Workpackages

WP 1, LEAD will provide effective management and co-ordination of the project to achieve pathways for the phase-out of contentious inputs from organic agriculture in Europe. This will not only ensure transparent and participatory communication flow across workpackages and among multi-actor stakeholders but also with business and policy actors in the organic and non-organic food and farming sector in the EU and globally. Two high profile advisory boards will support this work.

WP 2, IMPACT will provide effective multiple dissemination activities and feedback mechanisms so that high-quality scientific evidence can have clear and measurable impacts for all stakeholders.

WP 3, PLANT will consider two categories of contentious inputs: copper (Cu) and mineral oils (MinOils). The work within this WP will be carried out in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders including SMEs manufacturing alternatives to Cu and MinOils, commercial farmers and growers.

WP 4, LIVESTOCK will cover contentious inputs used in the major animal production systems (dairy cows, beef cattle, pigs and poultry). It will consider the use of natural plant sources of vitamins as an alternative to synthetic products, the use of anti-infective and immune-stimulatory molecules from plants products as an alternative to synthetic antibiotics and the use of alternative and novel bedding materials in place of the straw from conventional farms. The most relevant data, including performance, sanitary impact, economic information and product quality traits, will be integrated into the MODEL WP for the LCA and socioeconomic analysis.

WP 5, SOIL will consider three categories of contentious inputs: manure from non-organic farms and other animal-derived fertility inputs e.g. blood and bone meal (used in both protected cropping and field vegetable production), peat (primarily used in growing media) and fossil fuel derived plastic (primarily used as a mulch to supress weeds). The tasks will be carried out in close collaboration with all relevant stakeholders including product manufacturers and commercial farmers and growers building on links established in the IMPACT WP and providing data for the MODEL WP.

WP 6, MODEL will assess the operational, environmental and socio-economic consequences of different pathways for phasing out contentious external inputs from organic production systems. This will involve system modelling using data collected within WP 2-5 for evaluating the cost-benefits, feasibility, and operational management options for the different pathways and methods applied. This includes sustainability assessment to compare the proposed methodologies in relation to current practice. The WP will be closely linked to IMPACT.

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