Book of Abstracts
11th IFOAM
Scientific Conference
11-15 August 1996
Copenhagen, Denmark
Abstract front
page
Subject index
Athor index
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Symposia
Future Tasks of Extension Services of Organic Organisations S8
Kilcher, Lukas
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), CH-4104 Oberwil |
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| Only a couple of years ago, there was nobody but
the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and the producer's organisations to take
care of the advisory service for organic and in-conversion producers in Switzerland -
charged by the cantons. Times have changed: The dynamic growth of organic agriculture
calls up more and more of the official extension services. In collaboration with the FiBL,
a growing number of cantons are establishing their own extension services for organic
agriculture. They try to meet the increasing demand for advisory service, basic and
further training in organic agriculture. Many agricultural training and extension
facilities use organic advisory service as a means of offering special services in order
to acquire a strong image on the shrinking market of agricultural training. In parallel
with that development, state authorities will be less and less willing to compensate
organic organisations for their extension services. Pioneer institutions like ours have to
distinguish themselves by specific tasks and functions. Our strength is the experience
(over 20 years of extension), the professionalism (currently there are 14 advisors at the
FiBL), the close collaboration with research departments of the FiBL and the close
collaboration with the Association of the Swiss organic farmers-organisations (VSBLO).
Compared to extension services of organic organisations, the official extension lacks in
experience and background, but their strength is the financial power: official extension
services are payed by the state. If the extension services of organic organisations
don't want to become superfluous, they need a good working cooperation with the official
extension services: While the official extension takes care more and more of the advising
of in-conversion producers (1996: 1800 farms in Switzerland), the organic organisations
should specialize in complexe advising matters (fruit-, wine-, vegetable-production
a.s.o.) as well as in training and documentation of the extensionalists. The secound task
would ensure a strong leading position for extension services of organic organisations. |