Organic in the picture: development of key-indicators through systemic research and a participatory process (ADLOBIO)

In Flanders, organic farmers, researchers and advisors meet on a regular basis to share experiences and knowledge. These are called ‘organic farmers networks’. However, the farmers and coordinators of these networks experienced a need for a structured way to gather knowledge and experiences to share and compare within these networks. This project aimed, therefore, in three sectors, to reveal the critical success factors of organic farming systems, taking into account the diversity and complexity of organic agricultural systems.

The approach is based on 3 major phases. First phase, key elements for successful farming system are determined, during a second phase, both quantitative and qualitative data are coupled to these key elements. In the third phase, we focus on the interactions between these key elements. Although the effectiveness of the approach, the methodology used, the timing and sequence of the phases, was different for each sector, this approach offers a framework for knowledge compilation, taking into account the diversity and complexity of organic farming systems.

This project has been completed, leaving us an interesting and usable framework for compilation of knowledge, keeping in mind the diversity and complexity of ways of organic farming. The effectiveness of the process, the methodological interpretation, the timing and the sequence of the phases was revealed to be different in the three cases performed. In spite of this, the research has a generalizable approach to achieve the stated goal.