In 2021-22 the Organic Research Centre (ORC) worked on 22 projects advancing research and knowledge exchange in the organic and agroecological sector. In doing so we worked with over 200 partners from across the UK and Europe. Despite the ongoing complications of accessing European funding following Brexit, we were very pleased that amongst these projects were four new Horizon Europe funded projects covering the topics of agroforestry, resilient livestock systems, organic seed and plant breeding, and mechanical weed control. The barriers UK farmers face in adopting agroecological practices such as lack of support, knowledge and experience, are universally common across Europe, so it is vitally important that we continue to collaborate with our European peers on such projects.
Closer to home we are very grateful for the support of various charitable trusts and individuals who have funded both our research and our knowledge exchange work. The Dulverton Trust is supporting a project looking at optimum shelter belts while the Elizabeth Gilmour Charitable Foundation is funding research into living mulches and John Pain, an individual philanthropist is supporting a project that is looking at the current marketing of organic produce. More details on these projects can be found in the Research Report. Other trusts such as the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Rothschild Foundation are assisting the translation of such projects into real world application by supporting our knowledge exchange programme.
