At the international Tech&Bio 2023 agricultural fair, held on 20-21 September in the French department of Drôme, ITAB, FiBL Switzerland and FiBL France signed a new five-year cooperation agreement. As there are only a few institutions in Europe specifically dedicated to applied research in organic farming, it made sense for the three institutes to enter into cooperation.
Some of the key issues in organic agriculture such as multi-criteria assessments of organic production performance, organic plant and animal breeding, animal health and welfare management or organic food and consumer health have proven to be complex matters to address. Therefore, ITAB and FiBL consider it essential to create and promote synergies and opportunities for exchange between their research teams.
The institutes have enjoyed an intensive and fruitful cooperation for many years, resulting in research projects as well as networks and joint publications. Building on this foundation, ITAB, FiBL Switzerland and FiBL France have decided to extend and expand their existing cooperation agreement.
In particular, their joint work aims to:
- set and prioritise research and development foci of common interest
- develop joint projects in order to bid for tenders;
- make it easier for the teams to get to know each other and maintain contact;
- enable mutual participation in the different institutes’ committees;
- offer the possibility of sharing funds and resources.
Not least, the new agreement will improve the visibility of the institutes’ work at European and international level. It will also accelerate the transfer of research results and knowledge to farmers and their advisors.
Source: FIBL