Maximising Organic Production Systems European Innovation ...

1 Maximising Organic Production Systems European Innovation Partnership (MOPS EIP) Project 2018-2021 Final Report November 2021 MOPS EIP project Final Report 1 Executive summary The Organic food sector in Ireland is important for the sustainability of Irish agriculture, and developing Organic Production will create business opportunities and jobs across the agri-food chain. The Irish Organic horticulture sector, whilst relatively small at present, has been identified as one of the sectors with the greatest growth potential. Sales of Organic vegetables and fruit continue to increase year-on-year in Ireland. Production of Irish grown Organic horticultural produce , however, falls short of meeting current market demand, with a significant amount of produce imported.

2 Scale and consistency of supply remain the main factors constraining the supply of Irish grown produce . There is a clear market for Organic growers to expand the availability of Irish grown Organic vegetables and fruit, and doing so will contribute to Ireland s move towards a sustainable food system. The main aim of the Maximising Organic Production Systems (MOPS) European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project was to optimise the Production of Organic vegetables and fruit crops and improve supply consistency through the collaborative Production of 11 Organic growers located in Ireland. The specific objectives of the project were: develop and implement Organic cropping programmes for each grower and provide better continuity of supply through collaborative Production and trade; reduce surplus produce ; provide a platform for trade and supply amongst the group of growers; establish current and future retail market demands and requirements for Organic horticultural fresh produce ; advise on using green manures to improve sustainable practices and to reduce reliance on imported nutrients; and build capacity, through the group and project activities, to produce a training video to disseminate to the wider community.

3 MOPS project headline results: Organic horticulture Production Optimised cropping plans were successfully developed to supply the demand for Irish grown Organic vegetables and fruit. The crop programmes additionally facilitated collaborative Production and trade amongst the group of MOPS project growers for improved supply consistency. The total crop Production area for the group of project growers increased by 40% between 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 (the final year of the MOPS project). Total sales of all own-grown Organic crops produced by the 11 MOPS project growers increased by +11% year-over-year by the final year of the project. Trade of Organic horticultural fresh produce between the MOPS project growers increased by +62% year-over-year for the same period.

4 In addition to increased trade between the MOPS project growers, purchasing of additional Irish horticultural fresh produce from other Irish and Northern Irish Organic growers and suppliers increased by +371% year-over-year by the final year of the project. Whilst the purchase of imported produce , with an overall greater value, increased by +119% in the final year of the MOPS project, significantly, the project growers substituted 9% of non-Irish imported produce with Irish produce compared to the previous year. Total sales turnover generated from sales of Organic vegetables and fruit by the 11 project growers increased +112% from to million between 2017 and 2020.

5 The highest single year growth was in the final year of the MOPS project where total sales turnover increased by +40% year-over-year. Total sales turnover from produce sales to grocery retailers and supermarkets showed continued growth of +21% year-over-year between 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. Direct-selling, particularly online box scheme and farm shop-based ordering, delivery and/or collection, grew significantly by +81%. Sales turnover generated from restaurant and shop sales dropped by -40% in comparison with the previous year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. MOPS EIP project Final Report 2 The MOPS project growers benefitted greatly from on-farm monitoring (farm business/crop performance and climate/weather), sampling and agronomic guidance, which all played a key role in crop planning, produce quality, and market decisions.

6 Training, information sharing, dissemination and Innovation facilitated by the MOPS project built capacity and advanced grower knowledge and on-farm and business practices. MOPS project headline results: market research report For the five years up until 2020 there was steady growth of up to 20% every year in the volume of Organic vegetables sold through Irish multiple retailers, and this increased further during 2020 to 25% with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth is set to continue at a rate of 10-20% during 2021. The best-selling Organic vegetables for grocery retailers in 2020 were onions, potatoes and carrots. Multiple retail buyers demonstrated a high level of support for Irish Organic vegetable growers and are keen to further support the sector as they see the potential for increased growth.

7 However, they and other trade stakeholders including consolidators and foodservice operators recognise that there are several challenges to the sector, notably in terms of a fragmented market , with a high number of small growers producing several crops in small quantities, and a relatively low number of large growers growing a higher volume of a limited number of crops. Increased scale and a higher level of expertise are necessary to support the commercial success of Irish Organic growers. The Irish climate and seasonality pose challenges for consistent year-round supply of Irish grown Organic vegetables which could be addressed by increased availability of cold storage.

8 The formation of a producer group is a solution to addressing the need for an increased level of commercialisation of Organic vegetable growers being called for by several trade buyers. MOPS project headline results: green manure field trials Short-term green manures achieved consistent beneficial effects over the three years of the MOPS project green manure field trials associated with better weed control, more beneficial insects, more and greater functional diversity of soil bacteria, greater soil Organic matter content and earlier-developing cash crops than in the control. Although no single factor was identified as the cause of the increased yield, the consistent improvement over the three years of the trial despite major differences in weather shows that the effect is robust.

9 Cost-benefit analysis showed that extra financial returns were achieved for growing short-term green manures. The early development of all cash crops in response to green manure incorporation opens up the possibility of using green manures on part of the cropping space to spread the harvest period for a crop. These results suggest that short-term green manures can readily and profitably be incorporated into Irish Organic vegetable Production . Headline results: dissemination and knowledge sharing Dissemination and communication of MOPS project activities and results was achieved through multiple methods including publications, social media and events. The MOPS project produced a growers report and videos that are being disseminated so that growing techniques may be replicated or used as demonstrative examples of the different approaches that the project growers use to optimise Production of Organic horticultural crops.

10 A technical note on Organic materials used in Organic Production was collated and included in the growers report to provide: information on the main types of Organic materials, such as compost, that Organic growers use; a guide to sampling Organic materials and interpreting laboratory analysis reports; and examples of nutrient/composition analysis results for a range of Organic materials that were sampled from the MOPS project farms during the project. MOPS EIP project Final Report 3 The key results from the MOPS EIP project have contributed to the EU s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Rural Development priorities on farm viability and competitiveness and food chain organisation and risk management.