EU research targets improvements, challenges to organics for farmers, consumers

The Quality Low Input Food (QLIF) project is the European Union’s five-year effort to conduct fresh research to improve environmentally sound and healthy food production. Before it ended in April of this year, it involved integrated work by 31 research institutions, companies and universities throughout Europe and beyond. Final results will be published during the next 18 months.

Aims were to improve quality, ensure safety and reduce cost along the organic and "low input" food supply chains through research, dissemination and training activities. The project focused on increasing value to both consumers and producers, using a fork-to-farm approach. The studies and follow-up data analysis cost about USD $25.6 million.

The researchers were searching for routes to lower production costs, improve quality and safety, and sharpen consumer perceptions so that sustainable farmers could provide more value-added food to benefit to consumers and producers alike.

Research projects were designed to produce data to ensure that:

  • Consumers would be able to make their choices based on defined knowledge of the value provided by different types of products
  • These values be reflected in more accurate and realistic business planning all along the production supply chain.

Overall objectives for consumer convenience, health benefits and animal welfare issues guided the array of research projects, which each had relevance to one or more of the following goals:

  • Producer aims and consumer expectations
  • Cost efficiency in the organic food chain
  • Minimizing food safety risks
  • Environmental impact and fossil fuel use

A good summary of research through 2005 is found in the presentation
 “Is organic food good for you?”

Final scientific results are undergoing peer-reviewed publication in journals in late 2009 throughout 2010. Available now are eight leaflets, including an overview and seven subject-specific pieces produced by the respective sub-project research groups focused on: 

  1. Consumer expectations and attitudes
  2. Effects of production methods 
  3. Crop production systems
  4. Livestock production systems
  5. Design of processing strategies
  6. Transport, trading and retailing
  7. Horizontal project activities

All the leaflets available here