Submission Form for including your FP6 project information in the EPSO online FP6 project finder

FP6 Priority: 5, Food quality and safety

Projects Acronym: CHANNEL

Start and Ending date: 15 November 2004 – 15 May 2006

Budget: 392850 Euro

Name Coordinator: Prof. Dr. László Radics

Full Address: CORVINUS University of Budapest, Faculty of Horticultural Science,

Department of Ecological and Sustainable Production Systems,

Budapest, Villányi út 29-43.

1118 Hungary

Full Title: Opening Channels of Communication between the Associated Candidate Countries and the EU in Ecological Farming

Contract number: FOOD-CT-2004-003375

SSA

Aims of the project are:

·         Assess and analyse which development stages have these countries achieved in organic agriculture.

·         Open communication channels on different levels necessary for starting the harmonization and equalization process in organic agriculture.

• Monitor the situation of organic farming in the new accession candidate countries and in potential candidate countries.
• Create links to stakeholders of participating countries.
• Create communication channels between the new accession candidate countries and potential candidate countries and between these countries and the European Union.
• Disseminate knowledge in organic agriculture.
• Create an interactive central data bank.
• Create a common web site and discussion forum of the project.
•  

The central instrument that helps us in the fulfilment of these objectives will be a complex data base with homogeneous information. In this database the information is organized around huge thematic units relevant to organic agriculture. These thematic units are identical with the working groups we created.

These are the following:

Plant protection, since ecological farming refuses the use of GMO and chemical treatments, so the questions of plant protection are essential for its success. There are many unsolved questions requiring further scientific investigation on this field.

Organic seed and propagation material. In ecological farming the question of seeds and varieties has not yet developed to a sufficient level. The varieties suitable for organic production are not determined. Specific measures in the seed production technology should be developed for each species, because there are huge differences between these and the conventional methods.

Animal husbandry is an important part of the farms’ production circle and it helps to overcome the imbalance between labour and income that is typical for agriculture. One more important fact that organic animal husbandry contributes much to the gene preservation, since it mainly works (or should work) with indigenous breeds.

Agro-technology gains a special importance in ecological farming. All activities should be carried out to fit the best to the cultivated plant. In order to achieve this all activities should be carried out in accordance to the most recent developments of science and technology.

Weed management, as the question of weeds is very complex: on one hand they can cause the greatest damage to cultivated plants, but on the other hand they are useful in preventing erosion, deflation, and there is one more important aspect: sustaining biodiversity.

Soil fertility improvement is also very important, as organic farming manages without synthetic fertilizers, so sustaining and enhancing natural soil fertility is of much greater importance in organic than in conventional farming.

During the project there are 4 meetings held. The first meeting was held in Malta 15-21 November, the second meeting will be in Ceske Budejovice on 1-6 May 2005, the third in Latvia January 2006, and the final meeting will be held in Hungary in April 2006.

Projects Web Link: http://www.channel.uni-corvinus.hu

This Form was completed by – Name: Judit Nagy

Affiliation to the project: secretary

Submission Date of this form: 7^th March, 2005