Phosphonic acid in plant-based food and feed products – Where does it come from?
Salts of phosphonic acid (sodium or potassium phosphonate) or its ester fosetyl are highly effective systemic fungicides, which not only exhibit fungistatic activities, but also stimulate the natural defence systems of the plants against pathogens. Since EU legislation has approved potassium and sodium phosphonate as fungicides in 2013 and 2014, they are no longer permitted […]
Use of mason bees for pollination in covered organic orchards (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)
Good pollination is essential for fruit yield and quality. However, the population of bees (honeybees, wild bees), the primary pollinators, is decreasing. Pollinators are often present in too few numbers in intensive fruit orchards, also organic ones. Mason bees, which fly at lower temperatures (4°C on) compared to honeybees, are placed into the orchards just […]
Pesticides in conventional and organic farming – Fact Check
Organic farming is not what it claims to be. Organic farmers also spray poisons – and not in short supply. Whether synthetic or natural is irrelevant. This is what the advocates of an industrial model of agriculture are increasingly claiming, thus damaging the reputation of organic farming. Reason enough for a fact check.
Toxicological Comparison of Pesticide Active Substances Approved for Conventional vs. Organic Agriculture in Europe
There is much debate about whether the (mostly synthetic) pesticide active substances (AS) in conventional agriculture have different non-target effects than the natural AS in organic agriculture. We evaluated the official EU pesticide database to compare 256 AS that may only be used on conventional farmland with 134 AS that are permitted on organic farmland. […]
Welfare and environmental impact of organic pig production, a collection of factsheets
There are common animal welfare challenges related to piglet mortality and health problems around weaning. Further, outdoor concrete runs in systems for growing-finishing pigs challenge the organic goals of and are associated with a high risk of ammonia emissions, while pasture systems do facilitate natural living, but are challenged by a high risk of nutrient […]
“The World of Organic Agriculture 2023 – Statistics and Emerging Trends”
The 24th edition of “The World of Organic Agriculture”, published by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and IFOAM – Organics International, offers a comprehensive review of recent developments in global organic agriculture. It presents detailed statistics on organic farming that relate to area under organic management, land use and crops, the number of […]
PSRHUB – Gli interventi per il benessere animale nel PSP 2023-27
Il Piano Strategico della PAC 2023-2027 (PSP) definisce una strategia articolata che individua nel Sistema di Qualità Nazionale Benessere Animale (SQBNA), approvato con decreto interministeriale 2 agosto 2022, di concerto con il Ministero della Salute, uno degli elementi chiave per accelerare il processo di transizione verso un modello allevatoriale più sostenibile, migliorare il benessere degli animali, innalzare […]
Regulation of sawflies in organic orchards
Sawflies, such as apple sawfly (Hoplocampa testudinea) and Pear sawfly (H. brevis), are major pests in organic fruit production which can cause massive yield losses. Regulation is possible by only a few measures. Combining different preventive strategies and direct measures can help to control the pest. A combined strategy of different direct and indirect actions […]
Agricultural Market Brief: “Organic farming in the EU”, a decade of organic growth (January 2023)
The share of EU agricultural land under organic farming increased by more than 50% over the period 2012-2020, with an annual increase of 5.7%. In 2020, 9.1% of the EU’s agricultural area was farmed organically. On average, though with substantial variation across Member States, organic farms are bigger than conventional farms and run by younger […]
Agroecological crop protection for sustainable agriculture
Crop losses from pests threaten global food security and safety. In the last six decades, pest control using chemical pesticides has resulted in important yield gains per unit area, worldwide. However, the long-term sustainability of chemical pest control has been increasingly thrown into doubt due to the negative impact on human health, biodiversity, and the […]
