Policy instruments & voluntary initiatives for reducing contentious inputs in organic farming

The RELACS project released a new scientific paper by Varga et al., 2022, analysing existing policy instruments and voluntary initiatives in the EU for reducing contentious inputs in organic farming. The paper considers copper, mineral oils, external nutrient inputs, anthelmintics, antibiotics and vitamins.              

The study finds that due to the current dependence of organic farming on the inputs considered, any sudden phase-out or ban on their usage would do more harm than good to organic. The paper calls for gradual data-driven reduction measures.

For this, reliable and accessible databases on the use of inputs are necessary. In addition, significant investments for targeted research into alternatives, knowledge sharing and awareness raising are also needed. Both organic and non-organic farmers will benefit from this.

Learn more about these findings and other scientific publications on RELACS’s website.

Visit the RELACS website to learn more and follow the latest project’s developments on Twitter and Facebook using @RELACSeu and #RELACSeu.

RELACS seeks to promote the development and adoption of environmentally safe and economically viable tools and technologies to reduce the use of external inputs in organic farming systems. IFOAM Organics Europe is responsible for the communication and dissemination of project results as well as the coordination of the science-practice-policy dialogue.