International journal publishes a special issue with proceedings from ICROFS conference
The scientific journal Sustainable Agriculture Research has dedicated its August issue to display the proceedings from the OECD-supported conference organised by ICROFS, the US Department of Agriculture and the Organic Management Systems Group of American Society of Agronomy.
The proceedings from the organic research conference (Innovations in Organic Food Systems for Sustainable Production and Enhanced Ecosystem Services) in November 2014, California, has now been published in the form of scientific articles in a special issue of Sustainable Agriculture Research (Vol. 4, No. 3, August 2015).
“We are happy and proud by the fact that an international journal of repute publishes the proceedings from the conference in a special issue. This shows that we really have something of international relevance to contribute with”, the international coordinator in ICROFS, Lise Andreasen, says.
”The special issue is full of important and highly relevant knowledge which now is distributed on an international level. This is very encouraging due to the urgent need of disseminating the knowledge from organic production systems as a road to a sustainable food and farming production which is able to contribute with community goods as clean drinking water and less environmental impact”, Lise Andreasen states.
The conference approach
The conference presented new knowledge and innovative ways of applying existing knowledge on the biology of the agricultural system to accommodate ecosystem services challenges with organic farming. Global perspectives of organic food systems, the role of livestock, pastures and trees in sustainable production and ecosystem services as well as the question of synergy contra compromises between eco-functional intensification and food security were discussed.
20 speakers from 12 OECD countries met to exchange new knowledge and ideas on how organic agriculture and food systems can meet global challenges of food production and sustainable development.
The presentations and discussions at the conference provided insight and inspiration for the development of organic systems across the OECD countries that shares many similar challenges and could benefit from solutions developed within the OECD community.
ICROFS participation
The director of ICROFS, Niels Halberg, and the international coordinator, Lise Andreasen, have jointly with three international scientists written the introduction to the special issue. ICROFS’ special consultant Ilse A. Rasmussen has also contributed with a major article about organic science and development in Denmark from the period of 1996 to 2010 and the effects in the industry and society.
Two other Danish scientists, Mette Vaarst and Erik Steen Jensen, are also found in the list of authors.
The conference was organised by ICROFS, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Organic Management Systems Group of ASA (ASA-OMS).
It was sponsored by The Co-operative Research Programme on Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, (OECD).
Download the special issue of Sustainable Agriculture Research (Vol. 4, No. 3, August 2015)