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Building a nationwide network of consulting practice to share knowledge and comparison methods for farm comparisons (BV) and farm branch evaluations (BZA)
Project
Project code: 2803OE495
Contract period: 20.05.2004
- 30.04.2007
Budget: 588,242 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Between May 2004 and March 2007 the project has been carried out by the Foundation Ecology & Agriculture in Bad Dürkheim, together with 19 consultant agencies, 38 consultants and 370 farms. Normally the working groups have been accompanied by 1-2 scientists, who were integrated methodologically and in content. The project consisted of 5 working groups: Working group 1 - Overall-Interfarm-Comparisons Development and use of a nation-wide vertical and horizontal Interfarm-Comparison for a sustainable maintenance of the farm success in organic agriculture. The ÖKORING-Lower Saxony - Experiment- & Consultantunion Organic Agriculture Lower Saxony was responsible. The farms were evaluated with the Agricon software.
Working group 2 - Dairy cattle Nation-wide working group of organic dairy farms and their consultants. The consultant agency Christoph Trütken was responsible. An Excel tool for the single farm evaluation (dairy cow and roughage harvest) and a tool for the horizontal interfarm comparison were developed. The evaluations were drawn up for the years 2004/2005 and 2005/2006.
Working group 3 - Swine Nation-wide working group of organic swine farms and their consultants. The consultant agency 'Die Ökoberater' was responsible. Two Excel tools for the single farm evaluation (farrow production and fattened pig) and for each a tool for the horizontal interfarm comparison were developed. The evaluations were drawn up for the years 2004/2005 and 2005/2006. Working group 4 - Poultry Nation-wide working group of organic poultry farms and their consultants. The consultant agency 'Die Ökoberater' was responsible. Four Excel tools for the single farm evaluation (laying hen, young hen, mast poultry, mast turkey) and for each a tool for the horizontal interfarm comparison were developed. The evaluations were drawn up for the years 2004/2005 and 2005/2006. Working group 5 - Arable Farming Production branch cost accounting for organic arable farming: development, implementation and methodical improvement. The DLG - German Agricultural Society was responsible. A Excel tool for the collection of the farm data was developed. The data was processed in the company intern software of the LBB Göttingen. The evaluations were drawn up for the years 2003/2004, 2004/2005 and 2005/2006.
Besides the economic analysis of the single farms and of the horizontal analysis of the groups, a number of seminars of the working groups and the whole consultant group took place each year. During the seminars topics which occur as problem areas in the consultant work were discussed besides the results of the analysis. The project stage was documented extensively. At the end of the project stage an evaluation through the farmers, consultants and co-ordinators of the working groups 1-4 was carried out.
Results of the project: A knowledge platform for consultants through the Lotus-Notes software: BIOS was developed and made useful for pure internet users as well. Divers teamrooms for the intern communication of the working groups and consultant groups respectively were equipped. It was possible to draw a picture, performance oriented and economical, of the common practice of organic agriculture in Germany. It could be shown that only a small portion of the farms (Interfarm comparison and farmbranch analysis arable land, dairy, poultry, swine) reach economical satisfying yields in the analysed years. In addition to the not cost-covering prices the shortcomings lay within the farms. Spare performances can be find on all farms. Especially the farm management has potential for upgrading. The project has leaded to a respectful and partly constructive and trustful cooperation between the consultants of different consultant agencies which are often regional or national competitors.
Section overview
Subjects
- Business administration
- Agricultural Sociology
Framework programme
Federal Organic Farming Scheme and other forms of sustainable agriculture (BÖLN)
