EIP-AGRI actions on organic farming

Organic farming is a farming method that uses natural substances and processes to produce food. This means that organic farming has a low environmental impact because it encourages:

• energy and natural resource conservation;
• conservation of biodiversity;
• regional ecological balance preservation;
• soil fertility improvement;
• water quality preservation.

Furthermore, organic farming rules encourage a high standard of animal welfare and require farmers to meet animals' specific behavioral needs.

As part of the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies aim to achieve at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming by 2030. The European Commission has developed the Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production in the EU to help the organic sector reach its full potential and meet the goals of the European Green Deal. 

The EU CAP Network supports organic farming by promoting and sharing innovative practices.

Read the EIP-AGRI Newsletter from June 2020 and October 2022 which are dedicated to organic farming.

For all relevant EU CAP Network network activities, see below.

EIP-AGRI Focus Groups

EIP-AGRI Focus Groups are temporary groups of selected experts focusing on a specific subject, sharing knowledge and experience. Several of them have worked on issues related to organic farming, click on each link below to find reports, factsheets and more:

• Organic farming - Optimising arable yields
• Non-chemical weed management in arable cropping systems
• Optimising profitability of crop production through Ecological Focus Areas
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Focus on Brassica species
• IPM practices for soil-borne diseases suppression in vegetables and arable crops
• Moving from source to sink in arable farming
• Diseases and pests in viticulture
• High Nature Value (HNV) - Farming profitability
• Agroforestry: introducing woody vegetation into specialised crop and livestock systems
• Pests and diseases of the olive tree

EIP-AGRI events

The EIP-AGRI holds workshops and seminars on specific topics. Click on each link to find reports, presentations and more from events related to organic farming:

• EIP-AGRI workshop 'Conversion to organic farming: innovative approaches and challenges'
• EIP-AGRI workshop 'Organic is Operational' 
• Agri-Innovation summit 2019 - transition to agroecology.
• EIP-AGRI Workshop Cropping for the future: networking for crop rotation and crop diversification
• EIP-AGRI workshop ‘Towards carbon neutral agriculture’
• EIP-AGRI workshop: Shaping the EU mission ‘Caring for soil is caring for life’
• EIP-AGRI seminar: Healthy soils for Europe: sustainable management through knowledge and practice

EIP-AGRI publications

As well as the Focus Group reports, the EIP-AGRI Support Facility has produced the following publications which are relevant to organic farming:

• EIP-AGRI Brochure ‘Organic farming: Innovative approaches to support conversion’
• EIP-AGRI Brochure Organic is operational
• EIP-AGRI Factsheet Organic Farming
• EIP-AGRI Brochure Sustainable and resilient farming: Inspiration from agro-ecology
• EIP-AGRI Factsheet on Ecological Focus Areas
• EIP-AGRI Brochure Organic farming: Innovative approaches to support conversion
• EIP-AGRI Brochure Climate-smart agriculture: Solutions for resilient farming and forestry
• EIP-AGRI Brochure Sustainable and resilient farming: Inspiration from agro-ecology

EIP-AGRI Videos

Watch these videos on examples of organic farming related initiatives from the EIP-AGRI network:

• AGRI challenge: innovative value chains for medicinal plants
• AGRI challenge: non-chemical weed management in arable cropping systems
• AGRI challenge: increasing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes
• AGRI challenge: organic farming - 26 September 2022
• You can also take a look at the Organic farming playlist on the EIP-AGRI Youtube Channel If you would like to add your video to the playlist, please get in touch supportfacility@eip-agri.eu.

Inspirational ideas from the network

Articles on examples of organic farming related initiatives from the EIP-AGRI network:

• Inspirational ideas: Market gardening
• Inspirational ideas: Perfumes for pests
• Inspirational ideas: Cloud technology to safeguard integrity of the organic sector
• Inspirational ideas: Winter harvest- supporting the development of organic winter growing
• Inspirational ideas: Feeding pigs and poultry: tips for a 100% organic diet
• Inspirational ideas: Improving chicken value chains- an Operational Group in Germany
• Inspirational ideas: An app to find out where our food comes from
• Inspirational idea: Finding new in the old, reviving former links between forest and agricultural land
• Inspirational ideas: Alternatives for expensive protein feed for laying hens
• Inspirational ideas: Local food networks inspiring people to take up organic farming
• Inspirational ideas: Alternatives for expensive protein feed for laying hens
• Inspirational ideas: Goats in good company
• Inspirational ideas: From great soil comes great food – a farmers’ story
• Inspirational ideas: Improving welfare for cows…and farmers
• Inspirational ideas: Improving feed intake in cows, sheep and goats
• Inspirational ideas: Organic growers harvest ancient grain varieties
• Inspirational ideas: Mycorrhiza fungi as green alternative for mineral fertilisers
• Inspirational ideas: Supporting new entrants into organic dairy sheep farming
• Inspirational ideas: Estonian farmer turns grassland grazing into climate solution
• Inspirational ideas: Improving the quality and productivity of fig trees

Projects funded under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe

• BIOFRUITNET - Boosting Innovation in Organic FRUIT production through strong knowledge NETworks: website - CORDIS
• OK-Net Ecofeed - Organic Knowledge Network on Monogastric Animal Feed: website - CORDIS
• OK-Net-Arable - Organic Knowledge Network Arable: website - CORDIS
• CERERE - CEreal REnaissance in Rural Europe: embedding diversity in organic and low-input food systems: website - CORDIS
• LIVESEED - Improve performance of organic agriculture by boosting organic seed and plant breeding efforts across Europe: website - CORDIS
• RELACS - Replacement of Contentious Inputs in organic farming Systems: website - CORDIS
• BRESOV - Breeding for Resilient, Efficient and Sustainable Organic Vegetable production: website - CORDIS
• PPILOW - Organic and low-input outdoor farming solutions to improve welfare of poultry and pigs: website - CORDIS
• NEFERTITI - Networking European Farms to Enhance Cross Fertilisation and Innovation Uptake through Demonstration: website - CORDIS
• ALL-Ready Agricultural Living Labs - Ready: website
• Organic Farm Knowledge platform about organic farming that can help improve production: website
• ECOORCHARD Innovative design and management to boost functional biodiversity of organic orchards: website

There are many other relevant Horizon multiactor projects, click here.

Other

• "Organic" search on the EIP-AGRI database of Operational Groups
• Organic chapter of the EIP-AGRI Innovative projects catalogue
• The Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production in the EU
• EU's Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food systems
• Sustainable agriculture section published on the website of the European Commission.
• New ENRD Thematic Group on Strengthening the position of farmers in the Organic Food Supply Chain