The agricultural Division is part of the National Research Centre, which is characterized by multi-disciplinary research teams, where problems can be resolved by the combined efforts of specialists from different agricultural fields to find the best solutions. The agricultural Division has many various groups of experts and specialists in all branches of agricultural sciences. Adoption of organic farming as a vital system for producing healthy food is one of the objectives of the Agricultural Division.

The Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM), located within Agriculture and Natural Resources was established thirty years ago to develop and promote the use of ecologically sound IPM programs.  The Program develops and delivers programs in agricultural, urban and community, and natural resources IPM.  Their website offers interactive tools on pest management that the user can personalize.

Agro Eco Louis Bolk Institute conducts research on organic agriculture, nutrition and health care and engages in knowledge transfer in Africa.  The Institute, which is based in the Netherlands, has two regional offices in Africa to engage in research and information dissemination around tropical organic agriculture: Eastern Africa (Uganda) and West Africa (Ghana).  Research at the Institute is divided into four thematic areas: Human, Animal, Plant and Soil.  Current studies include organic productivity trials using different pest and disease management strategies; organic cotton staple length trials; studies on organic livestock rearing techniques; research on the nutritional and health attributes of organic food; and work in support of organic social impact research. 

ART is a federal research centre of the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture focusing on plant production and animal husbandry systems.  Research at the Station combines ecology, economics and agricultural engineering to support an agricultural system that is non-industrial in nature.  Studies on organic agriculture are focused on looking for solutions to technical problems in organic production in arable crops, in grassland systems and in management of organic manure, farm and ground fertilizers in order to maintain soil fertility and produce high yields.  In partnership with FiBL, ART maintains a long-term trial on organic and biodynamic versus conventional farming known as the DOK project.

The Alternative Farming Systems Information Center provides a number of publications on organic agriculture.  In particular, the library holds a seven-text series of reference briefs: Organic Agricultural Products: Marketing and Trade Resources.

Pharmocognosy is the study of drugs, drug substances or potential drugs or drug substances of natural origin, as well as the search for natural sources for new drugs.  ASP is an international association whose interests involve aspects of natural products research.  The ASP offers grants, awards and workshops for members and also publishes the Journal of Natural Products in collaboration with the American Chemical Society.  The ASP Foundation promotes and supports of the Society and both entities have a particular interest in preserving the planet’s biodiversity in general and its rain forests in particular.  Most of the ASP Foundation’s work goes to supporting young and aspiring scientists in pharmocognosy.

The Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity is an institution dedicated to research on and promotion of environmental protection.  It has several permaculture projects using promotion, extension, training, and demonstration gardens.  In the past, it also researched the advance of urban agriculture in Cuba and its impacts on the population.  Currently, it is identifying projects with a research-focus that give support to the permanence of permaculture as a viable urban agricultural system and also evaluating the diversity of the urban areas in which potential urban agriculture can be produced.

The Applied Plant Research PPO’s mission is to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life.  It conducts some research on practical solutions for the nursery sector.  It focuses on sustainable tree cultivation and is beginning to research organic cultivation.  PPO is also trying to reduce the amount of waste by researching new packaging products for the nursery sector such as degradable pots and tying materials.  

Aqua Eco is a branch of Agro Eco Louis Bolk Institute, an international company advising in the field of organic agriculture.  Aqua Eco’s main activities are focused on organic aquaculture innovation, involving economic, environmental and social improvements.  Their research studies focus on organic cultured fish products including the integration of organic aquaculture with organic agriculture. 

This Group organizes IFOAM members interested in organic aquaculture.  Its purpose is to represent IFOAM’s objectives within the area of aquaculture and capture fisheries, represent its members with IFOAM and outside, and to discuss standards, certification and general development in the area.  IFOAM has also published its own set of organic aquaculture standards which can be found here: http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/standards/norms/norm_documents_library/norms_documents_library.html.