”. Experience is shared in this to five or six hectares. Because the farms are small, network and members give each other mutual support. they often use “intensive” alternative forms of pro­ FiBL and Agridea have developed and run courses on duction such as permaculture, agroforestry systems the economic aspects. An information booklet on train­ or mixed cropping. Other characteristics are as fol­ ing courses open to micro farm operators has been lows: The initiators or entities behind micro farms published and leaflets and online publications are in often come from non-agricultural backgrounds, preparation. They should be available by mid-2021. By BioDiVerger agroforestry site, Marcelin, Morges: orchard combined with the production of culinary herbs and berries. and about half of them have no formal agricultural then we also expect to be able to open the thematic ed­ training. They strive for a high level of autonomy ucational trail in the Marcelin grounds in Morges. and pay particular attention to resource conserva­ Hélène Bougouin, FiBL Switzerland tion; the vast majority are organic producers, but only a small proportion hold organic certification. Their farm machinery tends to be small in size if they use any at all, and they often keep small live­ Microfermes – Micro farms stock such as chickens, ducks or goats. Generally Contact: [email protected] they not only want to be self-sufficient, but also sell Funding: Directorate-General for Agriculture of the farm products. Currently there are about 50 micro Canton of Vaud (DGAV) farms in Romandy. Partner: University of Lausanne, Agridea

Students from the University of Lausanne weeding the ­permaculture garden.

Seedling production in the permaculture garden at Marcelin, Morges. A pond at the centre of the permaculture garden fosters ­biodiversity.

42 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 43 Living Labs

In a variety of European research projects, FiBL has is characterised by co-creation: Users and sometimes been working with the Living Labs approach. FiBL several stakeholder groups are actively involved in is testing the suitability of Living Labs to achieve social, the development of the product to be tested. ecological and economic improvements in farming Living Labs face a number of different challeng­ and the food sector. es, one of the most important being to keep users’ needs in sight and maintain the commitment of all FiBL’s work with the Living Labs approach enables all ­participants. actors involved, from farmers to consumers, to jointly develop social, technological and societal strategies to The example of the weeding robot address ecological, economic and social problems. for ­vegetable production From its numerous on-farm trials and networks, In Switzerland, a Living Lab is working with FiBL as FiBL brings many years of tradition and experience part of the EU Desira project to develop a basis for the of working with users, i.e. with those involved in the organic sector's use of digital technologies, using the systems and processes that are to be further devel­ example of weeding robots in organic vegetable pro­ oped. The results of this joint work include innovative duction. The first step is to clarify the users’ expecta­ Living Labs should be held in person. However, in the times of approaches in crop production, soil cultivation and tions and needs with regard to such technologies and the Covid-19 pandemic,they are by necessity conducted online. livestock husbandry. This direct exchange also leads to discuss the barriers to their introduction from the to research and development being initiated, co-de­ perspective of application and development. The sec­ signed and implemented by the farmers. ond step involves the development of scenarios of the Living Labs bring new user groups on board. They potential role weeding robots or other digital technol­ Living Labs have been established in Belgium, the ly developed and implemented services, products and come from the food processing sector, advisory servic­ ogies could play in organic farming in the future. The Netherlands, France, Denmark, Italy and Switzerland, strategies. The goal of sustainable food production es, agricultural engineering, the authorities and con­ results of these scenarios will be incorporated into the bringing together stakeholders from across the food necessitates urgent changes. However, cooperation in sumers. The potential of Living Labs in the food sector development of a code of conduct that could serve as supply chain, research and extension. Naturally, the the food sector is often hampered by dependencies, lies in this joint development of new ­approaches. the basis of a guideline for the organic sector in deal­ approaches discussed for improvements in livestock competition and power structures. ing with digital technologies. farming are as diverse as the challenges faced in the In the EU-funded ALL-Ready project, the concept of It often starts with consumer wishes individual countries, with different types of livestock Living Labs is being advanced with a view to using Often the starting point of a Living Lab is a problem Better livestock health and and production systems. it to change food systems. Tangible and robust guide­ or challenge expressed by the users (e.g. farmers, ad­ less antibiotics use through Living Labs In the United Kingdom, information for staff caring lines for the implementation of Living Labs in Europe visors, consumers). The Living Lab meets this chal­ As part of the EU-funded Roadmap project, eleven for calves is to be improved. Such staff often come are to be developed. lenge by developing a “prototype” or “test product”, Living Labs are working on reducing antibiotics use in with poor training and a small skill set, but they are Bernadette Oehen, FiBL Switzerland a specific advisory service for example. The process livestock farming and on improving livestock health. in close contact with the animals and could detect dis­ eases early. In Belgium, the focus is on coaching for farms involved in pig farming and on an app for dis­ ease detection. Living Labs with FiBL involvement Three key features of a Living Lab For FiBL, the focus is on organic pig husbandry and Websites: www.roadmap-h2020.eu, • A Living Lab, also known as “real lab” in German, is the fattening of cattle and calves. The aim of the first www.desira2020.eu embedded into real life. Research and innovation pro- meeting – held online – was to identify the challenges Contact: [email protected] cesses are user-centred and therefore, where possible, to good animal health in organic pig farming. These Funding: EU take place in the territorial context they are addressing. include, for example, that veterinarians tend to have Innovation is facilitated by the locality. little knowledge of organic farming and that the flow • In a Living Lab, action is taken together (co-creation). of information between breeders and pig finishing • A Living Lab provides differentiated and targeted feed- holdings needs to be improved. In a next step, tangi­ back on the development of products, services and ble measures will be derived from this analysis, tested strategies. It acts as an intermediary between citizens, and evaluated. Subsequently, the Living Lab on cattle research organisations, companies, cities and regions, and calf fattening will aim to improve veterinarians’ with the aim of generating joint added value and rap- support in herd management with a view to disease idly delivering a “prototype”. prevention.

ALL-Ready develops Living Labs for ­agro­ecological food systems To date, Living Labs have rarely been used in the food sector. Yet there are numerous examples in which farmers and the downstream supply chain have joint­

44 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 45 The first inputs will be certified as part of a field tri­ al in Germany in the spring of 2021. Certification for Certification programme for inputs for organic further countries will follow. agriculture in Germany Website: www.betriebsmittelliste.de Database for organic livestock Contact: [email protected] The FiBL team in charge of inputs also manages the Funding: German Federal Programme for Organic organicXseeds seed database, a platform for anyone Agriculture and other forms of Sustainable Agriculture offering or looking for organic seed and planting (BÖLN) material. Under the new EU Organic Regulation, from 1 January 2022 every EU member state must es­ tablish a database that lists, in a transparent fashion, the nationally available organic young stock and breeding stock as well as juvenile aquaculture stock. This was reason enough for FiBL to now use its ex­ perience with organicXseeds to set up a database for organic livestock. “People in agriculture, trade, breeding, inspection as well as in the competent authorities are to be given a fast and efficient way of checking the availability of organic young stock, breeding stock and juvenile aquaculture stock,” pro­ ject manager Xenia Gatzert explains. The database will list suppliers, and where necessary it will also allow for applications for exemptions for the pur­ chase of non-organic livestock to be submitted and processed. An expansion of the database to other EU Residue analysis on behalf of FiBL: Friedle Laboratory in Tegernheim near Regensburg. member states is planned.

