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In this bumper issue: 2. News in brief 3. Editorial 4. Netherlands study tour 6. Organic potato guide 8. Farmer principles of health 11. Policy developments 12. Organic farm incomes in England 13. ORC at NOCC 2017 14. ‘Ancient’ wheats for food diversity 15. Intercropping 16. ORC Wakelyns Population 17. New trustees at ORC 18. Project news 19. Staff news 20. ‘Tree to Heat’ workshop 21. Agroforestry comes of age 22. Tree fodder 23. Book review/SRUC study tour 24. Farming without antibiotics 26. Ticking the anti-globalisation box 28. Events and announcements Cover photo Intercropping Fuego beans and Paragon wheat at National Organic Combinable crops 2017 (p15) Subscribe to Organic Research Centre the Bulletin 2-4 issues per year for £25 in the UK (£30 overseas) from organicresearchcentre.com No. 122Bulletin – Spring/Summer 2017 ORC Bulletin No. 122 - Spring/Summer 2017 News in brief OCW producer survey shows rise in organic sales Innovative Farmers now free to join from Welsh farms After 18 months of enabling farmers to lead the way in The Organic Centre Wales 2016 producer survey report has practical, on-farm innovation, in April the Innovative Farmers shown a rise in sales of organic products, despite a fall in network announced significant changes to make it easier for there has been an increase in the number of farms and the even more farmers to benefit. Joining the network is now free, landthe land area area covered certified by the as Glastirorganic Organic in Wales. scheme, At the andsame there time, labs and attend network events without paying an annual meaning everyone can access the full write-ups from field is strong interest from farms wanting to convert. membership fee. Innovative Farmers brings together groups of farmers with researchers from top agricultural institutions were up by 17%, from 120,000 to 140,000 head, organic Compared with the 2015 results, organic finished lamb sales crops,in practical producing ‘field labs’.cheap Field and labsreliable so far peat-free have tackled compost challenges organic milk sales up by 7%, from 56 to nearly 60 million like finding alternatives to glyphosate for terminating cover litres.finished These cattle increases up by 16%, are consistentfrom 5,000 with to 5,800 the 7% head, increase and Until now, farmers have paid an annual membership to join in UK retail market sales of organic food in 2016, showing thefrom network, woodchip, and and also fighting contributed blackgrass to the without cost of individual chemicals. the potential for Welsh producers to respond to growing domestic and export market opportunities. membership fee has gone, and sponsors cover the costs of field labs and events that they take part in. The annual area recorded by Defra in 2016 fell by 1.8%, from 82.9 to 81.5 part of the Duchy Future Farming Programme, funded by the thousandHowever, theha, ascertified a result fully-organic of a combination and in-conversion of reduced area land Princea growing of Wales’s number Charitable of the field Foundation labs. Innovative through Farmers the sale is of of land in conversion, but a 1% increase in the area of land Waitrose Duchy Organic products. The network is backed by a team from ORC, LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), remains high, with 39% of producers who were surveyed Innovation for Agriculture and the Soil Association. indicatingachieving fullan intentionorganic status. to remain Confidence in organic within production the sector for 10 years or more and a further 38% for 3-5 years. ‘A Matter of Scale’ report published The A Matter of Scale Nic Lampkin, Director of ORC, which produced the report how a diverse and vibrant sector of small farms is providing for Organic Centre Wales, raised concerns about the future: employment, attracting report, new entrantspublished and in July,incubating highlights “With only a small proportion of applicants qualifying entrepreneurs. A survey of 69 holdings of 20ha and less, for Glastir Organic agreements from 2017 due to funding undertaken by the Landworkers’ Alliance in conjunction with restrictions, and no window planned for 2018 agreements, the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry will Welsh producers be able to take advantage of the University, provides a preliminary insight into the diversity, renewed optimism in the organic sector? Or will the opportunities be left for their English neighbours to take up at their expense?” productivity, financial viability and multifunctional benefits In-conversion land area on the rise offered by such farms. The report is accompanied by five Lettershort films to Michaelabout key Gove themes on arising agroforestry from the research. statistics for 2016 are: Some of the UK’s leading farming and forestry The key findings of Defra’s