Copenhagen, Denmark
September 20, 2008
On 16 -17 September, 22 European
countries agreed to strengthen their collaboration on research
in organic farming and food systems. The initiative is led by
Denmark, where the Ministry of Food,
Agriculture and Fisheries is collaborating with the newly
established International Centre for Research in Organic Food
Systems, ICROFS
At a meeting in Viborg, the 22 European countries agreed to form
a long-term network to strengthen the collaboration for
financing and targeting research in organic agriculture and food
production.
The objective is to create a situation where organic agriculture
can contribute more effectively to sustainable agriculture,
increased biodiversity and better animal welfare. At the same
time, the purpose of the collaboration is to ensure the supply
of quality products to meet the rising demand on the organic
market.
“That so many new European countries have joined this important
collaboration on organic research is very pleasing and
promising,” says Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Eva
Kjer Hansen. “Gathering good international forces in this field,
is one of the reasons for setting up the international centre
for research in organic agriculture and food production.”
Continuation of earlier European transnational research
The new collaboration is a continuation of an earlier
international collaboration under the name CORE Organic, which
covered 11 countries. In this first phase, the pooled funds of
the partners supported eight European projects on organic
consumption in schools and institutions, food quality and
livestock health among other subjects.
The new initiative is expected to support many more
transnational research projects over the coming four to five
years for the benefit of consumers, the organic sector and
society at large.
The plan is to make a joint project application under the EU’s
7th Framework Programme, and the project name will be CORE
Organic 2.
Read about the earlier CORE Organic project at
www.coreorganic.org |
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