Central database can be used individually In order to be able to implement new database pro­ Database of available organic young stock, jects even more quickly and productively, FiBL Swit­ breeding stock, and juvenile aquaculture stock The organic data bankers zerland and FiBL Germany are establishing their own for Germany technical infrastructure around a central database. Website: www.organicXlivestock.com, expected to be Are my inputs authorised for use in organic agricul- er inputs meet statutory stipulations upon organic “A key element here is access rights management available from mid-2021 ture? Are they safe? Where can I buy organic seeds? farming, and whether they comply with scientific de­ (Entity-Attribute-Value Model, EAV), which defines Contact: [email protected] Where can I buy organic livestock? These are all mands and the criteria of private-sector associations. which applications and which users are allowed to Funding: German Federal Programme for Organic ­questions FiBL aims to answer. To this end, FiBL has “With this step, however, we are immensely improv­ read, save or change which of the data in the central Agriculture and other forms of Sustainable Agriculture developed, for example, a database for organic ing quality assurance for inputs,” says Rolf Mäder. database,” explains Rolf Mäder. “As a first pilot pro­ (BÖLN) ­livestock. Moreover, FiBL’s certification of inputs ject, we are developing an app to manage the product ­provides even more certainty. Documentation, inspection, laboratory tests and company data for the inputs lists. Subsequently, The first step of the certification procedure involves we will set up the database for organic young stock, Hardly any farmer these days is looking for dairy an assessment of the documentation submitted for breeding stock and juvenile aquaculture stock.” In the calves or store cattle for his herd by searching through the product. This is followed by an on-site inspec­ longer term, the existing databases such as organicX­ ads in the local advertising paper or the regional farm­ tion conducted by an inspection organisation com­ seeds will also be moved to the new central database. ing press. Hardly any gardener leafs through a half missioned by FiBL to check the processes during An interface platform will allow for the retrieval of dozen catalogues for their seed order or asks their label production. Additionally, at regular intervals all in­ data via external applications. For example, a provid­ Seed database organisation whether the use of this or that fertiliser puts are tested in the laboratory for the presence of a er of a digital arable plot register can make data from Website: www.organicXseeds.com, available in eight additive is permitted. What is needed are up-to-date,­ wide range of possible unauthorised and undesirable the inputs list available as part of its offering. This countries to date user-friendly databases. And if the relevant databases ­substances. means that farmers will be able to call up information Contact: [email protected] are interlinked, then their utility becomes great. Because this process requires a high level of effort, the on the availability of organic seeds or permitted fertil­ Funding: competent authorities of Germany’s federal Since 2019, a team led by Rolf Mäder of FiBL Germa­ certificate comes at a cost – the price tag for clients will isers in the plot register itself. states (Länder), licence holders, FiBL Switzerland, FiBL ny, together with the Gütegemeinschaft Betriebsmittel be higher than the previous assessment without a cer­ An important feature of the central database is the sin­ Germany (GGBM) quality assurance association for inputs, has tificate. But it’s worth it: Certification minimises the gle sign-on (SSO). This means that after a single au­ been developing a certification programme for inputs. risk of contamination or fraud, producers can mark thentication, users gain access to all the applications The GGBM comprises the organic farming associ­ their produce with a quality label on the packaging managed by FiBL, such as organicXseeds, organicX­ ations Bioland, Demeter and Naturland. In the past, and in the listing of approved inputs, and products livestock or bioC.info, for which they have registered. experts already conducted reliable checks of wheth­ become more attractive accordingly. Hella Hansen, FiBL Germany

46 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 47 Knowledge for success in organic farming

When farmers refrain from using chemical inputs, East Africa: Courses via text they need to be given alternatives. These are ­usually quite complex, which makes organic farming and App particular­ly knowledge-intensive. That is why FiBL Digital dissemination of knowledge – a vast area such uses a variety of ways and means to promote the as East Africa is predestined for this strategy. Many Working group course format: exchange of ­knowledge for successful organic agri­ people have a mobile phone, and the short message knowledge exchange among farmers. culture around the world. service SMS is the most popular means of communi­ cation. However, it is too expensive to go online with In action: Knowledge by video a mobile phone, which is why in rural areas few peo­ Active knowledge exchange Globally online: Expert ple have internet access. A field robot autonomously hoed sugar beet for the So how can organic farming knowledge be disseminat­ FiBL is committed to sharing knowledge by means ­knowledge on organic farming first time in the canton of Thurgau. And FiBL filmmak­ ed? “Text messages are cheap and reach many farmers,” of courses and other event formats. For example, the er Thomas Alföldi was right there with his video cam­ says Benjamin Gräub, FiBL project manager in Nairo­ FiBL Academy in Germany runs 80 professional de­ The FiBL Communications Department manages nu­ era. First he filmed the robot from all angles, sent up bi, the capital of Kenya. “We are developing a course velopment courses per year. At FiBL Switzerland, merous websites and publications that disseminate his drone and then interviewed the farmer about his based on text messages that convey basic knowledge more than 40 courses are held each year, with a total knowledge worldwide. Almost all published formats, on organic farming. Our intention is for the course of almost 1500 participants. be they tips for practitioners or factsheets on the lat­ to reach 5000 people.” The course is based on FiBL’s est state of scientific knowledge, are available free of already published African Organic Agriculture Train­ Courses: www.fibl.org > Info centre > Events charge in the form of PDF documents. ing Manual, which is available online for free. “We will convert at least one of the manual’s modules into FiBL publications: shop.fibl.org a course consisting of 150 text messages”. Moreover, Organic farming in Europe: www.organic-­ Gräub intends to soon develop an app-based course Official teaching materials on farmknowledge.org on organic agriculture, as it is foreseeable that internet organic farming Organic farming in Africa: www.organic-africa.net data will become cheaper in Africa in the future. Organic farming in Switzerland: www.bioaktuell.ch In 2019, the first official teaching materials were pub­ Contact: [email protected] lished for apprentices in Switzerland who decided to Project: Digitalisierungspilot (pilot digitalisation) train as a “farmer with a focus on organic agriculture”. Funding: Leopold Bachmann Stiftung On a total of 316 pages, the new teaching materials set The FiBL YouTube channel of film-maker agronomist Partners: Biovision Africa Trust, Arifu, Yielder out 120 lessons specifically on organic farming. These Thomas Alföldi has more than 12,000 subscribers. lessons are taught in separate classes in the third year of the apprenticeship. The chapters cover “General experience with the robot. Back at home he edited all organic agriculture”, “Organic plant production” and the material into a five-minute technical video. “Vid­ “Organic animal husbandry”. Some 30 authors and ed­ eo is a fantastic medium for documenting the experi­ itors contributed to the teaching materials, including ences of farmers and advisors,” says Thomas Alföldi. several FiBL experts. Over the past ten years he has produced almost 400 short films for FiBL's YouTube channel. The videos Contact: [email protected] have had 6.5 million combined views to date. The Orders: www.edition-lmz.ch (CHF 149.–) agronomist filmmaker is also involved in various EU Access to clarity: Lauren Dietemann, Helga Willer and projects outside of Switzerland. During the times of ­Andreas Basler (left to right) make well-structured knowledge on the coronavirus epidemic he has been running numer­ organics available on the web. ous webinars where he gives advice on how to make informative technical videos using simple means.

YouTube channel: www.youtube.com > FiBLFilm Contact: [email protected]

Women farmers in Gladys Muthoni (left) and Lydia Mieere follow A debut: the first official teaching material an organic farming course delivered by means of text messages. for prospective organic farmers in Switzerland.

48 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 49 Taking a close look in the animal health seminars. Practitioners and advisors hone their observation skills and learn to spot problems early.

The whole farm cycle – from soil to marketing – is explained in seminars for farmers interested in converting to organic. Methodological training: jointly devising communication and advisory approaches.

FiBL Academy: Learning from and There was also much interest – up to 55 participants – in a variety of ways. Forming personal connections in the seminars on alternatives to castrating male pig­ and sharing ideas is also possible, even if restricted. lets without anaesthetic. In summary: even after the crisis, the online seminars with others – online too “It would have been difficult for the Academy to run will remain part and parcel of the FiBL Academy along­ such large courses face-to-face even before the coro­ side the tried-and-tested courses held face-to-face. Whether for advisors or inspectors, young recruits or Development of online seminars navirus pandemic,” Vera Bruder notes, “and an on­ Elsa Gerhard, FiBL Germany farmers, high-quality training courses on the topics The FiBL Academy is growing: “In 2019 we ran a total line course is easier for the participants to fit into their of sustainable agriculture and food production are of 70 one-day to three-day courses across the whole of everyday lives.” delivered under the umbrella of the FiBL Academy. The Germany,” Vera Bruder explains. She feels it is impor­ seminars always have direct practical relevance. They tant that course provision is constantly evolving. “We Flexible learning on-screen FiBL Academy not only provide participants with a wealth of profes- evaluate our seminars and take stock honestly; noth­ One example of this is a smaller virtual training Seminars and online registration: akademie.fibl.org sional input, but also place particular emphasis on ing is so good that it can’t be improved. The feedback course on time management and self-management, Information about the Academy: www.fibl.org > exchanging ideas and promoting networks. from participants gives us lots of food for thought, and with 15 advisors, which has newly been split into four Locations > Germany > Work areas > we are motivated, too, by the enthusiastic response mornings over two weeks. Feedback from the partic­ FiBL Academy “We believe it is crucial to offer tailored programmes that we get time and time again”. In 2020, the year of ipants indicates that an arrangement like this can be Contact: [email protected] to all professional groups,” says Vera Bruder, Direc­ coronavirus, the Academy has run roughly the same more easily accommodated in advisors’ stressful daily tor of the FiBL Academy, explaining: “Our trainee number of courses as in 2019, although these have lives than the previous course structure of three con­ FiBL Academy courses are part of the German federal programme on organic farming and food production been split between in-person seminars lasting one or secutive days. Another advantage is that these pro­ scheme for organic farming and other forms of provides a tailor-made introduction for recruits to the several days and a new format: online seminars. fessionals can immediately implement and integrate sustainable agriculture (Bundesprogramm ökologis- profession. Other courses that we offer are aimed at The spring of 2020 forced the staff at the FiBL Acad­ what they have learned into their working day, and cher Landbau und andere Formen nachhaltiger particular target groups such as advisors or farmers emy to extend their provision to virtual seminars in they have the opportunity to discuss any problems Landwirtschaft, BÖLN), established and funded by the interested in converting to organic farming.” addition to face-to-face ones. This was initially a great or questions with the instructors and the group in the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The Academy focuses mainly on the topics of adviso­ deal of work, but surprisingly had positive outcomes next session. ry skills, converting to organic farming, developing as well. For example, introductory seminars on the Experience shows that online formats offer flexible op­ farming businesses, improving animal welfare and topic of delivering environmental learning online tions and cater for different requirements. It is possi­ supporting junior employees. were a big hit, with almost 100 people taking part. ble to present course content in a virtual environment

