|
|
 |
Research in Organic Agriculture |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
IFOAM’s Role in Organic Agricultural Research
-
IFOAM acts as the world leader in evolving further the conceptual framework
of organic agriculture research in the societal and institutional
context by collaborating with high profile researchers’ experience in
and supportive of organic agriculture research at global level.
-
IFOAM innfluences research policy makers with the aim to broaden the funding
base for organic agriculture research and the adoption of organic
agriculture research by international agricultural research
institutions through lobbying and advocacy. (CGIAR, FAO, the World
Bank, national governments, etc.)
- IFOAM facilitates collaboration and exchange at global and regional level to
share research experiences, approaches and methodologies.
- IFOAM supports member organizations to influence national and regional
research policy makers (NARS) to adopt organic agriculture research
policy and a stakeholder-based research policy process. IFOAM provides
support to member efforts.
Organic Research is distinguished from other agriculture research in the following ways:
- Organic agriculture research is distinct from all other
agricultural research, not necessarily in the nature of the issues and
problems researched and certainly not for any research methods unique
to it.
- The distinction is in the context under which organic research is
conducted and the ethos prevailing in the research environment.
- Organic agricultural research has systemic orientation, is
inter-disciplinary in nature, links to societal concerns and is
committed to improving the knowledge base of beneficiaries of that
research.
- Therefore, researchers in organic agriculture are open to learning and developing their competencies through practice.
- Organic research, for it to be socially relevant and meaningful,
has to support changes at methodological, personal and institutional
level.
- The need to “solve specific problems” at the production level
(e.g. soil nutrients, breeding, rotations) and to “improve whole
situations” at industry and associated levels (food quality and safety,
animal welfare, ethics) are just as important in organic agricultural
research as they have been in all agriculture. Therefore, where
appropriate, organic agricultural research incorporates reductionism
tactics and thinking with systemic approaches and methodologies devised
according to context.
- The relevance of farmers’ science by experience and wealth of
indigenous knowledge has proven to be very useful in further developing
research in organic agriculture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