release of organic farming organisations, including ORC, have put their names to ● Organic land use and crops. In 2016, the United a letter to Secretary of State Michael Gove, highlighting Kingdom had a total area of 508,000 ha of land farmed organically, down from 521,000 ha in 2015. The area in- trees and crops or livestock on the same area of land. The conversion expressed as a percentage of the total organic currentthe benefits Rural of Development agroforestry, Programmethe practice forof cultivating England does area rose for the second consecutive year. not include options to support agroforestry, the result of ● Organic livestock. Poultry and sheep remain the most a perceived lack of demand from farmers and landowners popular livestock types farmed organically in the UK. to adopt the practice. A well-managed agroforestry system ● Organic producers and processors. The total number of can boost land productivity by up to 40% by making organic producers and processors rose by 5.1% in 2016 to 6,363. The number of producers only and producer/ improve water management and enrich biodiversity. By processors continue to decline. The numbers of processors usingefficient trees use alongside of natural livestock resources. you Trees create also natural store sheltercarbon, only rose for the third year running and now stands at that improves livestock welfare. These are just some of the 2,804, the highest number since 2008. Aside from the manufacture of ‘other food products’, most processors in Gove, signed by organisations that want to see agroforestry the United Kingdom were engaging in the processing and broughtbenefits inexplained to the mainstream. in the letter to Secretary of State Michael preserving of meat and production of meat products and For more details on items on this page, including the processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables. links to the publications, visit the News link at www. Full details can be found in the time series data, which organicresearchcentre.com or, to receive more frequent is available to download at www.gov.uk/government/ updates, register for our E-bulletin service and follow us on statistics/organic-farming-statistics-2016 Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. 2 www.organicresearchcentre.com No. 122 - Spring/Summer 2017 ORC Bulletin About us Editorial: Can we make a difference? ISSN 1367-6970 Summers were traditionally quiet times in politics, but maybe we’re experiencing policy Bulletin editor climate change as well as the real thing. Last year it was the Brexit referendum kicking Phil Sumption off a period of uncertainty and political change. This year we’ve had an election, but not a lot more clarity as a consequence. The election is over, the Conservatives have limped The Organic Research Centre is a leading, independent, back into government, the Labour Party is reinvigorated, we have a new Secretary of research charity working for State in the unexpected form of Michael Gove, an Agriculture Bill has been announced in better farming, food and health, the Queen’s speech, the Brexit negotiations have started and a new organic regulation promoting environmental sustainability, quality food into UK law as part of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill. and health and wellbeing for has been agreed (or has it? – see page 11), which may or may not find itself incorporated all. We work in the UK and For some, the forecast seems dismal, but are there reasons to be more cheerful? internationally to: research and Secretary of State Michael Gove’s speech at the WWF Living Planet Centre on 21st develop practical, sustainable land management and food production systems based on environmentalist.July seems designed It isto thoughtful, reinforce his wide desire ranging, to be recognisingseen as a leading the challenges environmentalist and the need organic and agro-ecological forhimself. action. Let’s As Govebe clear said, – theit’s speechnot enough he gave simply could to havehalt or been slow given the deteriorationby many a high-profile of our principles; foster knowledge exchange with and between environment – we must raise our ambitions so we seek to restore nature and reverse current and future producers, decline. Gove was clear that the Government commitment to maintaining the current food businesses and related gains and that current agricultural trajectories were unsustainable. He praised the policy and public debates on the engagement£3billion per of year environmental spend on agriculture organisations needed and to emphasised be justified thein terms role of of the environmental Natural futureprofessionals; of food andand farminginfluence based Capital Committee in reinforcing Defra’s proposed 25-year Environment plan. Science on sound evidence. and business also have a key role