50 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 51 Organic from all four winds

Austria has set a course to organic farming. It has 150 guests on the first night done that for some time now and quite ­successfully The “Kurs Richtung Bio” events focus on typical or­ so. However, many consumers consider organic ganic foods and innovative practices from Austria’s farming and food production to be something quite east, west, north and south. The first event took place ­complicated. In order to resolve this complexity, in November 2019, focusing on eastern Austria. More it is important to present issues in a simple accessible than 150 people gathered at the WUK (Werkstätten- way, which is exactly what the event series entitled und Kulturhaus) in Vienna. As planned for the follow­ “Kurs Richtung Bio” (Setting course towards organic) ing three events, the evening offered a sensual journey intends to do. through organic culinary delights, a critical futures workshop and lively discussions about organic agri­ culture.

Cattle as managers, urban vegetable ­production Producers told their stories about outstanding organic foods, practices and ideas. The topics ranged from the presentation of innovative techniques for small-scale structured, future-oriented agriculture, organic cattle as managers of natural landscapes, organic vegetable production in the city, soil cultivation with horses and spontaneous fermentation in wine cellars to the chal­ lenges of getting to 100 per cent organic ingredients in the catering sector. Martin Grassberger, prominent medical doctor and author of the award-winning book “Das leise Sterben” (“Dying quietly”), addressed pressing questions about the global health and envi­ ronmental crisis. The culinary expert and cookbook author Katharina Seiser guided participants through the variety of organic foods typical of the region – tastings included. More than one hundred organic specialties were on display afterwards for the guests to sample and the successful evening was concluded over organic bread and wine. Culinary expert Katharina Seiser guides guests through Elisabeth Klingbacher, FiBL Austria the almost infinite variety of organic specialties produced in eastern Austria.

Kurs Richtung Bio The “Kurs Richtung Bio” event format focuses on Contact: [email protected] the interaction between all participants. Over a pe­ Partner and funding: AMA-Marketing GesmbH riod of four consecutive years, one “regional evening on points of view on organic farming and food, its fu­ ture, and organic culinaria” is to take place each year. The aim is to tell stories about organics and to enter into a dialogue with interested consumers in order to enrich and deepen their everyday involvement with questions of nutrition, health and the environ­ Galina Hagn, manager of the “Bioschanze” biodynamic horticultural enterprise in the middle of a ment. In communication with consumers, multipli­ new ­housing development in Vienna, spoke to the course participants about her oasis in the concrete desert. ers and journalists, a main intention is to promote an understanding of organic practice, strengthen confidence in organics and mainstream knowledge about the benefits of organic farming in everyday consumer life.

52 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 53 entire value chain and achieve better incomes as a Expedient or nonsensical? Organic result.

Are organic farmers really financially better farming in developing countries off, despite lower yields? Monika Schneider: Many want to achieve the same What do Kenyan women farmers think of organics? must not forget that in most places organic standards yields in organic farming by simply replacing conven­ Why should cocoa be grown in agroforestry systems? only have an impact on export crops such as cocoa, tional fertilisers and sprays with organic alternatives. Four FiBL researchers discuss the opportunities and coffee or cotton. However, organics is also important But often that doesn't work because the inputs are limitations of organic farming in the developing world. for the many smallholders who are often too small for simply not available. Agroforestry systems are an interesting alternative. In What are the benefits of organics in the tropics? our trials in Bolivia we can see that agroforestry sys­ Beate Huber: Based on our data from Kenya, In­ tems yield less cocoa than the monocultures, but all dia and Bolivia, we can clearly say that the level of the yields combined, including timber and various ­organic farmers’ economic security in the tropics can fruit crops, leave more money in the farmers' pockets definitely match that of conventional farmers. More­ at the end of the day. over, organic agriculture brings distinct advantages Beate Huber: Sometimes there are financial advantag­ Beate Huber is Head of the Department of International when other factors such as environmental protection es specifically for women, as we found in the Syprobio ­Cooperation at FiBL Switzerland and manages the SysCom or food safety are taken into account. However, if ad­ project in West Africa. Using organic methods, they long-term system comparisons in the tropics. herence to organic standards does not go beyond the can generate their own income without having to minimum baseline, the benefits of organic farming are spend a lot of money on external inputs such as fertil­ food, nutrition and incomes, and is therefore consid­ lost and farms usually produce significantly poorer isers or pesticides, money that does not flow into the ered the safer option. yields. This is because the more the forces of nature men's pockets. This gives them a level of financial in­ Beate Huber: From a global perspective, and based on are utilised, the better the system’s performance and dependence. Organic agriculture can even contribute studies, we assume that at a rough estimate yields in environmental benefits. An example would be the to emancipation in this way. organic agriculture are on average 20 per cent lower. higher level of biodiversity resulting from the cultiva­ Irene Kadzere: In Africa, women also grow nutri­ However, these kinds of studies mostly compare ide­ tion of a greater number of different crops. tious local vegetables along with the main cereal al versions of organic and conventional agriculture Gurbir Bhullar: Our latest project in the Philippines crops such as maize. Some women say that these respectively. But if we go beyond the research plots exemplifies this. The area was a very beautiful for­ vegetables can get destroyed if herbicides are used. and take a look at the farmers' fields, as we did in a ested, hilly region. Today, the area has been cleared In this situation organic farming helps to diversify socio-economic study in India, we can see that the dif­ and converted into a conventional maize monocul­ ture with high levels of chemical inputs. Within a few years, the soil had eroded and the local drinking wa­ ter had become polluted with chemicals. Yes, the con­ India: Cotton yields on individual farms version to organic agriculture would get rid of these FiBL researcher Irene Kadzere works on knowledge hubs for chemicals. But in this case, it would not be sufficient to organic agriculture and research projects in Africa. simply switch to organically grown maize. The entire system needs to be changed. Permaculture, agrofor­ certification while actually producing about 80 per 4000 estry or other agroecological systems would be called cent of the world's food. In our projects, we therefore for, for example. work almost exclusively with smallholder families. Ultimately it's about them having enough to eat and Is agroforestry the new organics? being able to make a better living. It's not about them 3000 Monika Schneider: That's a good point, especially getting certified. Where organic farming fits into this, when it comes to crops like cocoa or coffee. For these in terms of making a contribution, is a matter of as­ crops, agroforestry systems would be relatively easy sessment. to implement, highly expedient, and also build on tra­ Monika Schneider: It is also important to not just raise 2000 ditional systems. However, not all organic standards the standard of living to a level that is barely above make it mandatory to implement these kinds of crop­ the poverty line as defined by the countries in ques­ ping systems. Organic certifiers and legislators should tion, because that is not enough to be a farmer and be seriously consider whether it would be more prudent proud of it. In Bolivia the government implements to include agroforestry systems in the standards or to the concept of “well living”, which aims incomes far per hectare yield in kilograms Cotton 1000 continue to leave their adoption up to the producers. above the international poverty lines. Organic farm­ ing then raises them up another notch. The fact that So do we need new organic standards? they are well organised, in cooperatives for example, Beate Huber: For crops like cocoa and coffee this is crucial. This is the case with our partner in Bolivia, 0 should definitely be given consideration. But we El Ceibo. There, the cocoa farmers participate in the Conventional Organic

