InnOBreed CASE STUDY - Research Institute of organic agriculture, Fibl, Switzerland

The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture was founded in 1973 and has been situated in Frick (canton of Aargau) since 1997. It is one of the world’s leadingresearch and information centres for organic agriculture and employs 300 people in Switzerland. Further locations are situated in Germany, Austria, Hungary (ÖMKi),France and a representation in Brussels (Belgium) through FiBL Europe.FiBL’s strengths lie in its interdisciplinary research, innovations developed jointly with farmers and the food industry, solution-oriented development projects and rapidknowledge transfer from research into practice. FiBL has a highly competent staff with expertise in all organic matters: soil management and plant production, speciesappropriate animal husbandry and holistic animal health, socioeconomic matters, organic food processing and comprehensive analysis of the organic market.Along with practical research, FiBL places a high priority on advisory work, training courses and providing specialist information (studies, technical leaflets, referencebooks, websites). FIBL’s fruit production group is active in research and advisory services and works on advancing existing cultivation systems in organic fruit production of pip and stone fruits and berries. The aim is to improve production conditions in order to foster sustainability.The group’s activities and projects are conducted in close cooperation with practitioners as well as with partners and institutions along the entire value chain. Inthis context there is a further emphasis on exchanges at both the national and international levels with stakeholders working on the same challenges.