Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)

19/06/2026

Ongoing exchange with South Korea on organic stone fruit production 👩‍🔬🌏

FiBL recently welcomed Miss Woo-Young Cho, researcher at the Gyeongsangbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services (GBARES) in South Korea. Her visit was part of the collaboration between FiBL and GBARES with the aim to exchange practical experience, scientific knowledge and new perspectives. Common challenges in South Korea and Switzerland range from reducing pesticide use to developing resilient organic farming systems.

What started in 2023 as a project on organic stone fruit production technologies has now been extended for another three years, with a broader focus on organic fruit production and sustainable plant protection strategies. During her visit, Miss Cho had the opportunity to explore various FiBL research projects and actively contribute to ongoing research activities.

Learn more about Korea's organic efforts: https://pulse.ly/n317crttqz

12/06/2026

Preserving tradition through agritourism

As part of the EU Farmbionet project, the international project team – which includes FiBL – travelled to Tuscany. The field trip focused on farms that produce olives using traditional methods. They offset the higher costs of these labour-intensive cultivation methods through high-quality produce and agritourism.

👉Read more here:

As part of the EU FarmBioNet project, the international project team – which includes FiBL – travelled to Tuscany. The field trip focused on farms that produce olives using traditional methods. They offset the higher costs of these labour-intensive cultivation methods through high-quality produc...

10/06/2026

What are cowpeas doing in Swiss soil?

Last week, the FiBL Plant Breeding Group sowed the first cowpeas of the season at Strickhof-Bio in Full-Reuenthal. Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) originate from Africa and are now grown across Asia, the Americas, and the Mediterranean. They might not seem like an obvious fit for Switzerland at first glance; however, the “Augenbohne” is being tested as part of climate adaptation strategies in Swiss agriculture. With increasing heat and drought stress, crops like cowpea, which are known for their strong drought tolerance, could become an important addition to future cropping systems.

Beyond being resilient, cowpeas are a valuable source of plant-based protein for both human consumption and animal feed, as well as improving soil fertility by fixating nitrogen. Still, challenges remain before cowpeas can be widely grown in Switzerland. Suitable early-maturing varieties need to be identified and bred to ensure reliable harvests under Swiss conditions. Current trials aim to evaluate different varieties and assess their performance across regions.

What may look like an unusual crop today could play a role in a more diverse and climate-resilient Swiss agriculture of the future.

👉 Further information: https://pulse.ly/ov8q9yayv2

BLW Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft, -NAP

01/06/2026

Made in Ukraine 💙💛👩‍🌾

The fourth edition of the Lviv Taste Fair – a recurrent gastronomic event – recently took place in western Ukraine, bringing together organic producers, consumers, gastronomy experts, and international partners.

The 6 000 visitors had the unique opportunity to taste and purchase products, explore the rich diversity of Ukraine’s food culture, and participate in educational activities such as tastings and culinary workshops - including a special demonstration on the preparation of traditional Swiss fondue. 🧀

"The Lviv Taste Fair is not only about gastronomy, but also about resilience, talent, and the entrepreneurial spirit of Ukrainian small and medium-sized producers.", says Felix Baumann, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ukraine.

The initiative was supported by the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme "Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine" (QFTP), which is implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in partnership with SAFOSO (Switzerland).

👉 Interested? Find more information here:
Article about Lviv taste fair: https://pulse.ly/yarmw5n5aj
QFTP project on fibl.org: https://pulse.ly/kk4oohgbl0

01/06/2026

🗣️ Voices on climate: "We are breaking new ground"

Since 2022, it has been possible to build photovoltaic systems on agricultural land in Switzerland. A prerequisite is dual use, meaning that the systems generate electricity whilst simultaneously providing a demonstrable benefit for agricultural crops. In our series "Voices on Climate", Stefan Baumann discusses the challenges, opportunities and FiBL research in this area.

👉 To the interview: https://pulse.ly/g3rznemm7n

27/05/2026

OrganicTargets4EU publishes updated organic sector factsheets for 29 European countries 🇪🇺

After four years, the Horizon Europe project OrganicTargets4EU, in which FiBL was a partner, has concluded.

Drawing on research, policy analysis, and multi-stakeholder dialogue, it explored the feasibility and socioeconomic implications of reaching the EU target of 25 percent organic farmland by 2030 🏁

Coordinated by IFOAM Organics Europe, the project also examined opportunities for the development of organic aquaculture across Europe.

👉 Follow up here: https://pulse.ly/h0tukfripe

22/05/2026

On-farm research: The FiBL trial network 2026 🗺️

The recently updated interactive trial network maps show where FiBL is conducting research on farms in Switzerland in 2026. They provide an overview of ongoing field trials and research projects in the areas of arable farming, specialty crops, and livestock research.

👉 Explore the network map: https://pulse.ly/xbvpyw91yl

11/05/2026

The LiveSeeding Final Conference will take place on 10 June 2026 in Brussels. Further information on the programme and speakers will follow.

08/05/2026

🗣️ Voices on climate: "Climate adaptation cannot be imposed from above"

As part of the Interreg project KlimaCrops, FiBL has been working with partners to investigate how arable farms in north-western Switzerland can adapt to climate change. Environmental and natural scientist Jan Landert from FiBL reports on the findings from the project in the series "Voices on climate".

https://pulse.ly/qtlpazura9

07/05/2026

Organic farming as a role model? Global meeting of the organic livestock sector at FiBL 🌐

This week, FiBL hosted the largest livestock conference organised by international organic organisations. Around 200 people attended the event in person and online. The IAHA conference focused on the question of whether organic livestock farming can serve as a role model.

The conference bid farewell to Otto Schmid, the long-standing chair of the IAHA. His FiBL colleague Florian Leiber will now take over as co-chair.

🧭 To FiBL's info centre: https://pulse.ly/nucaz4vcmm



IFOAM - Organics International | IFOAM Organics Europe