54 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 55 yields are determined to a much lesser degree by or­ afford these inputs, in a worst case scenario he or she Gurbir Bhullar: Consumers in India are also becoming ganic or conventional practices respectively than by will be left with nothing but debt if the harvest fails. If more aware of the issue of chemical exposure. Overall, the individual practices employed by the farmers and however the farmers propagate their own seeds, pro­ it is becoming increasingly important to eat a healthy by the prevailing local conditions. duce their own fertiliser and benefit from an organic diet. I think the Covid-19 pandemic will also have an price premium, they do not get caught in a debt trap impact in this regard and strongly increase the de­ What determines whether or not correct and are financially better off. mand for organic products. ­cultivation methods are implemented? Irene Kadzere: Mainstays of organic farming: know­ So there is a high level of demand ledge-building and knowledge-sharing. In our pro­ for ­organic food? jects in Kenya we can see that with organic agriculture, Monika Schneider: About thirty years ago, when or­ farmers acquire new knowledge about nature, the im­ ganic agriculture was introduced in developing coun­ portance of soil building and the complementarity of tries, the primary concern was to produce certified livestock and crop production. Organic agriculture is products for export. This situation has changed now a holistic approach when it is done well. and organic products are also gaining importance in Monika Schneider: Especially in developing countries the domestic markets. there are unfortunately only a few organisations that Irene Kadzere: While there are many small local suc­ are dedicated to knowledge-building. It takes a lot of cess stories, there is still a lack of larger-scale organic research, advice and knowledge exchange to adapt a initiatives that give women farmers access to local and technique to local conditions of production. international markets where they can achieve higher Gurbir Bhullar: Successful organic agriculture also prices. Without this access, organic agriculture is not requires adapted seeds. In India, we have therefore profitable. started to breed special organic cotton varieties in co­ Interview: Franziska Hämmerli, FiBL Switzerland Gurbir Singh Bhullar manages the long-term cotton trials. operation with farmers. Beate Huber: This is a very important project. Con­ ferences in yields between individual farms are much ventional cotton seed has been genetically modified, greater than the yield gaps between organic and con­ is expensive and requires special, similarly expensive Twelve years, three countries ventional production. In other words, differences in sprays. While a small farmer may just about be able to The most important findings of the SysCom long-term trials in Bolivia, Kenya and India are summarised in a report. Download at: Bolivia: Cumulative yields obtained in 2009 to 2014 systems-comparison.fibl.org Monika Schneider manages the long-term trials on cocoa and Funding: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooper- in different cropping systems agroforestry in Bolivia. ation SDC, Liechtenstein Development Service LED, Coop Fund for Sustainability, Biovision. Monoculture Agroforestry ­system Monoculture ­Agroforestry ­system Dynamic agro­ organic* organic conventional* ­conventional forestry system What is the reputation of organics among Partners: 12 research institutes, companies and organic the people? foundations 14000 Irene Kadzere: I think the low pesticide load of organ­ ic food is a big plus. Kenyan officials told me at the in­ augural meeting of ProEcoAfrica that the project came 12000 Tannia just in time, given that people have significant con­ Hibiscus cerns about chemical residues in food. Female small­ 10000 Ginger holder farmers who produce for the local market and have no label or certification also told us that many Rice customers come to them specifically for their shop­ 8000 Achiote ping because they know they don’t use agrochemicals. Pigeon Pea In Kenya, it is the women’s responsibility to provide healthy food for their families. 6000 Maize

Cumulative yield Cumulative Gurbir Bhullar: These women have a sense of what Curcuma our measurements in Kenya confirm: Conventional 4000 Cassava cereals and vegetables contain quite high levels of

in kilograms of dry matter per hectare in kilograms residues of many different chemicals, including even Pineapple neurotoxins. However, mostly these values are below 2000 Plantain the threshold values. Banana Monika Schneider: We have the same discussions here about our drinking water. Agrochemicals are being Cocoa 0 detected in the water but mostly they don’t reach the * 3 years with Plantain for shading of young cacao trees threshold values. People are worried nonetheless.

56 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 57 No, it’s not a lime, it’s an orange infected with HLB. This disease turns the leaves and fruit a yellowish-green, Information source for decision-makers: FiBL Europe in Brussels. and makes the oranges bitter and deformed. Organic across Europe Oranges in danger Based in Brussels, FiBL Europe was founded in 2017 to represent all FiBLs at a European level. The team of five be­ nefits from the backing and expertise of over 300 FiBL researchers and provides information for farmers, Citrus fruit producers globally are under threat from avoided having to spray with the chemical insecti­ ­companies in the food sector and decision-makers. Three current activities are presented here. citrus greening. This bacterial disease (also known cides prescribed by the government. as HLB) is killing the trees on a massive scale. So far ­neither clear-felling nor pesticides have succeeded Colourful flowers are a valuable ally in stopping the disease. However, new cultivation Field trials conducted at different sites over several Organic and the SDGs used in organic farming, was published in 2018 for the ­methods can halt the spread, as a FiBL project in Mex- years revealed something astonishing: on average, 570 The scientific evidence produced by FiBL scientists first time. With the primary goal to establish aone- ico shows. specimens of the psyllid are present in each hectare was placed at the centre of discourse at global level stop-shop for the various target groups, the cooper­ of organic orange orchard every year, whereas 4230 about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of ation importantly also fosters exchange on technical A glass of cold orange juice for breakfast – this luxury were found in conventional orchards. This means that the United Nations. FiBL Europe organised the confer­ aspects, further development of input evaluation cri­ is at risk. Owing to citrus greening, exports of organic there are seven times fewer in organic systems. ence “The contribution of Organic Agriculture to the teria as well as extension of the geographical scope of orange juice from Cuba have fallen within a few years “This result shows clearly what can be achieved just SDGs: Scientific evidence from comparative research” the European Input List to even more countries. Since from around 1000 tonnes to approximately 25 tonnes by not using the herbicides that conventional grow­ in February 2019. The FiBL researchers, together with its first release in 2018 the List has already grown to today - a collapse of more than 95 per cent. When, in ers use to suppress the vegetation beneath the trees,” other leading scientists in the field, underscored that embrace two new lists for Croatia and Italy. 2011, HLB was also sighted in Yucatan, in southern says Salvador Garibay, the FiBL project leader and a organic agriculture has the potential to contribute to Contact: [email protected] Mexico, the Coop supermarket chain sprang into ac­ Mexican by birth. “In organic farming, where herbi­ the achievement of several SDGs in low-income coun­ Partners and funding: FiBL Germany, FiBL Switzerland, tion and set up a project with FiBL to pre-empt the cides are banned, flowers of all colours appear auto­ tries. Policy-makers in the fields of international de­ Infoxgen disease. Firstly, growers were taught to remove host matically and attract a more diverse and therefore bet­ velopment and cooperation agreed that organic and plants and to recognise the disease vector, the Asian ter-balanced insect population. This brings ecological agroecological approaches should be supported. citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri. They also learned equilibrium to the agrarian system.” Conventional Contact: [email protected] which bioinsecticide would help and when, and so growers can benefit from these findings as well. Partners: FiBL Switzerland, European Commission, Online training for newcomers In addition, plant tonics are being trialled to improve European Parliament, FAO FiBL Europe is a project partner in the ongoing Eras­ the trees’ natural resistance to insects and bacteria. mus+ project StartUpBio, which runs from November Moreover, the team found among existing bioinsec­ 2019 to November 2021. The project develops online ticides a fungus that kills the psyllid. Tests are now training materials and courses for newcomers to or­ being carried out to see if this fungus is harmless to European and affiliated Input Lists ganic production in Mediterranean countries. It tar­ beneficial insects. A wasp that parasitises the psyllid The European Input List, being one of the core mis­ gets an audience that wishes to start an agricultural is also soon to be assessed for release. In short, the sions of FiBL Europe since its foundation in 2017, business as well as farmers who want to convert from team is working flat out to save the citrus trees. marked the start of intensive cooperation among the conventional agriculture. Both a basic and an ad­ Franziska Hämmerli, FiBL Switzerland various national partners involved in the project. Since vanced online training course have been developed, then FiBL Europe, FiBL Switzerland, FiBL Germany combining webinars, video material and infographics. and InfoXgen, the publisher of the Austrian Input List, FiBL Europe’s main role is to evaluate and validate the all having decades of experience in producing nation­ content and appropriateness of the training material. Project on the control of citrus greening al input lists for their respective countries, have been Contact: [email protected] ­disease/HLB joining forces within the fields of input evaluation. As Co-funding: Erasmus+ Programme European Union FiBL project leader Salvador Garibay (2nd from right) talking to Contact: [email protected] one key outcome, the European Input List, a supra­ Partners: Centoform (IT), Ecovalia (ES), Federbio Mexican orange producers. Funding: Coop Sustainability Fund national joint directory of products that can be legally Servizi (IT), AKEP (EL), Agrobio (PT)

58 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 59 Thank you, Urs! FiBL Europe

