| The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), founded back in 1973, is one of the world’s leading
organic farming research and technology transfer centres. It has competencies in organic soil
management, plant production, holistic animal health, animal ethology and organic animal breeding, in socioeconomics, in comprehensive analysis of the organic market and in organic food processing.
Legally, FiBL is a private non-profit organisation (foundation). It is funded by the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture and the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office – both constituting approximately 30 % of the basic funding - as well as by many project-related funds of public and private organisations and companies.
Current annual revenues for research and dissemination activities amountalmost10 Million €. Over the last ten years FiBL has been a partner in 24 European research projects (eight under FP5, seven under FP6, several under contract negotiations).
FiBL employs over 120 members of scientific and technical staff It has nine research divisions (Annual
Crop Production, Perennial Crop Production, Plant Protection: Diseases & Antagonists, Plant Protection:
Pests and Beneficial Insects, Animal Health, Animal Husbandry & Animal Breeding, Veterinary Parasitology, Food Quality, and Socio-Economics).
Alongside practical research, high priority is given to transferring knowledge into agricultural practice
through advisory work, training courses and expert reports as well as various modern methods of
documentation (magazines, data sheets, reference books and Internet). The close links between the
different fields of research and the rapid transfer of knowledge from research to advisory work and
agricultural practice are FiBL’s strengths.
The division on perennial crops at FiBL has on a Europe-wide level substantial expertise and experience in research and consulting of organic fruit, berry and grape production, quality assessment and marketing.
The Socio-Economics division at FiBL has substantial expertise and experience in farm economics,
agricultural policy and market research in the field of organic farming. In the past, it has been and is still
partner in several EU-Projects of which 2 as scientific coordinator EU-CEE-OFP (Further development of
Organic Farming Policy in Europe, with Particular Emphasis on EU Enlargement (QLK5-2002-00917), coordinated jointly with P2 Institute of Rural Science, University of Wales) and in the ORGAP (Evaluation of
the Organic Action Plan). |
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