ORC’s research programme focuses on organic/agro-ecological approaches to food and farming in order to:
a) improve the productivity and sustainability of such approaches and to address key technical problems where current practice falls short of organic/agro-ecological principles
b) Evaluate, with a view to improvement, the wider impacts of such systems, in particular the delivery of ecosystem services ; pollution, resource use and biodiversity impacts; greenhouse gas emissions and potential for climate change mitigation; food security, food sovereignty and sustainability of food systems; as well as food quality, safety and human/animal health and wellbeing.
ORC believes, and has demonstrated, that organic agricultural research should be conducted within established and well-functioning organic systems, on a scale large enough to include the range of interactions inherent within diverse agro-ecosystems. Much of the research we carry out is field-based on commercial farms reflecting the importance we place on a participatory/ farming systems research approach.
The research programme is co-ordinated by Dr Bruce Pearce with support from our Principal Scientific Advisor Prof. Martin Wolfe, Crops Team Leader Dr. Thomas Döring, Socio-economic and Resource Accounting (SERA) Team Leader Dr. Susanne Padel and other members of the research team.
Research news and events
No current news and events.Research areas
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Participatory research |
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Plant breeding |
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Crop production |
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Eco-agroforestry |
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Biodiversity and agro-ecology |
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Livestock |
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Resource use and sustainability |
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Socio-economics and policy |
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Food quality and health |