Urs Niggli was the Director of FiBL Switzerland for agriculture in the journal “Science”, the most impor­ FiBL Europe is based in Brussels and represents the 30 years and made a crucial contribution to the tant of its kind alongside “Nature”. national FiBLs as well as two partner institutions ­institute's advancement. In March 2020, Urs Niggli “FiBL’s development and the successes that have been (ÖMKi in Hungary, IBLA in Luxembourg) at a Europe- spent his last working day in Frick. Together with achieved here for the worldwide organic movement an level. FiBL Europe provides a single access point him we looked back over the past three decades, do make me proud. FiBL is a success story.” Urs for the full competences of the national FiBLs. It offers picked out a few highlights and talked about his Niggli is also positive about the institute's future: applied research, consultancy and training. motivations. “The ­institute is very well positioned on excellent foundations. I am convinced that it will continue to “The whole of FiBL has been a highlight” Urs Niggli re­ develop successfully.” plied when we asked him about outstanding moments Things were different when Urs Niggli began his ca­ in his 30 years at the institute. For him, major successes reer at FiBL in 1990, then still located in Oberwil in Board: Andreas Kranzler, Dóra Drexler, Felix Heckendorn, include the growth to date to around 300 employees in the canton of Basel-Landschaft: “FiBL was a rarity and Beate Huber (President), Lucius Tamm, Robert Hermanowski. six countries, the expansion of activities in all areas of a very small institution. There was no laboratory, no organic agriculture, and the successful entry into the technical infrastructure and a mere 20 people,” the EU research arena. Solothurn native recalls.

“FiBL is a success story” The joy of fulfilling work 5 employees With great delight, the former Director recounts that Thirty years devoted to organic research – that’s an FiBL researchers have been able to publish in the impressive number, behind which stands a great deal 1 world’s foremost journals and that FiBL was the first of perseverance and motivation. Where did he find intern institution to publish on a topic in the field of organic the strength? “This work simply gave me great joy – I was able to express myself through my work.” 0.5 million euros Urs Niggli was able to achieve fulfilment in the or­ annual budget ganic sector and help shape and advance both the institute and organic farming. “I’m very interested in sustainable food and farming and I think that they are future-proof only in their sustainable forms. Organic agriculture is a great tool for both.”

FiBL says “Thank you!” The FiBL team is extremely grateful for his commit­ ment to global organic research and the institute’s ad­ vancement over all these years. Urs Niggli not only significantly shaped FiBL, but with his outgoing man­ ner he was also always receptive to the staff’s concerns and suggestions. So once again all of us at FiBL would like to say a heartfelt: Thank you, Urs! Seraina Kalchofner, FiBL Switzerland Profit and loss account

2018 2019 in euros in euros So what does Urs Niggli do now? Income Thoughts of retirement are far from the 67-year-old’s Internal revenue 417’344’00 471’517’00 mind. Instead, in 2020 he founded “agroecology. External project income 34’766’00 47’071’00 Total income 452’110’00 518’588’00 science” an institute for sustainable food and farming systems. As head of the institute he is currently Brussels supporting the UN in their preparations for the 2021 Expenditure World Food Summit. He also acts as scientific advisor Expenditure on personnel 330’136’00 392’327’00 for Agroscope and is chairman of FiBL Austria. Misc. expenditure 72’940’00 90’339’00 Services 14’958’00 938’00 His book “Alle satt? Ernährung sichern für 10 Milli- Total expenditure 417’568’00 482’406’00 arden Menschen” (All fed? Securing food for Led FiBL for three decades and was crucial for its success: 10 billion­ people; German edition only) was pub- Operating result 34’076’00 34’983’00 Urs Niggli. lished by Residenz Verlag in 2021.

60 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 61 Interdisciplinarity and rapid transfer of knowledge FiBL Switzerland between research, extension and practice are the strengths of FiBL Switzerland. Its competencies are also in demand in numerous international ­projects. In addition to offices and laboratories, FiBL Switzer­ land's site at Frick includes a farm holding, an orchard, a vineyard with its own wine press and a restaurant, all of which are run organically. In 2016 the Suisse Romande department, based in ­Lausanne, was established to strengthen FiBL's ­presence in French-speaking Switzerland.

Profit and loss account

2018 2019 in CHF in CHF Income Research 11’889’610 14’203’014 Federal contribution 7’350’700 7’350’700 Extension, training and 3’783’452 1’157’848 communication International 3’742’596 3’359’636 Foundation Council (from left): Bernhard Lehmann, cooperation Ulrich Siegrist, Roland Frefel, Martin Ott (President), Research farms 269’901 281’711 Claudia Friedl, Urs Brändli, Ralf Bucher, Peter Felser. Restaurant, internal services 565’609 511’615 Absent from the picture is Markus Hausammann. Donations, misc. income 1’117’419 676’484 Total income 28’719’287 27’541’007

Expenditure Expenditure on personnel 17’124’176 16’966’572 Material expenditure – Materials for trials, 8’740’257 7’480’897 Frick laboratory consumables, analytics, project costs – Cost of office, workshop 2’154’759 2’260’733 space, office supplies, other exp. for administration, 196 IT, advertising employees Lausanne Financial expenses 194’304 221’763 Depreciation 833’876 836’417 89 Total expenditure 29’047’372 27’766’382 students, PhD students and interns Extraordinary revenue 345’100 260’250 Surplus for the year 17’015 34’875 27.5 million Swiss francs annual budget

62 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 63 FiBL Germany FiBL Austria

FiBL Germany offers scientific and practice-oriented With practice-oriented research and market develop­ expertise on current issues in organic agriculture and ment projects, FiBL Austria plays an active role food production at its sites in Frankfurt am Main, in the comprehensive exchange of knowledge along Bad Dürkheim, Witzenhausen and Augsburg. Current the organic food production chain – including work priorities include the inputs list, animal welfare, the provision of sound knowledge about organics the FiBL Academy, the “Öko-Feldtage” (organic field for ­consumers. days), rural areas and value chains.

Board (from left): Robert Hermanowski, Uli Zerger, Urs Niggli, Board (from left): Eva Hieret, Alexandra Pohl, Werner Zollitsch, ­­­Jörg ­Große-Lochtmann, Wolfgang Gutberlet, Josef Renner, Urs Niggli (Chairman of the Board), Felix Prinz zu ­Löwenstein, Alexander Gerber, Steffen Reese, Gerhard Zoubek, Andreas Kranzler, Martin Preineder. Gerold Rahmann. Absent from the picture are Beate Huber, Jürgen Heß (Chairman of the Board), Jan Plagge.

59 30 employees employees

5 8 students, PhD students and students, PhD students and interns interns

6 million euros 1.2 million euros annual budget annual budget

Profit and loss account Profit and loss account

e.V. e.V. GmbH GmbH 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 in euros in euros in euros in euros in euros in euros Income Income Research & Development 1’059’513 852’292 0’000’000 0’000’000 Research and innovation 920’000 590’000 Other 191’740 94’618 3’797’816 4’472’332 Training & Education 570’000 420’000 Total income 1’251’253 946’910 3’797’816 4’472’332 Other 360’000 220’000 Witzenhausen Total income 1’850’000 1’230’000

Expenditure Aigen-Schlägl Expenditure on personnel 683’312 526’366 1’147’326 1’525’892 Wien Expenditure Material expenditure / 499’126 339’091 2’252’595 2’559’893 Expenditure on personnel 1’150’000 922’000 Frankfurt project costs Misc. expenditure 53’000 44’000 Cost of office, administration 31’019 32’760 291’084 297’282 Project material cost 547’000 196’000 Bad Dürkheim Depreciation 682 555 10’852 12’045 Office expenditure 81’000 66’000 Total expenditure 1’214’138 898’772 3’701’857 4’395’111 Total expenditure 1’831’000 1’228’000 Augsburg Operating result 37’114 48’138 95’958 77’221 Surplus 19’000 2’000

64 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 65 FiBL France ÖMKi

FiBL France is headquartered in the south-east The Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agri­ of the country where it conducts laboratory and field culture ÖMKi works on research-innovation tasks trials in collaboration with a network of farmers ­leading to practically implementable results, thus and ­other partners. Research topics emerge in response guaranteeing the sustainable development of to evolving needs and currently revolve around ­agriculture and food production in Hungary. To this Board (from left): Dóra Drexler, Árpád Nagy, agroforestry, small ruminant and pig health, and soil end the organisation develops professional networks Zsófia Hock, Ferenc Frühwald (President). and plant health. in cooperation with farmers, Hungarian and ­international research institutes covering the fields of horticulture, arable cropping, viticulture, animal ­husbandry and precision farming technologies. Board (from left): Lucius Tamm, Frédéric Rey, Felix Heckendorn (President), Raphaël Charles.

