Spent the day at Fibl Switzerland - The most important oreganic research centre in Europe, with branches in Germany, Austria and links to other research institutes.
Met with Paul Mader and discussed soil biology research and info exchange and looked at results from the DOK (organic vs biodynamic vs conventional) arable trials which have been continious since 1978. Discussed lots of past and present research and knowledge transfer.
Met Christian Schader and reviewed economic and socio-economic researh and got a better background on swiss agriculture, policy and support structures. Switzerland is not in the EU. As a direct democrasy in 1998 the citizens voted for support to maintain small mixed farms to preserve the landscape and rural social fabric. Farmers get CHF2000-3000 per ha per year suport for this. Farm sizes on average are small at 20ha. There are 60,000 farmers in switzerlan with over 6000 organic so 10%. Discussed the economic and social challenges and the 'RISE' tool used here to quantify.
The environment contrainsts, requirements and x complience is much stricter in swiz than EU, but curiously the proposed CAP reforms are very similar to the swiss model with 3 min arable croips (4 in swiss) and a 7% mandatory env area to recieve Pillar I support.
Met with Bernard Speiser to discuss plant protection and biodiversity research and visited the new work on min/ non inversion tillage. Sems wer are all thinking the same about reducing energy use and minimal disturbance in arable systems and a need ti nmove the game forward on low impact systems. lots of room for information exchange.
Spent some time with Andreas Gattinger discussing climate change issues and how organic farming can help address CC. also discussed the role of agroforestry and the opportunities for colaborative research to look at climate change and grenhouse gas emmisioin abatement via AF.
Spent some time with Hansueli Dierauer discussing arable systems, plant variert testing and selection, breding and wed control, cultivations etc etc etc...lots of opportunities for information exchage and knowledge transfer.
In the evening Christian Schader kindly took me to look at the two main supermarkets in switzerland to look at the vast selection of organic products on sale. in gerneral there is LOTS more organic on offer in all teh supermarkets.
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