project - Research and innovation
MINERAL DEFICIENCY IN ORGANIC DAIRY PRODUCTION
Mineralentekort in Biologische Melkveehouderij
Objectives
MINERAL DEFICIENCY IN ORGANIC DAIRY PRODUCTION. In a participative and cocreational approach the BBN, CCBT and NOBL work together to elaborate the ideas, practical problems from and with the farmer. Between with the farmers in Biofarmnetworks there is exchange of knowlegde. Supported by Bioforum and/or Landwijzer and additional advisors. When supporting research is needed this can be financed by CCBT. Knowlegde is transferred by newsletter and biokennis.org. This information is tailor made for farmers.
Objectives
Aanpak van mineralentekorten in de biologische melkveehouderij'. Vanuit een participatieve en co-creatieve aanpak werken BBN, CCBT en NOBL samen om ideeën, knelpunten vanuit de boer en samen met de boer verder uit te werken. Samen met de boeren in Biobedrijfsnetwerken is er kennisuitwisseling. Ondersteund door BioForum en/of Landwijzer en aanvullend externe adviseurs. Aanvullend onderzoek financiering via CCBT. Kennis wordt verspreid via een maandelijkse nieuwsbrief en via biokennis.org. Deze informatie is volledig op maat van de boer(in).
Activities
Step 1: Problem setting. In the dairy farming network, dairy producers reported several problems which could ultimately be connected to mineral deficiency. Step 2: Asking the right questions, relating to existing knowledge and to individual problems. The facilitator plays an important role. Step 3: what is needed to tackle the problem? The network (farmers, advisor, multiplier/facilitator) analysed the problems and possible ways to find evidence of the hypotheses that was presented. Step 4: funding project idea. As a first step, a project was submitted, presented and defended within the CCBT network by the experts and facilitator/multiplier. Step 5 – Working together to tackle the problem and disseminating interim and final results. During the implementation of the project, farmers, advisors and scientists worked closely together. In contacts with Dutch dairy farmers and Biokennis. Interim project results and methods where discussed at the meeting of the farmers’ networks. Step 6 – Evaluation and further steps. CCBT projects are limited.The farmers decided whether still questions left unsolved and further research was needed. step 7: Taking it further
Activities
Step 1: Problem setting. In the dairy farming network, dairy producers reported several problems which could ultimately be connected to mineral deficiency. Step 2: Asking the right questions, relating to existing knowledge and to individual problems. The facilitator plays an important role. Step 3: what is needed to tackle the problem? The network (farmers, advisor, multiplier/facilitator) analysed the problems and possible ways to find evidence of the hypotheses that was presented. Step 4: funding project idea. As a first step, a project was submitted, presented and defended within the CCBT network by the experts and facilitator/multiplier. Step 5 – Working together to tackle the problem and disseminating interim and final results. During the implementation of the project, farmers, advisors and scientists worked closely together. In contacts with Dutch dairy farmers and Biokennis. Interim project results and methods where discussed at the meeting of the farmers’ networks. Step 6 – Evaluation and further steps. CCBT projects are limited.The farmers decided whether still questions left unsolved and further research was needed. step 7: Taking it further
Additional information
This innovation action can be seen as an example of how the Fork network operates in the Flemish Organic Sector.
FORK- The Flemish Organic Research & Knowledge Network
(BBN, CCBT, NOBL)
In the Flemish organic sector, a specific network has been established for research, knowledge exchange and implementation: the Flemish Organic Research & Knowledge Network (FORK).
Key principles
The following key principles are at the heart of the FORK network:
- Co- creation of knowledge and research: needs and goals are understood by all actors and they work together (each with their competences) to reach the goals, the facilitator/multiplier connects the different actors and makes sure the role of each actor is clear
- Multi actor involvement: all stakeholders have an equal status in terms of knowledge sharing
- Farmers at the drivers seat: the knowledge needs of the farmers are the starting point, the multiplier makes sure the right questions are asked to get to results
- Methodologies and processes are very important to get to actual results in the field: every actor needs to feel involved and feel ownership of the process.
