Vision for an Organic Food and Farming Research Agenda 2025. Organic Knowledge for the Future.

The 'Vision for an Organic Food and Farming Research Agenda to 2025' was prepared between June 2007 and August 2008 on the basis of wideranging discussions with farmers’ organizations, scientists, organic traders and retailers, and EU-wide umbrella organizations representing a variety of commercial, non-commercial and civil interests. The Vision Paper i) shows the strengths and weaknesses of organic food and farming, ii) identifies five global and European challenges and trends on which food and farming research should focus, iii) groups the strategic priorities of future research and iv) highlights a large number of specific research activities for the future. The potential for innovation on the basis of organic knowledge is considerable and its potential impact on public goods and services as well as on markets is also great. However, current spending on research and dissemination does not adequately reflect this potential. The paper is intended to show the way towards a European organic food and farming research agenda that will help to meet the major challenges of the next twenty years. Parallel to the process of developing the Vision paper, a Technology Platform entitled “Organics” was established with a focus on sustainable food systems and public goods, and will be officially launched in autumn 2008