Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation

ORGANIC PRODUCE RESEARCH PROGRAM

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Objective: To facilitate the development of a viable organic industry through increasing adoption of sustainable organic farming systems.

Program Manager, Annette Sugden,
Phone (02) 6271 4138, email annette.sugden@rirdc.gov.au

Please note that a new Australian Organic Industry Five Year Research and Development Plan (2006-2011) will be available for download on Thursday 31 August

RIRDC Organic Produce Research Results:

Organic research publications for sale Free downloadable research reports

Free Short Reports (research summaries) Five-year Organics Industry Plan

Completed Projects in 2007-2008 & Research in Progress as at June 2008

Handbook of New Industries entries Organics Agfacts (factsheets)

RIRDC "Australian Organics" R&D newsletter

About the RIRDC Organic Produce Research Program:

Key Longterm Strategies Background

Some key performance indicators Expected key outputs in 2007-2008

Strategies for 2007-2008 Total program budget 2007-2008

Expected key outcomes in 2007-2008

Related links:

The Greenline limited
Canberra Organic Growers Society
Organic Herb Growers of Australia Inc.
Organic Producers Association of Queensland
Biological Farmers of Australia Co-operative Ltd Organic Federation of Australia Inc
Australian Certified Organic
Organic Food Markets
The Organic House

National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA) Limited

Key long term strategies

Use R&D to resolve key knowledge gaps in the following areas:

Improve organic farming system performance by increasing productivity and improving product quality and consistency of supply. Priorities will be to increase knowledge of the role of soil in organic production systems and to improve the methods for protection of plants and animals against pests and diseases in organic production systems.

Address supply chain constraints including the development of robust supply chains for organic products, technical barriers to market access and food safety risk management

Validate organic farming system performance.

Focus on grains, horticulture, meat and dairy as priority sectors over the course of the RIRDC R&D Plan for the Australian Organic Industry 2006–2011 with consideration of other sectors on a case by case basis

Background
Organic products are produced and consumed in over 130 countries. They represent the fastest growing food sector worldwide. Growth of new farms, products and number of consumers has been steadily increasing over the last 20 years. In the last 10 years the rate of growth has consistently increased in all of the advanced economies. Market analysts forecast annual growth rates between 10% and 30% around the world. The United States Department of Agriculture expects that the organic industry will be worth US$100 billion by 2010 in just three markets, the USA, Europe and Japan. Major food corporations worldwide are developing organic product lines.

In Australia, the organic sector is worth between $250 – $400m per annum at retail level. Demand is currently outstripping supply. Production in Australia has been increasing at between 6 –15% per annum whereas consumption is growing at between 25–40%. The balance is imported. Australia is one of the world’s leading grain exporters, however organic grains are being imported to meet the shortfall in production.

Rising domestic and overseas demand for Australian organic products is prompting a greater number of conventional farmers and processors to consider and adopt organic systems. Typically the attraction is either improved market access and/or higher prices from niche markets, together with recognition by the marketplace of better and more sustainable farming practices. Concern by both consumers and producers in the need for more sustainable farming practices is growing strongly and there is the potential for organic farming systems to play a role in this across agriculture as a whole.

The Organic Systems R&D portfolio operates through a mixture of commissioned and submitted projects.

Some Key Performance Indicators

Extension packages developed for organic industry based on conventional and/or organic agriculture.
Number of proceedings of RIRDC organic workshops published.
Co-investment secured for a program of research aimed at managing soil phosphorus.
Co-investment secured to establish the relative sustainability of alternative approaches to agriculture, at landscape scale.
Amount of funding invested in Australian organic R&D.
Percentage of Australian organic R&D investment from non-RIRDC sources.
Number and value of potential improvements to organic systems productivity.
Number and value of potential improvements in organic product quality, safety and consistency of supply.
Cost-benefit assessment of program activities.

Key Strategies for 2007–08

Address strategies and key performance indicators in the Organic Industry R&D Plan 2006–2011 in priority sectors of grains, dairy, horticulture and meat

Synthesise knowledge for organic farming systems and supply-chain / food safety

Expected key outputs for 2007–08

Finalisation of work on system design, particularly in the areas of establishing perennial pastures, organic vegetable production, and growing organic prawns

Pest and disease report on using pyrethrum with tropical fruit production

Two soils R&D projects, one on sustaining biological function, the other on available Phosphorus for organic farming systems

A technical manual for converting to organic citrus production

Expected key outcomes in 2007–08

Priority activities for the dissemination of knowledge through the Australian Organic Hub to be developed in partnership with co-investors

Development of an R&D and investment framework to investigate mechanisms to optimise plant available phosphorus in broad-acre organic farming systems

Enhanced industry co-investment in the Organic Systems Program

Research Budget: $418,750

AgFacts - Agricultural information from around Australia

In an effort to bring you the latest and most comprehensive collection of agricultural information from around Australia, we have compiled this list of links to fact sheets produced by State agricultural departments and research agencies. Each agency retains full copyright and we ask you to respect that copyright and to contact each organisation before using their material for other than personal, educational or any other fair dealing purpose.

Organics - Information for consumers (QDPI Notes)
Organics - Certification (QDPI Notes)
Organics - Contacts (QDPI Notes)
Organics - Trade opportunites for organic food (QDPI Notes)
Organics - Marketing organic food (QDPI Notes)
Organics - Organic production and processing (QDPI Notes)
Organics - Research tools - links and downloads (QDPI Notes)
Organics - Department of Primary Industries (QDPI Notes)
Organics - What is organics? (QDPI Notes)
Organic marketing   (Vic NRE Ag Notes)
Organic product certification schemes   (Vic NRE Ag Notes)
Organic milk production   (Vic NRE Ag Notes)
Organic farming (Vic NRE Ag Notes)
Organic farming: the certification process (Vic NRE Ag Notes)
Organic product certification schemes (Vic NRE Ag Notes)
Organic horticulture (Vic NRE Ag Notes)