Stronger together: Researchers from Wallonia and Flanders united for organic agriculture - First edition ! 

On Tuesday 25 March 2025, a meeting was attended between walloon and flemish belgian scientists involved in organic farming. This first-ever event was the result of a joint initiative by CRA-W, ILVO[1], Bioforum vzw, LLAEBIO[2] and CCBT[3] vzw. They joined forces to ensure that walloon and flemish researchers work even more actively together to meet the challenges facing organic production. The event took place in Gembloux.

During this day, nearly 80 researchers had the opportunity to learn more about the research being carried out in the four corners of our flat country. The day's programme focused on sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas and proposing collaborative projects between Flanders and Wallonia. The aim of the day was to consolidate the future of belgian organic farming research.

The day was structured as follows:

The day began with a welcome speech by the Director of the CRA-W, presentations of Marleen Delanoy representative of the Agriculture and Fischeries Agency and An Jamar of Bioforum, followed by an overview of the regional strategies for organic production.

In the morning a plenary session of 18 pitches was given on the research carried out in Flanders and Wallonia.

The lunch break gave free rein to networking. The meal was also an opportunity to discover a number of posters detailing organic projects conducted in Flanders and Wallonia.

The afternoon was dedicated to workshops of different topics (soil, field crops, mixed systems, value chains, animal welfare, plant protection, reconfiguration of the farming system and farm profitability). It was an opportunity to discuss pressing research issues, debate the challenges to be faced and propose joint actions between researchers from northern and southern Belgium.

The day concluded with a summary of the workshop results, followed by a drink. We hope that this day marks the start of fruitful 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