The State of Play of Copper, Mineral Oil, External Nutrient Input, Anthelmintics, Antibiotics and Vitamin Usage and Available Reduction Strategies in Organic Farming across Europe

Korinna Varga, Judit Fehér, Bence Trugly, Dóra Drexler, Florian Leiber, Vincenzo Verrastro, Jakob Magid, Caroline Chylinski, Spiridoula Athanasiadou, Barbara Thuerig, Anna László, Márta Ladányi, Bram Moeskops, Joelle Herforth-Rahmé and Lucius Tamm
Additional contact information
Korinna Varga: Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), 1033 Budapest, Hungary
Judit Fehér: Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), 1033 Budapest, Hungary
Bence Trugly: Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), 1033 Budapest, Hungary
Dóra Drexler: Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), 1033 Budapest, Hungary
Florian Leiber: Department of Livestock Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), 5070 Frick, Switzerland
Vincenzo Verrastro: Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM Bari), 70010 Valenzano, Italy
Jakob Magid: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen (KU), 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
Caroline Chylinski: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Scotland EH25 9RG, UK
Spiridoula Athanasiadou: Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Scotland EH25 9RG, UK
Barbara Thuerig: Department of Livestock Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), 5070 Frick, Switzerland
Anna László: Institute of Mathematics and Basic Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), 1118 Budapest, Hungary
Márta Ladányi: Institute of Mathematics and Basic Sciences, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), 1118 Budapest, Hungary
Bram Moeskops: International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM-Organics Europe), 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Joelle Herforth-Rahmé: Department of Livestock Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), 5070 Frick, Switzerland
Lucius Tamm: Department of Livestock Sciences, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), 5070 Frick, Switzerland

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-36

Abstract: Although input use in organic agriculture is strictly regulated, and significantly less contentious inputs are applied in organic than in conventional farming systems, copper, mineral oil, external nutrient input, anthelmintics, antibiotics and vitamins are still commonly used among organic farmers in the EU, partly due to the scarce availability of alternative products and the difficulty of implementing preventive strategies. Moreover, besides the direction set by the European Commission’s organic regulation, only a handful of policy instruments exist at national levels to reduce the use of these contentious inputs. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of the RELACS EU-funded project about the current use of copper, mineral oils, external nutrient inputs, anthelmintics, antibiotics and vitamins in organic farming in the EU. The paper is based on six internal reports developed in RELACS which relied on international surveys, in-depth interviews, multiple case study methods, database-based calculations, secondary data sources, plus a survey independent from the reports to map existing policy instruments and voluntary initiatives in the EU aiming to reduce the use of the six input categories. As a result, the paper gives a comprehensive overview of the current consumption of the six contentious inputs within the organic sector, highlighting potential alternative strategies in the pipeline, available preventive measures and the willingness of farmers towards adopting these solutions. It also informs about specific policy instruments already in force, as well as about ongoing voluntary initiatives to reduce contentious inputs. Due to the current dependence of organic farming systems on the six categories of contentious inputs, any sudden phase-out or ban on their usage would do more harm than good to the organic sector. Therefore, gradual, data-driven reduction measures are needed, which require significant further investments in targeted research, and in policy support measures, with the active involvement of agricultural stakeholders.

Keywords: organic farming; contentious inputs; copper; mineral oils; soil nutrient management; anthelmintics; antibiotics; vitamins; reduction strategies; agricultural policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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