New platform for farmers to find organic solutions and exchange knowledge launched

The complexity of organic farming requires farmers to have a very high level of knowledge and skills. But exchange on organic farming techniques remains limited. A new platform – OK-Net Arable – aimed at filling the gap in the exchange of information between farmers across Europe has been launched.

“Working together with farmers and farm associations OK-Net Arable will make practical organic solutions available to farmers, and at the same time provide them with the technical means to discuss how it works in the field, in their geographic and climatic conditions. This should empower farmers to engage in the improvement of the solutions and, in the end, to increase productivity and quality in organic arable cropping all over Europe”, Bram Moeskops, OK-Net Arable project coordinator.

Allan Leck Jensen, senior researcher at the Department of Engineering of Aarhus University and a key person in the technical development of OK-Net Arable states:

“Farmer’s needs were taken into account at every stage of development in order to make it easy for them to use. The platform is available in 10 languages and the solutions are divided according to the most relevant topics in organic arable farming: Soil quality and fertility, nutrient management, pest and disease control, weed management and solutions for specific crops. Not only can farmers and advisors find solutions and engage with each other, they can also propose solutions. We hope this will help fill the current gap in exchange of farmers’ knowledge.”

OK-Net Arable uses a web-based platform to promote exchange of knowledge among farmers, farm advisers and scientists. It is available in English, Bulgarian, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian.

Background information
The web platform is part of the OK-Net Arable project, which is coordinated by IFOAM EU and involves 17 partners from 12 countries throughout Europe. The project is financed by Horizon 2020, the EU’s main funding instrument for research and innovation. OK-Net Arable is proud to be one of the first four so-called thematic networks funded under the umbrella of the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI). This policy instrument aims to foster innovation by connecting farmers and researchers. OK-Net Arable started in March 2015 and will run until February 2018.

Farmers play a prominent role in all stages of the project, making OK-Net Arable very innovative among projects of its kind. Much more than being asked for advice, farmers engage in a process of co-creation throughout the project. This work is facilitated by 14 farmer innovation groups.

AU/ICROFS has developed and set up the open-access online knowledge platform.


Visit the knowledge platform farmknowledge.org


For more information, please contact:
Bram Moeskops, OK-Net Arable project coordinator,
bram.moeskops@ifoam-eu.org, +32 2 416 27 61 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 652654. This communication only reflects the author’s view. The Research Executive Agency is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information provided.