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RESEARCH PROJECTS

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)

The Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture was constituted as a private foundation by organic farmers, scientists and politicians in 1973. It has established practice-oriented agronomic, ecological, veterinary medicine and economic research, and is making new findings available to the organic farmers in Switzerland and abroad. On-farm research is carried out within a network of about 200 pilot farms.Today, the institute has more than one hundred scientific and technical employees and has world-wide recognition as a competence centre fororganic research, advice, development cooperation and documentation. In 2001 FiBL Berlin was founded. FiBL participates in several EU funded projects.

Contact person: Gabriela Wyss
E-mail: gabriela.wyss@fibl.org
Internet: www.fibl.org
Ackerstrasse
Postfach
CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
Tel.: 0041 62 865 72 72
Fax: 0041 62 865 72 73

Ongoing projects:

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland)

BAT. Herd supervision and non-antibiotic animal health management.

1. Quality assessments in wheat and potatoes grown in long term organically and conventionally managed field plots (Dynamic, Organic, Conventional).
   1978-ongoing. Use of analytical and holistic approaches. FiBL in collaboration with University of Kassel-Witzenhausen, FAL, Trenthorst and Louis Bolk Institute.
   
   
2. Organic apple production.
   -2003. Research on the influence of agronomic production factors on the built-up of health related polyphenolic compounds in apples. FiBL in co-operation with trade and TU München.
   
   
3. BAT. Herd supervision and non-antibiotic animal health management.
   2000-ongoing. Development of preventive veterinary medicine combined with homoepathy and other non-antibiotic measures in co-operation with the farm veterinarians to improve animal health (udder health) and milk quality. FiBL in collaboration with Swiss milk producers, Demeter, BIO SUISSE and Federal Veterinary Office.
   
   
4. Comparison between hybrid and open pollinating varieties of carrots in terms of sensory quality and various other quality aspects.
   2002-2004. FiBL in collaboration with Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft.
   
   
5. Interaction of constitution and health of cows with milk quality using picture-developing techniques.
   
   
6. Quality assessments in tomatoes and carrots.
   1999-2003. Studying the influence of agronomic production factors on sensory aspects and primary secondary metabolites. FiBL in collaboration with trade.
   

Foreseen:

1. Quality Passport.
   2003-2005. Development of a tool for ecological, social and quality achievements of organic produce. FiBL in co-operation with trade.
   
   
2. Organic probiotica.
   2003-2005. Effects and function of microbial populations on organic food for human health. FiBL in co-operation with trade.
   
   
3. Establishment and validation of a suitable holistic approach at FiBL for quality determination.
   2003-2005. FiBL in co-operation with trade.
   
   
4. COST project 924. Enhancement and preservation of quality and health promoting components in fresh fruits and vegetables.
   2003-2005. Partners are Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, UK, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain.
   

Research on Food Safety:

1. Separation studies with GMO soya and conventional non GMO soya in a Swiss Mill.
   2000-2001. Determination of the amount of conventional non GMO soy necessary to reduce or prevent mixing with GMO soy. FiBL in co-operation with the Swiss Federal Office of Health and a privat consulting company.
   
   
2. Quality assurance in organic wine.
   2001-2003. HACCP based analysis of wine production and monitoring of organic wines in terms of pesticide contaminations. FiBL in collaboration with Delinat, trade, organic farmers and official food control authority.
   
   
3. 3. Organic HACCP.
   2003-2004. Recommendations for improved procedures for securing consumer oriented food safety and quality of certified organic foods from plough to plate. Concerted Action, EU 5th framework; partners are Austria, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, UK.
   
   
4. Establishment and development of a database on pesticide residues on organic and conventional foods.
   2002-ongoing. FiBL in collaboration with trade, commercial analytic laboratories, official food control authorities, federal research stations.
   
   
5. Quality assurance in cereals.
   2003. FiBL in co-operation with trade, official cantonal food control authorities and a commercial analytic laboratory.

GW February, 2003