6 employees 22 employees 2 students 5 students and interns 0.25 million euros annual budget 0.74 million euros annual budget

Profit and loss account

2018 2019 in euros in euros Income Research 145’000 175’600 Services, training 35’162 14’510 Extraordinary revenue 16’467 13’422 Total income 196’629 203’532

Expenditure Budapest Expenditure on personnel 24’875 27’718 Project cost 138’158 128’905 Operational costs 21’187 34’393 Depreciation 7’443 13’575 Département Drôme Total expenditure 191’664 204’591

Operating result 4’965 –1’059

66 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 67 FiBL’s clients, donors and supporters Landwirtschaft des Kantons Schaffhausen, Lenzburg FiBL Germany and Neuhausen Stiftung Sculpture at Schoenthal, Basel FiBL Projekte GmbH thank: Landwirtschaftliche Schule Strickhof, Stiftung Temperatio, Maur 2019 / 2020 Lindau Stiftung Vontobel, Zürich Auftrags-und Zuwendungsgeber des FiBL Landwirtschaftliches Zentrum, Visp Stiftung zur Pflege von Mensch, Mitwelt Deutschland, 2018 / 2019 Landwirtschaftliches Zentrum Ebenrain, und Erde, Münsingen AESA Agriconsulting Europe SA, Brüssel We thank all firms, institutions and private donors for their support. For reasons of data privacy we do not list Sissach Swisscontact, Stiftung für technische Agentur für Ernährungsfragen, Frankfurt the names of the private individuals who have made donations or contributions. We nevertheless wish to extend Landwirtschaftsamt, St. Gallen Entwicklungszusammenarbeit, Zürich am Main Lehmann Bioprodukte AG, Gossau Swisssem, Schweiz. Saatgutproduzenten-­ Amt für Wirtschaftsförderung, Kontrollbe- our heartfelt thanks for their generous backing. Leopold Bachmann Stiftung, Rüschlikon Verband, Delley hörde Ökologischer Landbau, Hamburg Leu + Gygax AG, Birmensdorf AG Terraviva AG, Kerzers Aramark Holding GmbH, Neu-Isenburg LIDL Schweiz AG, Weinfelden Trägerschaft Bienenprojekt AG, Aarau Bayerisches Staatsministerium für FiBL EU thanks: BioGenève, Satigny Fondation Salvia, Genf LIEBEGG, Aarau Universität, Basel Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten, Biomasse Suisse, Zollikon Fondation Sur-la-Croix, Basel Liechtensteinischer Entwicklungsdienst Universität Wageningen, PH, Lelystad München European Commission BIO-PROTECT GMBH, Konstanz Food and agriculture organisation of (LED), LI-Schaan University of Greenwich, GB-Kent Bejo Samen GmbH, Sonsbeck FiBL Switzerland BIOVALAIS, Sion the United Nations FAO, IT-Rom Mäder Kräuter AG, Boppelsen Valurhof, Hettenschwil Bio mit Gesicht GmbH, Frankfurt am Main Salvia Foundation Bioverita Geschäftsstelle, Langenthal Foundation OCA, NV Amsterdam Migros Genossenschaftsbund, Zürich Verein für Krebsforschung, Arlesheim bioC GmbH, Frankfurt am Main Biovision, Zürich Fredy‘s Plantation Stiftung, Baden Mühle Rytz AG, Biberen Verein GLOBE Schweiz, Bern Biokreis e.V., Verband für ökologischen Biovision Afrika, Duduville, Kasarani, Füllemann François, Lausanne NIBIO Norwegian Institute of Bioecono- Verein Kometian, Bern Landbau und gesunde Ernährung, Passau Nairobi Gasthof zum Schützen AG, Aarau my Research, NO-Ås Vier Pfoten, Zürich Bioland e.V., Mainz FiBL Switzerland thanks: Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft Gemeinde Frick, Frick Ökohum GmbH, Herrenhof Weifang University, China Bioland Erzeugerring Bayern e.V. e.V. (BÖLW), DE-Berlin Geschäftsstelle Demeter Schweiz Omya Schweiz AG, Oftringen Weinbau Breitenhof Erlinsbach, SO Biopark e.V., Güstrow Aarhus Universität, DK-Tjele Bundesamt für Energie (BFE), Bern Landwirtschaft, Olten Pro Specie Rara, Basel Welte Nützlinge, Sissach Bundesamt für Naturschutz, Bonn AFC Consultants, DE-Bonn Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft (BLW), Bern GFA Consulting, DE-Hamburg Public Eye, Zürich Werner Steiger Stiftung, Untersiggenthal Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und AGNI, Schauffhausen Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Givaudan Foundation, Vernier Ramseier Suisse AG, Sursee Western NIS Enterprise Fund, UA-Kyiv Ernährung, Bonn Agridea, Lausanne Veterinärwesen (BLV), Bern Groupe Minoteries SA, Granges-­Marnand Rebbaugenossenschaft Sonnenberg, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Bundesministerium für Bildung und Agridea, Lindau Bundesamt für Umwelt (BAFU), Bern Grün Stadt Zürich, Zürich Kriens Deutschland, DE-Berlin Forschung, Bonn Agrofutura, Rotkreuz Bundesministerium für Nachhaltigkeit Guangxi Botanical Garden of med. Restaurant Hirscheneck, Basel Zasso GmbH, Aachen Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Agroscope, Bern und Tourismus, AT-Wien plants, China Restaurant Krone, Stetten AG ZHAW, Wädenswil Landwirtschaft, Bonn Albert Koechlin Stiftung, Luzern Camvet.ch, Fehraltorf Gyeonsangbuk Agricultural Research Restaurant Rebstock, Baden Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft in der Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Natur- Albert-Ludwigs-Universit, Freiburg China Bio Vegetables, China and Extension Service, Daegu, Korea Ricola Schweiz AG, Laufen GLS Treuhand e.V., DE-Bochum schutz und nukleare Sicherheit, Berlin ALDI Suisse, Schwarzenbach Chraemerhuus, Langenthal H.W. Schaumann AG, Langenthal Rust GmbH, Brüttisellen Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Allemann Pius Bioprodukte, Frick COMPO Jardin AG, Allschwil Handelskammer beider Basel, Basel SaluVet GmbH, Bad Waldsee Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, Bonn Alnatura, DE-Darmstadt Comptoir Commercial, Fahy Hauert HBG Dünger AG, Grossaffoltern Sandoz GmbH, Kundl Bundesverband der Regionalbewegung Amt für Justizvollzug, Zürich Coop Genossenschaft, Basel Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, Bern Schlossgarten Riggisberg, Riggisberg e.V., Feuchtwangen Amt für Landschaft und Natur, Zürich Demeter-Verband, Olten HEPIA, Genf Scholer Projektpartner GmbH, Frick Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren Amt für Landwirtschaft, Chur Departement Finanzen und Ressourcen Herzberg, Asp Schönbächlers.ch Rickenbach, LU e.V., Berlin Amt für Landwirtschaft, Pfäffikon SZ (DFR), Aarau Hofer KG, Stattledt Schweizer Familiengärtner-Verband, Coop Genossenschaft, Basel Amt für Landwirtschaft, Solothurn Departement Volkswirtschaft und Inneres Hofgut Rengoldshausen, DE-Überlingen St. Gallen Demeter e.V., Darmstadt Amt für Umwelt, Solothurn (DVI), Aarau Hosberg AG, Rüti ZH Schweizer Plattform für nachhaltigen Dennree GmbH, Töpen Amt für Umwelt, Abt. Landwirtschaft, Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale IBLA Luxembourg, LU-Altrier Kakao, Bern Der Senator für Wirtschaft und Häfen, Vaduz Entwicklung (GIZ), DE-Eschborn IFOAM EU Group, BE-Brussels Schweizerische medizinische Gesellschaft Bremen Amt für Wirtschaft und Arbeit, Basel DGDA Switzerland Sàrl, Genève IFOAM Organics International, DE-Bonn für Phytotherapie (SMGP), Schaffhausen Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, Andermatt Biocontrol AG, Grossdietwil Dir. générale de l‘agriculture et de la viti- ILRI, Nairobi Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF), Bern ­Osnabrück Andermatt Biogarten AG, Grossdietwil culture et des affaires vétérinaires DGAV, INFORAMA Amt für Landwirtschaft und Sektion Landwirtschaft am Goetheanum, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Andermatt BioVet AG, Grossdietwil Morges Natur des Kt. Bern, Zollikofen Dornach Zusammenarbeit, Bonn ArboVitis, Frick DISHTI INDUSTRIE, Pune, Maharashtra Innosuisse – Schweizerische Agentur für Service de l’agriculture du canton du Deutscher Bundestag, Ausschuss für Asia Productivity Organisation, Tokyo Dr. Bertold Suhner-Stiftung, Altstätten SG Innovationsförderung, Bern Valais (SCA), Sion Bildung, Forschung und Technikfolgen­ Asociatia Educatie pentru Dezvoltar Dr. von Moos AG, Gächlingen INRA, Paris Service de l‘agronomie (Sagr), Plan-les- abschätzung, Berlin (AED), MD-Chisinau ECOPARTNER LTD., Horgen International Potash Institute (IPI), Zug Ouates DLG Agro Food Medien GmbH, Association Bio Vaud, Moiry VD Ei AG, Sursee International Trade Center (ITC), Genève Software AG, DE-Darmstadt Groß-­Umstadt Bayrische Landesanstalt für Land- Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL, Birmens- Interprofession des fruits et légumes du Spiekeroog Stiftung, Vaduz DLG Service GmbH, Frankfurt am Main wirtschaft LfL, DE-Freising dorf ZH Valais (IFELV), Conthey Staatssekretariat für Bildung, Forschung Ecoland e.V., Wolpertshausen Beratungs- und Gesundheitsdienst für Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule IP-Suisse, Zollikofen und Innovation (SBFI), Bern ECOVIN Bundesverband Ökologischer Kleinwiederkäuer (BGK), (ETH), Zürich Jardin Suisse, Aarau Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft (SECO), Weinbau e.V., Oppenheim Herzogenbuchsee­ Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, KAGfreiland, St. Gallen Bern Ecozept GbR, Freising Berner Fachhochschule (BFH), Bern Muttenz und Windisch Kalkfabrik Netstal AG, Netstal Stadtgrün Bern, Bern Einböck GmbH, Österreich Berner Fachhochschule (BFH), Zollikofen Fair Recycling Foundation, Zürich Kanton Zürich Baudirektion Abfallwirt­ Stiftung Avina, Zürich Envo-Dan, Dänemark Betriebsgemeinschaft Vonlanthen, Giffers fenaco Genossenschaft, Winterthur schaft und Betriebe, Zürich Stiftung Dreiklang, Basel Europäische Kommission, Brüssel Biberburg, Hirschthal fenaco Genossenschaft Aesch, BL Konsumenteninfo AG, Zürich Stiftung Edith Maryon, Basel Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Bildungs- und Beratungszentrum FiBL Deutschland, Frankfurt am Main Kroni AG Mineralstoffe, Altstätten SG Stiftung Fintan, Rheinau Landbau, Frick Arenenberg (BBZ), Salenstein FiBL Projekte GmbH, Frankfurt am Main Künzle Farma AG, Oberaach Stiftung freie Gemeinschaftsbank, Basel Gäa e.V. – Vereinigung ökologischer Bio Peter, Frick Fondation des Fondateurs, Zürich LANDOR fenaco Genossenschaft, Stiftung Gerling, Zürich ­Landbau, Dresden Bio Suisse, Basel Fondation Rurale Interjurassienne (FRI Muttenz Stiftung Mercator Schweiz, Zürich Gebauer Unternehmensberatung, bio.inspecta, Frick Courtemelon), Courtételle LANDOR fenaco Genossenschaft, Stiftung Pancivis, Vaduz Wetzlar Biodynamische Ausbildung Schweiz, Fondation Rurale Interjurassienne (FRI ­Birsfelden Stiftung Parrotia, Zürich Rheinau Loveresse), Loveresse Landwirtschaft Aargau, Aarau Stiftung Schlossdomäne Wildegg, Continued ›