- Dissemination of results in the different phases of the proces is tailormade for the farmers and scientists (e.g. through the CCBT website and newsletter, the NOBL yearly research book on organic farming and database, Org E-prints, the Biokennis website and newsletters, conventional technical magazines,…)
- Co-operation with regional and European partners (Tp Organics, Biokennis,…)
- Continuity is needed to get to the heart of the knowledge need and to get the right results ( network activities, connecting activities, financial support,…)
Who are we?
The Fork network involves three partners: BBN (organic farmers’ networks, coordinated by the farmers’ organisation BioForum), CCBT (Coordination Centre for Applied Reasearch and Extension on Organic Agriculture) and NOBL (Network for Organic Food and Farming research).
BBN: There are now 7 farmers’ networks: dairy cattle, beef cattle, vegetable & arable crops, goats, poultry, berries and greenhouse crops. They are coordinated by BioForum, the sector organisation of the organic sector in Flanders. There is a close cooperation with different actors and networks relevant for knowledge exchange and research in Flanders and Europe. The topics are all farmrelated ( technical, marketing related). ( cfr paper: ‘BioForum as multiplier’)
CCBT involves 6 applied research stations in Flanders that also do advisory work: Inagro, Department for organic crop production and PIBO campus (vegetables & arable crops), PCG (Greenhouse crops and herbs), PPK (berries), PC Fruit (Pome and stone fruit), Proefbedrijf Pluimveehouderij (poultry laying hens), and the private advisor service for animal husbandry Wim Govaerts & Luk Sobry.
NOBL is a network of 16 institutes (universities and associations with university colleges, the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO) , applied research stations, farmers’ and consumers’ organisations and the Department for Agriculture and Fisheries).
Other Partnerships :
These networks work closely together with Biokennis and TP Organics and with the partners of the Flemish Platform for Agricultural Research (Platform voor Landbouwonderzoek).
Biokennis: Under the name bioKennis, the Dutch and Flemish research and knowledge networks established a joint partnership and website Biokennis.org to communicate results from research on organic farming (including the projects funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Government of Flanders). On the website, Flemish and Dutch organic research results are shared in a language that farmers understand and in a format where farmers immediately see what the lessons learned are.
TP Organics: Recently, the FORK network was officially recognised by TPOrganics as national mirror of TP Organics and Member of the European Technology Platform “TPOrganics".TP Organics is the European Technology Platform (ETP) for organic food and farming research. It integrates views of the organic sector and civil society to represent a broad perspective on research and development priorities that can leverage organic food and farming’s potential to address contemporary challenges.
The Platform for Agricultural Research unites universities (KU Leuven and UGhent), the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), university colleges (University College Ghent and Thomas Moore Institute), the experimental stations, farmers’ organizations (Boerenbond, Algemeen Boerensyndicaat and BioForum), the Departments of Agriculture and Fisheries, Economy, Science and Innovation and Environment, Nature and Energy and the Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT).
Project details
- Main funding source
- Other public (national, regional) research funds
- Agricultural sectors
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- Fodder and forage
- Livestock (generic)
1 Practice Abstracts
In 2014, almost all Flemish dairy farmers have herbs in their grass/clover land. They are more aware of the condition of their grass/clover, which is the heart of the feed in organic dairy production. In 2014, the network focused on grass/clover fatigue. Again they applied within the CCBT call. Mineral and trace elements play an important role in healthy feed and dairy. A healthy feeding ration is key in order to obtain healthy animals and production. They want a more profound research project to go deeper into the link between feed and animal health. There are possibilities to lower the amount of medicines in organic husbandry when feeding right and feed rationing. It is discussed within NOBL and NOBL will advise the Funding Government to include the topic in its next project call. The Flemish Knowledge network showed that through close collaboration with each of the partners results can be booked and that these result give further incentive to work towards other innovations.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Project coordinator
Project partners
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BioForum Vlaanderen vzw
Project partner
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Biobedrijfsnetwerken
Project partner
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Wim Govaerts en Luk Sobry
Project partner
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BMV( Bio Melk Vlaanderen cv)
Project partner
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CCBT
Project partner
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NOBL
Project partner
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ADLO ( Department for Agriculture and Fisheries)
Project partner