Euromontana kicks off the year with the publication of its annual booklet of good practices for sustainable mountain development. This publication showcases 10 inspiring initiatives from across Europe (EU and non-EU) collected by Euromontana throughout 2023 to promote initiatives that drive sustainable change in mountain areas. The booklet covers key issues for...

These voices will share their perspectives on FiBL and talk about their relationship with the institute. This time, it is Maya Graf's turn. She is a politician, social worker and co-owner of her family's organic farm in Sissach in the canton of Baselland. In 2001, she moved into the Swiss National...

By taking part in the survey, people working in the agricultural practice can contribute their experiences to the project. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Every voice counts: Practical experience is essential when it comes to further developing digital tools. All businesses interested in the topic of ecology...

Tomato is a special case among vegetables, as its seeds can only be extracted from the pulp after a fermentation step. In order to optimise this working process, various harvesting frequencies and extraction timepoints were tested at FiBL Switzerland. The availability of organic seed has come into focus, as derogations to...

Fruit growers have to deal with a lot of hazards in terms of climate change or phytosanitary constraints which is why many seek to diversify their farms.

Different agri-environmental schemes (AES), such as ecological focus areas and organic farming, have been suggested to reduce the impact of intensive agriculture on the environment and to conserve or even restore farmland biodiversity. However, the effectiveness of such schemes, their ability to actually support biodiversity and associated trade-offs with agricultural...

The International Summer School is a collaboration between Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)'s research group Geography of Food, the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), and research institutes in Spain and Slovenia. In this International Summer School, you will learn about various perspectives on agrobiodiversity and its contribution...

Organic farming aims to close nutrient cycles, maintain soil fertility, and robust and healthy plants and animals with resilient performance. Moreover, in organic farming, a lot of effective substances are banned, or their use is restricted, and treatments are only acceptable if their active substances are included in the positive...

FiBL turns 50! On the 1st of February 1973 the Swiss Foundation for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture (Schweizerische Stiftung zur Förderung des biologischen Landbaus) was established, thus laying the foundations for FiBL. It’s an occasion to take a look back: Browse through our image gallery on FiBL's history from...

FiBL biodiversity expert Lukas Pfiffner has updated the factsheet on the effects of production and cultivation systems on biological diversity. The publication is available for download free of charge in the FiBL Shop. To promote species diversity is one of the principles of organic farming. Do scientific studies on actual farms...

FiBL turns 50! On the 1st of February 1973 the Swiss Foundation for the Promotion of Organic Agriculture (Schweizerische Stiftung zur Förderung des biologischen Landbaus) was established, thus laying the foundations for FiBL. It’s an occasion to take a look back: Browse through our image gallery on FiBL's history from...

In December 2018, after 6 years of negotiations and 17 years of awareness raising, advocacy and studies at different levels and with different countries, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), which codifies in...

The AGROMIX project aims to deliver participatory research to drive the transition to a resilient and efficient land use in Europe. It focuses on practical agroecological solutions for farm and land management and related value chains. AGROMIX Work-Package 2 on Systems design and synergies is at the heart of project....

Using mason bees can ensure optimal pollination in intensive fruit orchards when naturally occurring pollinators are not (yet) present or are too few. Practical recommendations The two most important managed wild bees for fruit crops pollination are the European orchard bee (Osmia cornuta) and the Red mason bee (Osmia bicornis),...

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL October 2022 Newsletter News highlighting FiBL’s research, training and advisory services

Switzerland  Rebecca Clopath is a well-known Swiss chef renowned for her nature-focused approach to preparing food. Despite her impressive formation as a chef, Rebecca’s focus has never been to chase culinary fame and accolades, but rather to work with nature to produce fresh, seasonal dishes with organic and locally-sourced ingredients in...

The project "Increasing longevity of Swiss dairy cows" aims to develop concrete strategies for optimizing longevity in collaboration with farmers.

Explore the diverse work done by the FiBL Group (FiBL Switzerland, FiBL Germany, FiBL Austria, FiBL France, the Hungarian ÖMKi and the Brussels based FiBL Europe) performs on both national and international level. Engage with FiBL experts, giving insights into their activities and latest developments on organic and sustainable production,...

This expansion to cover all themes of organic agriculture marks a major milestone in the development of the multilingual Organic Farm Knowledge platform, which aspires to become the European reference hub for practical knowledge on organic farming, thus contributing significantly to the goal that 25% of the European Union’s farmland...

Jacqueline Frantová was a young Swiss urbanite when she first came to the Czech Republic in the mid-nineties. It was the “Wild East”, a place where anything could happen. Little did she suspect she would become a shepherdess. Today Jacqueline and her Bohemian family raise goats, sheep and cows in...