68 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 69 GFAW mbH, Erfurt The Organic Unit – Department of Development, Irdning A big thank you to our supporters GfRS Gesellschaft für Ressourcenschutz Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Irland SONNENTOR Kräuterhandels GmbH, Thüringer Ministerium für Infrastruktur Sprögnitz mbH, Göttingen We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all Donate now. Hessen Agentur GmbH, Wiesbaden und Landwirtschaft, Erfurt Stift Schlägl, Schlägl Hessische LandesEnergieAgentur, Umweltbundesamt, Berlin Stiftung Fürst Liechtenstein, Wien those who support FiBL with their donations. In do­ donate.fibl.org Wiesbaden Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart-­ Sustainable Food Systems, Frick ing so, you are helping us to advance organic agricul­ Hessisches Ministerium für Umwelt, Hohenheim Umweltbundesamt GmbH, Wien ture, ensuring that future generations can also count Klimaschutz, Landwirtschaft und Universität Kassel, Kassel Umweltinitiative Wir für die Welt, c/o on fertile soils, clean water and residue-free food. Verbraucherschutz, Wiesbaden Vallée Verte Handelsgesellschaft für Österreichischer Rundfunk ORF, Wien International Federation of Organic Naturprodukte mbH, Kehl-Auenheim Umweltverband WWF Österreich, Wien Agriculture Movements EU Group, Verband der Landwirtschaftskammern United Creations, Wien Brüssel e.V., Berlin Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien Landesamt für Umwelt, Klimaschutz, Verbund Ökohöfe e.V., Stadt Wanzleben-­ Universität Greenwich, London Landwirtschaft und Geologie, Dresden Börde VIER PFOTEN – Stiftung für Tierschutz, Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen, VERN e.V., Angermünde Wien Kassel Vernetzungsstelle Kita- und Schulver­ Werner Lampert Beratungsges.m.b.H., Landkreis Marburg-Biedenkopf, Marburg pflegung Berlin e.V. Wien Accounts for donations Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank, Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft, Bochum WIFI – Wirtschaftsförderungsinstitut der Frankfurt am Main Wirtschaftskammer Wien, Wien FiBL Switzerland FiBL Germany m & p: public relations GmbH Marktgesellschaft der Naturland Bauern FiBL Switzerland’s account for donations: FiBL Germany’s account for donations: AG, Hohenkammer FiBL Austria thanks: Account number: 0450.0139.2066 FiBL Deutschland e.V. MGH Gutes aus Hessen GmbH, FiBL France thanks: Aargauische Kantonalbank Account number: 0200334620, Bank sort code: Friedberg Agrarmarkt Austria Marketing GesmbH, IBAN: CH94 0076 1045 0013 9206 6 5050201 Ministerium für Energiewende, Land- Wien L’Agence de l’eau SWIFT/BIC: KBAGCH22 Frankfurter Sparkasse wirtschaft, Umwelt und ländliche Räume, Amt der Burgenländischen Landesregi- L’Association de Coordination Technique Kiel erung, Eisenstadt Agricole IBAN: DE49 5005 0201 0200 3346 20 Ministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Amt der Niederösterreichischen L’Association Terre et Humanisme Contact: Knut Schmidtke, Director FiBL Switzerland SWIFT/BIC: HELADEF 1822 Landwirtschaft, Natur- und Verbrauch- Landesregierung, St. Pölten L’Union Européenne Tel. +41 62 865 04 10, [email protected] erschutz NRW, Düsseldorf Amt der Oberösterreichischen Landes­ La Communauté de communes du Val de Contact: Dr. Robert Hermanowski Ministerium für ländliche Entwicklung, regierung, Linz Drôme Umwelt und Landwirtschaft, Potsdam Bellaflora Gartencenter GmbH, La Fédération Départementale Ovine Contact in western (French-speaking) Switzerland: Director FiBL Germany Ministerium für ländlichen Raum und Leonding La Fondation Dreiklang Raphaël Charles, Head of the Department Suisse Tel. +49 69 713 769 973 Verbraucherschutz Baden-Württemberg, BIO AUSTRIA, Linz La Fondation Givaudan Romande [email protected] Stuttgart BIO AUSTRIA Niederösterreich und La Fondation Margarethe und Rudolf Tel. +41 21 619 44 77, [email protected] Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt Wien, St. Pölten Gsell und Verbraucherschutz, Schwerin Biohof ADAMAH, Glinzendorf La Région Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Weinbau BLWS Bioschule Schlägl, Schlägl Le GAL Vallée de la Drôme und Verbraucherschutz, Luxemburg Bruno Manser Fonds, Basel Le Ministère français de l’Agriculture et FiBL Austria FiBL France Ministerium für Umwelt und Verbrauch- Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissen- de l’Alimentation FiBL Austria’s account for donations: FiBL France’s account for donations: erschutz, Saarbrücken schaft und Forschung, Wien Le Syndicat Caprin de la Drôme Account number: 676.452, Bank sort code: 32000 Account number: 85045126671, RIB: 13906 Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie, Bundesministerium für Landwirtschaft, Le Syndicat de la Clairette de Die et des Ernährung und Forsten Rheinland-Pfalz, Regionen und Tourismus, Wien Vins du Diois Raiffeisenlandesbank NÖ-Wien AG Crédit Agricole Sud Rhône Alpes Mainz Delacon Biotechnik GmbH, Enger­ Les mécènes privés IBAN: AT33 3200 0000 0067 6452 IBAN: FR76 1390 6001 2585 0451 2667 191 Ministerium für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft witzdorf SWIFT/BIC: RLNWATWW SWIFT/BIC: AGRIFRPP839 und Energie des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt, Europäische Union, Brüssel Magdeburg FiBL Deutschland e.V., Frankfurt Contact: Mag. Andreas Kranzler Contact: Florence Arsonneau Naturland – Verband für ökologischen FiBL Schweiz, Frick Landbau e.V., Gräfelfing Freiland-Verband, Wien ÖMKi Hungary thanks: Director FiBL Austria Director FiBL France Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Greenpeace Central- und Osteuropa, Pancivis Foundation Tel. +43 1 907 6313, [email protected] Tel. +33 4 75 25 41 55, [email protected] Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Ver- Wien C & A Foundation braucherschutz, Hannover Hofer KG, Sattledt Hungarian National Rural Network N-Komm Agentur für Nachhaltigkeits-­ Institut für Soziale Ökologie, Wien (MNVH) Kommunikation UG, Frankfurt am Main Ja! Natürlich Naturprodukte Ges.m.b.H., Nürnberg Messe GmbH, Nürnberg Wiener Neudorf Öko-BeratungsGesellschaft mbH, Klima- und Energiefonds, Wien Hohenkammer Königliche Technische Hochschule, Öko-Institut e.V., Freiburg Stockholm Ökonsult GbR, Stuttgart Ländliches Fortbildungsinstitut Österreich, Regierung von Unterfranken, Würzburg Wien Software AG-Stiftung, Darmstadt OeAD (Österreichische Austauschdien- SPESSARTregional e.V., Jossgrund st)-GmbH, Wien Stiftung Attl, Wasserburg a. Inn Österreichische Forschungsförderungs­ Stiftung Liebenau, Meckenbeuren gesellschaft, Wien Stiftung Sankt Johannes Werkstätten, PUR ORGANIC PRODUCTS GmbH, Marxheim Waidhofen/Thaya The James Hutton Institute, Scotland UK Raumberg-Gumpenstein Research &

