Stronger together: Researchers from Wallonia and Flanders join hands for organic farming - First edition ! 

On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, a meeting was held between French-speaking and Dutch-speaking Belgian scientists involved in organic farming. This event is a major first and results from a joint initiative between CRA-W, ILVO[1], Bioforum vzw, LLAEBIO[2] and CCBT[3] vzw. Together, these structures have joined forces to ensure that Walloon and Flemish research work together even more actively to meet the challenges posed by organic production. The first edition took place in Gembloux.

Over the course of this day, nearly 80 researchers had the opportunity to learn more about the research being conducted across our country. The day’s programme focused on sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas and proposing collaborations between Flanders and Wallonia. The aim of the day is to consolidate the future of Belgian research in organic agriculture. 

The day was structured as follows:

The day began with a welcome speech by the Director of CRA-W followed by presentations of different regional organic production strategies.

In the morning continued with a plenary session that allowed to discover the research conducted in Flanders and Wallonia through 18 pitches.

The lunch break gave free rein to networking, with colleagues having the opportunity to exchange over organic sandwiches.  The meal was also an opportunity to discover many posters detailing projects carried out in AB by the structures present.

The afternoon was filled with workshops on soil, field crops, mixed systems, value chains, animal welfare, plant protection, reconfiguration of the agricultural system and agricultural profitability. It was an opportunity to exchange on hot research topics, discuss the challenges to be faced and propose collaborative research actions between researchers from northern and southern Belgium.

The day ended with a synthesis of the conclusions of the workshops followed by a closing glass. We hope this day marks the beginning of successful collaborations to come.

List of pitches :

·       Biodiversikas: fostering biodiversity in organic unheated greenhouses - Sander Fleerakkers (Proefstation voor de Groenteteelt)

·       Biodiversity at the service of farmers for more resilient and autonomous agriculture - Fanny Boeraeve (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech)

·       Monitoring Biodiversity in Agrarian Regions - A joint researcher-farmer effort - Mieke Lateir (INBO)

·       Evaluating varieties and developing innovative technical itineraries to meet the challenges of organic field crops - Anne-Michelle Faux (CRA-W)

·       From Farm to Future : Elevating Local Quinoa Through Collaboration - Gerda Cnops (ILVO)

·       Technological quality of food cereals in organic farming (TechnoCerBio) - Bruno Godin (CRA-W)

·       Crop diversification as a way to resilience - Hilde Muyle (ILVO)

·       Alfalfa, a pillar for organic agroecology - Eddy Montignies (Brioaa asbl)

·       Non-inversion tillage versus “eco-plow - Joran Barbry (Inagro vzw)

·       Participative multi-actor research in organic cropping systems : reduced tillage (ABC) - protein intercrops (Assobio) - Aline Fockedey, Morgane Campion, Pénélope Lamarcq (CRA-W)

·       Ammonia emissions in organic livestock farms - Laura Peeters (ILVO)

·       How to measure soil health, and how soil health respond to management practices in organic farming ? - Brieuc Hardy (CRA-W)

·       Carbon and nitrogen dynamics and nutrient balance approach in organic farming systems - Koen Willekens (ILVO)

·       SPoT: Co-design and experimentation of sustainable mixed crop-livestock systems in Belgian Ardenne - Michael Mathot, Séverine Lagneaux (CRA-W)

·       Research related to agroecological principles at Viaverda’ – An Van de Walle (Viaverda)

·       Towards sustainable diets and farming systems through land use optimization- Tom Desmarez (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech)

·       Promoting biocontrol of thrips and cabbage pests with banker plants and insect frass - Femke Temmerman (Inagro vzw)

·       Comparison of organic market gardening cultivation systems - Laurent Jamar, Clément Nieus (CRA-W)

List of posters :

·       Technological quality of food cereals in organic farming (TechnoCerBio) - Bruno Godin (CRA-W)

·       Putting to test reduced soil tillage in organic cropping system: collaboration group composed of farmers-researchers-advisors carrying out on-farm (systemic and long-term) experiments - Aline Fockedey (CRA-W)

·       Towards sustainable diets and farming systems through land use optimization - Tom Desmarez (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech)

·       Results of variety trials in wheat, triticale and spelt in collaboration with CARAH and CRA-W - Julie Legrand (CPL Végémar)

·       Integrated approach for the management of endive aphid pests - Thomas Cochenille UMons

·       Evaluating varieties and developing innovative technical itineraries to meet the challenges of organic field crops - Anne-Michelle Faux (CRA-W)

·       Grass management in organic market gardening - Laurent Jamar, Clément Nieus (CRA-W)

·       Protein intercrops: difficulties to reconcile expectations of farmers and downstream stakeholders - Morgane Campion, Pénélope Lamarcq (CRA-W)

·       Organic Heterogeneous Material (OHM): Composite Cross Populations (CCP) of bread wheat and spelt – Dominique Mingeot (CRA-W)

·       Toward more circularity in crop livestock systems: design and first leanings from the SPoT Project ; (2) Transdisciplinary exploration of organic dairy beef production based on grassland and by-products – Mihaël Mathot (CRA-W)

·       Biodiversity at the service of farmers - Fanny Boeraeve (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech)

·       How to measure soil health, and how soil health respond to management practices in organic farming ? - Brieuc Hardy (CRA-W)

·       Introduction of protein-rich feeds into organic laying hens - Isabelle Dufrasne (Uliège – CTA)

·       Farmers' intention to invest in soil quality across 4 European regions – Jo Bijtebier (ILVO)

·       Even in a wet year, mulch can prove its worth – Maarten De Boever (ILVO)

·       Valorisation of agricultural production wastes through fermentation into pig and poultry feed – Marta Lourenco (ILVO)

·       Undersowing cover crops in vegetables – Jasper Vanbesien (INAGRO)

·       Monitoring Biodiversityin Agricultural Areas Flanders – Mieke Lateir (ILVO)

·       The Flemish Organic Research and Knowledge network – Lieve Decock (LLAEBIO- ILVO)

·       Organic field cropping systems trial (SYCBIO) – Morgan Abras (CRA-W)

·       Towards More Resilient Organic Fruit Orchards – Alain Rondia, Baptiste Dumont (CRA-W)

·       Four cropping systems for vegetable production a long termexperiment – Clément Nieus (CRA-W)

·       Research of alternative methods for controlling pests and diseases in organic fruit orchards – Alexis Jorion (CRA-W)

Team