Themes

The aim here is to develop organic, sustainable, and resilient food systems that produce high-quality products, but also to contribute to the development of the organic sector in terms of both quantity and quality: improved sustainability and product quality.  

Rethinking production methods: “Organic farming leads the way”  

The work undertaken is enabling the development of efficient production systems that are both productive and economically viable, while also protecting biodiversity and soil fertility, as well as animal and human health and well-being. To carry out this work, several disciplines are being mobilized to design and evaluate new practices, but also to support the innovation process by bringing together various stakeholders.  

Mobilizing domestic biodiversity to transform our agricultural and food models

Seeds are the foundation of our food system. Rethinking production methods also means rethinking the seeds we use. Our action aims to mobilize domestic biodiversity (cultivated and animal) to broaden the choices available to organic farmers and breeders. This involves, for example, characterizing plant species and varieties with high taste and nutritional potential. It also involves tools and methods for optimizing the quality of organic seeds or for participatory selection of varieties and populations.

Strengthening the entire value chain

ITAB supports public policy to accompany regulatory changes and propose solutions to certain technical barriers in organic farming in most plant and animal sectors, including downstream.

Ensuring trust between stakeholders: from producer to consumer

To ensure optimal quality organic products, we characterize production and processing routes and their impact on quality (work initiated as part of the Actia Transfobio RMT). Strengthening trust between stakeholders in organic food systems requires identifying methods for authenticating organic products, from raw to processed, as well as understanding consumer expectations and behaviors. At the regional level, to ensure trust between stakeholders, our action aims to strengthen ethics and fairness in the value chains of organic food products. It also involves studying food flows in order to close material cycles and optimize the production-processing-distribution-consumption continuum.

This priority area explores synergies between soil, plant, animal, and human health according to the principle of “One Health.” Its aim is to guarantee and promote health for all, considering that the health of individuals and communities cannot be separated from the health of ecosystems or the safety of the “environmental compartments” (soil, water, air) in which they live.

Managing soil fertility

The sustainability of agricultural production methods requires a comprehensive review of the role of livestock farming, particularly taking into account the biogeochemical cycles of elements, both at the farm level and at the regional level. Several practices contribute to improving soil fertility and weed management, such as the inclusion of legumes in crop rotations or cover crops between harvests. It remains necessary to produce and make available technical elements to ensure the effectiveness of these levers and reduce dependence on inputs. This is one of the roles of ITAB.

Improving Animal Health and Welfare

Citizens are increasingly concerned about the quality of the products they consume—particularly those free of pesticide or antibiotic residues—as well as the conditions in which animals are raised and slaughtered. In line with its principles, organic farming practices promote a comprehensive approach to animal health focused on disease prevention. ITAB seeks to identify farming practices that strengthen immunity and animal welfare, and works with its partners to develop alternatives to allopathic treatments and mutilation.

Promoting healthy and sustainable food

To promote healthy and sustainable food, ITAB is developing methods for evaluating processes in terms of nutrition (healthy diet) and the environment (sustainable diet). It promotes food processing methods that are beneficial to health and have a low environmental impact—concepts of “naturalness,” “minimal processing,” and “careful processing”—based on an eco-design approach. In addition, ITAB assesses the impact of substances used directly or indirectly in the agri-food chain on ecosystems and human health, in order to find alternatives to molecules of concern and contribute to the redesign of food processes.

Shedding light on the use of inputs in organic farming

In organic farming, inputs are only used as a last resort for managing soil fertility, plant health, and animal health. The inputs that can be used for plant protection in organic farming are subject to three national and European regulations. These regulations are constantly evolving, which increases the complexity of the issues involved. The same applies to inputs that can be used for animal protection in organic farming or for organic matter and fertilizers. This regulatory complexity requires constant monitoring to ensure that the various regulations are properly coordinated and that products that can be used in organic farming can be quickly identified by the operators concerned. To this end, ITAB produces and updates guides on inputs that can be used in organic farming, in order to inform operators' choices.

Despite regulations and strict limits on the use of inputs, organic farming still uses certain products known as “controversial,” which are not fully compliant with its principles. They remain authorized by European regulations due to a lack of viable alternatives. The expected results of ITAB's work on this subject are the development of alternatives and a significant reduction in the number, use, and impacts associated with these controversial inputs.

This priority is based on ITAB's threefold mission: (1) knowledge producer, (2) unifier of organic farming R&D stakeholders, (3) knowledge promoter.  

Providing benchmarks on the benefits of organic farming

By publishing up-to-date references on the benefits of organic farming for society, ITAB supports public authorities in implementing policies that promote organic farming and ecological transition. The recommendations produced help to inform and support decision-making on complex and even controversial issues. 

Supporting the scaling up of organic farming

The development of organic farming, which is already well underway, presents significant opportunities. However, it also comes with a number of challenges that need to be addressed and anticipated. These include, for example, securing production, price stability, developing supply chains, and integrating new players. To support the European trajectory set by the European Green Deal (25% organic UAA by 2030), ITAB is actively involved in forward-looking work to identify the levers to be activated and anticipate future challenges. Several activities are carried out jointly with INRAE as part of the METABIO meta-program. In addition, ITAB produces bibliographic summaries and recommendations for decision-makers (public and private) to support the growth of the sector and consolidate the change of scale. Finally, tools and services are offered to downstream operators in the organic sector, such as processors and distributors. These actions aim to strengthen the entire value chain, from upstream to downstream.

Uniting and strengthening R&D in organic farming

Networking, which enables the development of transdisciplinary and participatory scientific approaches, is a major challenge in supporting innovation in organic farming and thus improving research capabilities. Facilitating the consideration of organic farming at all levels and stages is a crucial lever for meeting French and European ambitions to develop organic farming and expand agroecological systems.

By supporting R&D stakeholders in strengthening their work on organic farming, ITAB is continuing the momentum of the actions of the Research axis of the Ambition Bio Plan. Due to its history and positioning, ITAB plays a pivotal role in French organic research and experimentation, which is essential in the various exchanges, projects, and programs with authorities, networks, and institutions. This action is implemented through organized and structured partnerships (e.g., Itab-Lab, AbioDoc, FiBL), consultation bodies, inter-institutional actions, and national and European research projects.

Sharing knowledge to transform agricultural and food models

This focus area also aims to improve methods for capitalizing on the knowledge built up by various stakeholders in the agricultural sector (farmers, advisors, researchers, etc.) and to facilitate the dissemination and appropriation of this knowledge by stakeholders in the organic sector and beyond, in order to accelerate agricultural and food transitions. This is, for example, the objective of the SYNERGIE Bio-NonBio inter-institute program.

Several levers for promoting this knowledge are being implemented by ITAB, some in partnership with AbioDoc, to produce reliable, useful, and accessible knowledge for target audiences with varied needs:

• Publications (e.g., technical data sheets and guides, decision-making tools) and technical communications (e.g., national technical day, webinar) referenced in knowledge portals (e.g., BioBase, OrganicFarmKnowledge, R&D agri, ITAB website).
• Scientific publications and communications on the results of the Institute's work (in Axes 1, 2, and 3), both upstream and downstream.
• A range of training services, support services, audits, etc.