Irish organic horticultural (fruit and vegetables) producers have identified the lack of sufficient capacity and resultant continuity of supply as challenges in

Irish organic horticultural (fruit and vegetables) producers have identified the lack of sufficient capacity and resultant continuity of supply as challenges in meeting increasing retailer demands. Irish farmers are predominantly small-scale and individually cannot meet market requirements and therefore import many crops to fulfil orders. The project aims to design and develop a series of organic cropping systems to increase production and improve continuity of short supply chains by matching production to market demand as farmers adopt a collaborative and coordinated approach to planning and production. Production, market demand and distribution data shall be collated and reflected in the design of the group cropping system. Soil and farm productivity will be assessed on an on-going basis to determine an appropriate cropping system suitable for the individual farmer as well as making the most efficient and economic use of collaborative supply. Therefore, each farmer shall work within the collaborative group of organic producers, while still optimising their own productivity.