70 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 71 Photo credits Back cover, top left Publication FiBL Thomas Alföldi: cover, 6 (6, 7), 7 (11, 13), 8 (20), 9 (26, A new star on the horizon of the organic breeding bull FiBL news, project database, vacancies 28, 29), 12 (both), 13, 20, 44, 48 (left), 49 (top); Mar- scene: Jansrud. He excels at converting roughage, has a and much more at www.fibl.org ion Nitsch: 2, 7 (15), 14, 15, 16, 17 (top), 22 (left), 28 friendly disposition and passes on his traits of longev- details (all), 29, 32, 33, 38 (right), 40, 49 (below right), 54, ity, excellent health and good milk yields. Also in the 55, 56, 57, 61 (top: B. H. and L. T.), 62, 71, back cover photo: Anet Spengler, project manager for organic dairy Editorial committee: Franziska Hämmerli, (top left); Marzena Seidl: 3 (R. H.), 60, 61 (top: R. H.), 64 breeding and FiBL cattle expert, and Marco Bettini, Hella Hansen, Elisabeth Klingbacher, Elina Harinck, (top); Céline Dupuy: 3 (F. A.), 66 (below); Carla Pinho: animal caretaker and head of livestock husbandry at the Pia Pedross, Jade Ducretot FiBL-Shop 3 (M. P.); ÖMKi: 3 (D. D.), 67 (all); Reinhard Geßl: 3 Plantahof. Read more on page 28. Copy editing: Markus Bär, ediFORM All information leaflets, reports and other (A. K.), 11, 61 (top: A. K.), 65 (both); Pixabay: 6 (Dimitris English translation: Christopher Hay, Seeheim, FiBL publications can be found in the FiBL Vetsikas: 1, Shire Shy: 2, Abby Haukongo: 3, Aranha: 4), Back cover, top right Germany Shop online at shop.fibl.org 8 (Lubos Houska: 19); Stefanie Leu: 6 (5), 63 (all); Gian Functional biodiversity has potential to control the cica- Layout: Simone Bissig, Xenia Jöri Nicolay: 6 (8), 9 (35); Margarita Wolf: 7 (10); Christian das in lavender fields. Read more on page 24. Graphics: Xenia Jöri, Kurt Riedi Schlatter: 7 (12); Sonja Herpich: 7 (14); Johannes Pel- Printed by: Effingermedien AG, Brugg; on FSC-certified leter: 7 (16); Felix Hintermann: 8 (18); Gudrun Plesch: Back cover, below left paper; carbon-neutral 8 (21), 37 (all); Fortunatus Okeke: 8 (22); Peter Meindl: Using molecular markers to find robust cultivars more Available from: Print or PDF available at shop.fibl.org Organic Eprints 8 (23); DiverImpacts: 8 (24); Felix Heckendorn: 8 (25); quickly is one of the goals of FiBL’s plant breeding team. Languages abailable: German, French, English All scientific publications produced by FiBL Monika Messmer: 9 (27); Samuel Bonvoisin: 9 (31); An- Read more on page 26. staff are archived in the Organic Eprints dreas Basler: 9 (32), 31; Daniel Funda: 9 (33); Fotolia: © Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, database (www.orgprints.org) and can be 9 (34); Tilo Wondollek: 9 (36); Claire Muller: 10; FiBL Back cover, below right February 2021 accessed there. Switzerland: 17 (below), 30 (top); Raphaël Charles: 18; Farmers Gladys Muthoni (left) and Lydia Mieere follow Biokompetenzzentrum Schlägl: 19 (both); Michael Brun- an organic farming course delivered by means of text FiBL Switzerland ner: 22 (right); Hans-Jakob Schärer: 23; Amélie Lèbre: messages in East Africa. Read more on page 48. Ackerstrasse 113, P.O. Box 219, 5070 Frick 24 (both), 25, 34, 66 (top), back cover (top right); Anja Tel. +41 62 865 72 72, [email protected] FiBL-Newsletter Wille Schori: 26, 27 (both), back cover (below left); Be- Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter at ratungs- und Gesundheitsdienst für Kleinwiederkäuer: 30 FiBL branch in western Switzerland www.fibl.org > Info centre > Newsletter (middle); Yannik Steffen: 30 (below); Martin Trouillard: Avenue des Jordils 3, 1006 Lausanne 35; Tim Haye: 38 (left); Luzia Puiu: 41 (both); Leila Tel. +41 21 619 44 77 Chakroun, Université de Lausanne: 42, 43 (below right); Hélène Bougouin: 43 (top); Alice Dos Santos: 43 (be- FiBL Germany low left); Adobe Stock: 45 (graphic); Bernadette Oehen: FiBL Deutschland e.V. Bioaktuell-Newsletter 45 (all photos); Labor Friedle: 46; Benjamin Gräub: 48 P.O. Box 90 01 63, 60441 Frankfurt am Main Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter at (right), back cover (below right); FiBL Projekte GmbH: 50, Tel. +49 69 713 769 90, [email protected] www.bioaktuell.ch > Aktuell > Newsletter 51 (both); www.kursrichtungbio.at, Hloch: 52, 53 (both); (in German and French language only) Salvador Garibay: 58; Dóra Mészáros: 59; Rezia Bu- FiBL Projekte GmbH chli: 61 (top F. H.); Marie Cazaban: 61 (below); Marie Kasseler Strasse 1a, 60486 Frankfurt am Main Prangenberg: 64 (below). Tel. +49 69 713 769 90, [email protected]

FiBL Austria Videos on research and practice Doblhoffgasse 7/10, 1010 Vienna can be found on the FiBL YouTube channel Tel. +43 1 907 63 13, [email protected] www.youtube.ch > FiBLFilm > Playlists > All videos in English FiBL France Pôle Bio – Ecosite du Val de Drôme 150 Avenue du Judée, 26400 Eurre Tel. +33 4 75 25 41 55 FiBL on Twitter twitter.com > @fiblorg FiBL Europe Rue de la Presse 4, 1000 Brussels Tel. +32 2 227 11 24, [email protected]

ÖMKi Hungary, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL on Facebook Miklós tér 1. (Selyemgombolyító), 1033 Budapest facebook.com > FiBLnews Tel. +36 1 244 8358, [email protected]

72 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 FiBL | Activity report 2019 / 2020 A