WP4: Stakeholder perceptions

Complete title WP4: Discussions with stakeholder about APF applicability, mainly by workshops in each of the participating countries

WP leader: Anne-Kristin Løes (BIOFORSK, Norway), Deputy: Stefan Hörtenhuber (FiBL-AT), with involvement of all partners.

The utilization of alternative P fertilizers like sewage sludge/biosolids or treated sewage sludge crystallization (e.g. struvite) or incineration products (e.g. toxic elements depleted ashes) in OF is controversial. On one side, recycling is a basic principle of OF, aiming for self-sufficiency and optimal recirculation of nutrients. On the other side, the main motivation for organic consumers to pay a premium price is increased food quality, with lower contents of non-favorable substances like pollutants and pathogens. Current regulations concerning the use of APF are strict. A mediated dialogue is required, bringing actors and stakeholders (scientists, farmers, advisers, etc.) together. The specific objectives of this WP are to:

1. Use input from WPs1-2 to prepare power-point presentations in English, German and Norwegian/Danish presenting promising alternative P fertilizers, along with a pro/con analysis of each fertilizer.

2. Present the material at relevant national events in all 6 participating countries as an introduction to discussion with national and transnational partners and stakeholders.

3. Map the opinions among the stakeholders before and after the discussions, to study if the opinions are impacted by the discussion

4. Summarize the discussion in each country, comparing and analyzing possible differences.

5. Conclude on the most promising alternative P fertilizers.

6. Propose ways for organic farmers to utilize these P fertilizers in their practical farm management.

WP4 comprises three different tasks as described in the following:

Task 4.1: Detailed plans for stakeholder workshops including power-point presentations in national languages to discuss most promising APF

Discussions will be structured uniformly to include: Background: Finiteness of P, need for P in OF in this country and in general. Possible alternative P fertilizers (e.g. sewage sludge and sewage sludge derived P fertilizers, meat and bone meal, other organic wastes from urban areas, etc.), and their benefits and risks with respect to product quality, economic efficacy, environmental impact, consumer acceptability, and based on these issues, the grade of acceptability in OF.

Task 4.2: Conducting the stakeholder workshops, with power point presentation, stakeholder discussion and before/after discussion query

The workshops will be linked to relevant national events, and detailed minutes will be produced and compared between countries. A first workshop is scheduled for the Organic World Conference in Istanbul in October 2014. Further workshops are in preparation, e.g. in connections to meetings of the Soil Association in UK, of Bio-Austria in Austria, as well as Wissenschaftstagung 2015 and BioFach in Germany.

Task 4.3: Analyze the output of the discussions and conclude on promising P fertilizers

The questionnaires filled in by the stakeholders and the detailed minutes will be utilized to analyze and describe the considerations of relevant stakeholders. This will be important knowledge to combine with literature studies in WP1, and experimental results from WP2 and WP3, to provide recommendations about the most promising APF.