Reducing the use of external fertilisers in organic agriculture – An update from the RELACS project

The main goal of the RELACS project is to reduce the use of contentious manures and fertilisers in organic farming. This is not an easy task as knowledge about the current use of such inputs is limited.

To counter this issue, the University of Hohenheim, the University of Copenhagen and the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) performed a comprehensive farm gate nutrient budget study and qualitative interviews. They are interviewing farmers in Germany, Italy, Estonia, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Switzerland and Hungary. In each of these countries, 10 to 20 farms were chosen as case studies, totalling 79 farms.

Preliminary results of this study are available for Germany, Estonia and the United Kingdom. A Delphi panel is currently in place to investigate and discuss topics such as soil fertility, use of external fertilisers in organic farming and possible use of recycled fertilisers from human waste streams. Outcomes will be published on www.relacs-project.eu later this year.

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